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Pankaj Sethi Profile picture
Pankaj Sethi
@PankajSethi00
Trying to make sense of the chaos called भारत, aka हिंदुस्तान, induces headache
Dec 24, 2022 • 15 tweets • 6 min read
Today's TOI Hyderabad has an article by
@SyedAkbarTOI, on how Dr Rajendra Prasad initiated the tradition of the annual southern sojourn of the President of India in Secunderabad.

The story of how the Bolarum Residency became Rashtrapathi Nilayam, however, has more twists! The premises today called "Rashtrapathi Nilayam" was constructed by the 4th Nizam, Nasir-ud-Dowlah, in 1860. The British were allowed to use it as the country house of the "British Resident".
Oct 2, 2022 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
There was an India angle to Congo's freedom from Belgium.

After Congo gained Independence on 30 June 1960, Patrice Lumumba was elected President. Almost immediately the southern province of Katanga seceded. Belgium supported the secessionist leader Moise Tshombe because... ... Belgian companies extracting minerals there.

At Lumumba's urging, in July the UNSC passed a resolution asking Belgium to withdraw its forces from Congo. It also sent UN forces, to control the secession, but they were unsuccessful.

Lumumba appealed to USSR...
Sep 9, 2022 • 41 tweets • 6 min read
1/
 V P Menon, Secy, Min of States, was the man tasked by Sardar Patel to ensure the union of Princely States with India.

Menon later wrote a book on how 500+ Princely States became part of India. He titled this definitive account The History of the Integration of Indian States 2/
 Why this particular title?

To answer this it is necessary to understand the relationship between the Government of (British) India and the Princely States as it existed in 1947.
Jul 4, 2022 • 73 tweets • 17 min read
1/70
A Thread on digitalisation of Indian languages.

A development which allows millions to use intelligent devices in their native language!

(This one is close to my heart, because it involves pioneering work done at my alma mater @IITKanpur, and my first employer @CMCLtd) 2/70
Warning:
This is a long Thread, of about 70 tweets.

It starts with a bit of a deep dive into the common features of Indian scripts, identifies the issues for digitalisation and then describes pioneering solutions and pioneering workers.
Mar 15, 2022 • 31 tweets • 9 min read
1/30
A Thread on ownership of public lands in Secunderabad Cantonment - in the context of recent statements by @TelanganaCMO and Minister MAUD @KTRTRS on Cantonment issues. 2/30
Speaking in State Assembly, #Telangana Min MAUD K T Rama Rao @KTRTRS strongly criticised hurdles being placed in developing nalas in military areas of the twin cities.

He also criticised road closures by the Army in Secunderabad Cantonment.

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad…
Mar 3, 2022 • 22 tweets • 4 min read
1/21

Thread on a most historic land reform:

The Princely State of Hyderabad had an area of over 2,10,000 sq km in 1948, when Operation Polo merged it with India.

(This is double the area of England, and only a bit less than the area of today's UP). 2/21
In 1948, about 10% of this land – more than 20,000 sq km - was directly owned by one person.

The 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali.

The lands directly owned by Nizam were called Sarf-e-Khas lands.
Sep 29, 2021 • 36 tweets • 9 min read
In the Thread quoted below I discussed how Emperor Ashoka was lost and then rediscovered after 2000 years.



I had discussed how Ashoka carved his Edicts on rocks and pillars to convey instructions and ideas.

Here I am giving the texts of these Edicts. The Rock Edicts were carved out first - about 12-14 years into Ashoka's reign. There are 14 more or less identical Edicts carved on each rock discovered around the country.

However on the two rocks at Dhauli and Jaugada in Odisha, Edicts 11-14 are replaced by two fresh Edicts.
Sep 28, 2021 • 63 tweets • 11 min read
1/60

Ashoka!

The Saga of how India's forgotten Emperor was rediscovered after two millennia. 2/60
The turn of the 19th century saw a renaissance in unearthing ancient history of India.

