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20 years and counting
20 years and counting. Fresh from winning two gold medals in 50 m backstroke and breaststroke swimming competition in the over 80 years category conducted by the Telangana Swimming Association, 87 year-old Ghulam Yazdani is as energetic as he was a few decades ago.
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Ghulam Yazdani reminisces history with Public Gardens
On the occasion of the 241st health lecture by the PGWA, which happens every Sunday, a series that began 20 years ago in November 1995, the man behind the lecture series, Ghulam Yazdani, senior advocate, goes down memory lane about his second home; the Public Gardens
Fresh from winning two gold medals in 50 m backstroke and breaststroke swimming competition in the over 80 years category conducted by the Telangana Swimming Association, 87 year-old Ghulam Yazdani is as energetic as he was a few decades ago.
Probably one of the few walkers who are witness to the transformation of the Public Gardens over the years, he shares the happy, sad and momentous occasions. “Twenty years is a long period. The health lectures that started with the renowned ophthalmologist P Siva Reddy in 1995 have come a long way and benefitted thousands of people.”
The 241st lecture by Dr N Somashekar Reddy at the Indira Priyadarshini auditorium on Sunday is special in many ways as it culminates 20 years of health lectures. It is not just the lectures but the efforts of the Public Garden Walkers’ Association (PGWA) to keep the environs green and stop structures from coming up is something that makes him proud.
The protocol building adjacent to the Jubilee Hall would have been double its size if not for the efforts of the morning walkers spearheaded by Ghulam Yazdani. He says, “We fought tooth and nail and saw to it that the building area was minimal. But what is saddening is the state of the lake. The government is keen on rejuvenating lakes. It should first start with the pond at Public Gardens.”
Reminiscing the glorious days of the past he says that the greenery has vanished to a great extent. There was a time when migratory birds from far away countries would come in winter but not anymore. Another feather in the morning walkers’ cap is the shifting of the goods station from Nampally to Sanantnagar.
“We also sent representations to the government and went to court with regard to the plans of Hyderabad Metro Rail going through Public Gardens but thankfully the government has changed its plans. Public Gardens is meant for the public and it should remain that way. We have lost a lot but we need to preserve what little is left,” he says.
For a man who has been going to Public Gardens since 1960 it is but natural that he feels a sense of belonging. “Abids is one of the most polluted areas in the city and Gunfoundry, where I live, is close by. I need to replenish fresh clean air. The 30 minute walk at Public Gardens is what keeps me going,” says Ghulam Yazdani.
When asked on what he misses the most, he says, “The roar of the tiger that we could hear in the stillness of the morning right here in Gunfoundry, when the zoo was at the Public Gardens,” he says as he signs off.
By T P Venu
