1. CHRONICLE
HYDER ABAD SUNDAY 11 APRIL 2010
Sky is Youth swear by No match
the limit couture copycats
haute shots 22 glam-sham 19 Some say Shoaib is just
>> WHAT’S ON 20 >> DINE-O-MITE 21 >> PARTY WHIRL 53 >> TAROT POWER 54 Sania’s rebound man >> 18
IIT not the only
option anymore
ABHISHEK RAJE Technology’s (VIT) test VITJEE
DECCAN CHRONICLE and Birla Institute of Science and
Technology’s BITSAT exam are
E
very engineering aspirant’s the popular exams this year.
ultimate dream is to bag Siddharth Mayya, who finished
that seat in IIT and then Class XII from Bhavan’s Sri
land a cushy job with a fat pay Ramakrishna Vidyalaya,
package. But with the rat race to Sanikpuri, says, “Considering
snag the 8,000-odd seats get- there’s very high competi-
ting fiercer, it doesn’t hurt to tion to ace IIT-JEE this The LGBT community in Hyderabad lacks a proper forum and representation
have a plan B in place, say time, I’m writing entrance
young aspirants who are tests to five colleges as
Give the queer a voice
writing as many as it’s better to keep my
seven entrance exams options open. And
for various universi- depending on the
ties and institutes this branch I get into, I
year instead of bank- will zero in on the
ing on just IIT-JEE
and EAMCET.
college, as right now
the field
The city’s homosexual community, reacting to the mysterious
AIEEE you pursue death of the AMU professor, say it’s time Hyderabad opens up.
and Indian matters
Institute of more than MADHURIMA CHATTERJEE It was this deprivation of repre- lack of exposure to gay culture.
Space Science and the college you gradu- DECCAN CHRONICLE sentation that goaded Andy The moment people realise that
Technology’s (IIST) ate from.” Silveira and his friends, who co- this is not inimical to their way of
T
ISAT, Vellore he recent mysterious founded Prathibimb.com — an living, I am sure they will accept
Institute of >> TURN TO PAGE 19 death of Professor online forum that hopes to give us. But for that we need a plat-
Shrinivas Ramchandra those with alternative sexualities form for dialogue. Even if people
Siras following his sus- the power to express — to now pose intelligent opposition, we
pension from Aligarh Muslim make their fight a bigger one. would accept it gladly, as it will
University on grounds of homo- Andy, an M. Phil allow us to answer
sexuality left the nation stunned. student doing his questions. Any dia-
Across the country, the LGBT research on Queer logue is good. It is
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans- Theory explains, better than hushing
gender) community is holding “Compared to the up the matter. If only
peace marches and candle light other cities, professor Siras had
vigils in protest against what Hyderabad has been some support, the
transpired at AMU. However, in covert for so long tragedy would have
Hyderabad, the still closeted that they have been averted. We
homosexual community worries become comfortable don’t want some-
that with the lack of forums and with it. We need to thing like that to
awareness, another AMU-like spread awareness MANY happen here.”
tragedy may be coming soon to a about identity based HOMOSEXUALS IN The online forum
household near you. on sexuality, only WERE FORCED TO that started on
“People in this city don’t have then can we have a LEAVE HYDERABAD February 14 this
anywhere to turn to,” says Harish thriving homosexual TO LIVE LIFE ON year is now abuzz
Iyer, a well-known member of culture in the city.” with activity. “Many
Mumbai’s gay community who And the time is THEIR OWN TERMS contact us for coun-
reveals that of the many distress “now” to bring selling. We have
calls he receives, the majority are about a change ANDY SILVEIRA, received mails from
from desperate Hyderabadis. before any sup- Prathibimb people from the city,
“Most calls are from suicidal pressed individual who settled abroad
people in Hyderabad who don’t of alternate sexuality decides to only because they wanted to live
know how to deal with their own take a fatal step, says Ashwini on their own terms and could not
sexuality in a conservative city. If Kumar K.M., who runs a coach- do so here. When I first came
we don’t guard people from cities ing institute in the city and is also out, I felt like a fish out of water,
like these, more tragedies like the part of Prathibimb. “The under- not knowing whom to confess to.
one in Aligarh will happen. We current of opposition to alternate Others should have a better
have to stand up.” sexuality is only because of the chance,” adds Andy.