The British had been around for 200 years by then and a lot was known about Mughal history, Muslim Sultanates and contemporary Hindu kingdoms.
Oct 19, 2020 • 15 tweets • 4 min read
1/14
The effect of the ongoing floods in Hyderabad, triggered by excessive rainfall events, has been amplified by the havoc played with the city's lakes and nallas.

This thread attempts to explain why the havoc occurred. 2/14
This map shows the topography of Hyderabad's surroundings.

It also traces the Musi River from the 1500-2000 ft ASL elevation of Hyderabad to 200-250 ft at its confluence with the Krishna at Wadapally on the Telangana - AP border. .

(Ref: en-gb.topographic-map.com/maps/lppp/Hyde…)
Sep 17, 2020 • 61 tweets • 14 min read
01/60
THREAD

"How does Earth 'Manufacture' Land?
Some aspects of Natural History in the Indian Context"

The witticism “Buy Land. They ain't making any more of the stuff” is true, of course, if we look at “normal” time scales.

But it is not true on geological time scales! 02/60
This Thread is an attempt to answer a question which came to me when writing a previous Thread (Roopkund Skeletons – see my Pinned Tweet).

Did Earth have land and mountains and rivers and valleys on it ever since its birth 4.53 billion years ago?
Aug 5, 2020 • 16 tweets • 5 min read
An Index to my Threads: ImageImageImageImage
Aug 1, 2020 • 31 tweets • 7 min read
1/30
Catastrophic Uttarakhand Floods of 2013

Of a Himalayan Flood, the Monsoon, Western Disturbances, and a Dam that prevented further Devastation Image 2/30
Between 16 and 18 June 2013 catastrophic flooding hit the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in north India.

It devastated the upper reaches of the state, causing unprecedented death and destruction.
Jul 25, 2020 • 32 tweets • 9 min read
1/30
#Thread

The Roopkund Skeletons – What do new studies based on biomolecular techniques tell us? 2/30
In a previous thread ( ), I mentioned my interest in the use of DNA analysis for unraveling human migration.

But study of Ancient DNA can also throw light on other long standing mysteries, such as the one described in this thread!
Jul 8, 2020 • 49 tweets • 10 min read
-2/44
A Thread on how DNA encodes the genetic code, what the genetic code does, how DNA replicates and the use of DNA can help understand human migrations and evolution Image -1/44
This thread is an attempt by the author to understand the basics of DNA, its functioning and its usefulness in understanding human migrations.

Interest in understanding this was triggered while reading @tjoseph0010's book Ancient Indians.
May 18, 2019 • 26 tweets • 9 min read
THREAD #4 (Last Thread)

76. Ujjaini Mahankali Temple was built by native troops of Hyderabad Contingent in fulfillment of a vow made to the Goddess for delivering the town from a cholera outbreak. Today it is a major temple, and the centre of the Bonalu festival in Secunderabad 77. “Ranigunj” (“Gunj” means Market) was named for “Maharani” Victoria, after her Delhi Durbar of 1877.
May 15, 2019 • 26 tweets • 6 min read
1. “The Origin of Secunderabad”
THREAD # 1 of 2 LONG THREADS

Read on, if you are a Hyderabadi.
Or if you are interested in history.
Or both! 2. Today Secunderabad is subsumed in the vast 640 sq km sprawl called Greater Hyderabad. Its sobriquet of Hyderabad's “Twin City” gives just a hint of days when the two were indeed different cities separated by several kilometres.
May 8, 2019 • 19 tweets • 3 min read
A thread on changes in street names in SECUNERABAD.

Street names usually change because the earlier names lose relevance, and/or there is a sentimental need to replace them with newer names.

Following are some such changes in SECUNDERABAD 1. James St was named after James Achilles Kirkpatrick, the Resident of East India Company in the Court of the 2nd Nizam. He was the Resident when Secunderabad came into being as a military camp on the NE shores of Hussain Sagar. The street is today called Mahatma Gandhi Road.