Of Smart Cards, SIR, Makhtedars, and Shadow Kingmakers >>>>> Eighteenth Friday Evening Multilogue at Press Club : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Of Smart Cards, SIR, Makhtedars, and Shadow Kingmakers

Eighteenth Friday Evening Multilogue at Press Club

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao (June Month 12, 2026)

The Eighteenth Friday Evening Gathering at Press Club Hyderabad unfolded around a set of diverse yet unexpectedly interconnected themes, making it one of the more engaging sessions in the continuing series. The conversation moved seamlessly across subjects as varied as the introduction of Smart Cards at the Press Club, the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the historical institution of Makhtedars, and the informal influence once exercised by certain individuals in shaping outcomes within institutional spaces.

Adding to the evening's ambience was a noticeable contrast from the previous gathering. In place of distracting noise from an adjoining table, there was a parallel congregation of nearly ten veteran citizens, most of them in their plus eighties, engaged in animated conversation of their own. Their presence created a backdrop of shared fellowship, subtly reinforcing the spirit of dialogue and collective reflection that has increasingly come to characterize these Friday Evenings.

The evening's conversation opened with the introduction of the subject of Smart Cards at the Hyderabad Press Club, marking a transition from the traditional identity cards that had served members for decades. From there, the discussion moved to the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, scheduled to commence on June 25, 2026 as announced earlier in the day by the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer. The dialogue then turned to the historical institution of the Makhtedar, a title once associated with major landholders who held Maqta estates under the erstwhile Hyderabad State.

While the title Makhtedar has long lost its administrative significance, the subject evoked reflections on social change, shifting economic realities, and the gradual transformation of traditional structures over time. Interestingly, the conversation then moved to what one participant described as the role of an ‘Unofficial Kingmaker’ or more precisely as ‘Shadow Kingmaker’ in club institutional affairs. Recollections surfaced of a period nearly two decades ago when certain paid staff members of the Press Club were widely perceived to wield influence disproportionate to their designated responsibilities.  

One participant recalled occasions when one or two staff members, including a senior employee, openly expressed confidence in his ability to influence the electoral fortunes of contestants in Club elections. Whether such assertions reflected reality, perception, or a combination of both, the discussion revived memories of a phase when the outcomes of certain contests were believed by many to have been influenced by factors beyond the visible electoral process, at least on couple of occasions. The conversation naturally broadened into a reflection on institutional governance.

Participants observed that membership-driven organisations derive their strength from the confidence of their members and the integrity of their democratic processes. When paid staff, whose primary responsibility is to facilitate the functioning of an institution, come to be perceived as influencing leadership contests or organisational direction, the distinction between administration and governance begins to blur.

The discussion underscored the importance of maintaining clear boundaries between elected leadership and administrative support structures, so that institutional credibility remains firmly anchored in the members. This reflection emerged in an unexpected context.

Later, a steward requested some participants to produce their Press Club identity cards, not the conventional membership card, but the newly introduced Smart Card. The development generated immediate interest. Enthusiastic as ever, Saye Sekhar volunteered to collect them and returned not only with his own, but also those belonging to Amar and a few others. For several participants, it marked their first direct encounter with the Press Club's new Smart Card initiative, which soon became a subject of discussion in its own right.

As the evening progressed, and social refreshments accompanied the conversation, the newly introduced Smart Card emerged as a subject of interest. The discussion, initiated by Amar and joined by others, focused on its potential to serve as a secure and integrated membership tool for access, identification, and transactions within the Club. Participants observed that many established social and service clubs have gradually moved towards such systems.

Participants felt, they would simplify operations, reduce dependence on manual processes, and enhance institutional efficiency. The introduction of the Smart Card at the Hyderabad Press Club was viewed as a welcome step in that direction, reflecting an effort to align a five-decade-old institution with evolving practices. At the same time, it was felt that the true value of the initiative would lie not merely in possessing the card, but in the effectiveness and utility of the systems that support it.

A substantial part of the evening was devoted to the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a subject introduced and explained by Hanumanth Rao. The exercise, announced for implementation later this month, seeks to update and authenticate voter records through an extensive verification process. The discussion touched upon its legal basis, administrative objectives, and the broader questions it has generated in the public domain.

Participants noted that the exercise is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls and address concerns such as duplicate or outdated entries. However, the participants also observed that, it has also attracted criticism from sections of political opinion and civil society, particularly on issues relating to implementation, documentation requirements, and the possibility of unintended exclusion. The conversation reflected the complexity of balancing electoral integrity with inclusiveness, underscoring the importance of transparency, public awareness, and effective execution in any exercise of such scale.

Then, the discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) also touched upon some of the concerns being expressed in public discourse. Participants noted that while the exercise is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls through extensive field verification, questions have been raised regarding documentation requirements, the possibility of unintended exclusions, and the need to ensure that no eligible voter is disadvantaged in the process.

The conversation acknowledged both perspectives: the importance of maintaining accurate voter databases and the equally important obligation of safeguarding democratic participation through transparency, fairness, and effective implementation. More than the procedural aspects, however, it was an observation by Hanumanth Rao that added a human dimension to the discussion. Recounting a recent interaction with a friend whose name no longer appeared in the electoral rolls after multiple changes of residence over the years, he explained the steps required for restoration and re-registration.

The friend's response, however, prompted deeper reflection. He questioned what tangible loss he would suffer if his name did not figure in the voters' list and whether the effort involved was worth undertaking. The anecdote led participants to reflect on a larger concern that extends beyond electoral rolls themselves: the gradual erosion of civic engagement and the declining value many citizens attach to their vote.

In that sense, the discussion moved beyond administrative processes to the broader challenge of sustaining public participation in democratic life. It was felt that the ultimate success of exercises such as SIR would depend not only on accurate verification, but also on strengthening citizens' awareness of the significance of their electoral rights and responsibilities.

An equally engaging recollection emerged from a Door Darshan programme hosted by Hanumanth Rao nearly two decades ago, when he conducted a walk-and-talk (Vijetha) interview with Amar during the latter's tenure as Chairman of the AP Press Academy. In the course of that conversation, Amar had spoken candidly about his childhood, describing how, despite his family's ancestral association with substantial landholdings in the Warangal region, his own upbringing was rooted in the realities of a lower middle-class household.

Amar recalled periods of financial hardship and the everyday adjustments that accompanied them, including memories of sleeping on the floor wrapped in old newspapers during difficult times. The telecast, Amar reminisced, drew an unexpected reaction from a close family elder, his father’s younger brother, Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao. Taking exception to the portrayal of hardship, he reminded Amar of the family's historical standing as Makhtedars of several (9) villages and felt that the account understated that legacy.

The incident, recalled in a lighter vein, sparked a thoughtful exchange on how family memory often preserves inherited prestige, while individual experience is shaped by the circumstances of a particular generation. In that distinction lay a revealing glimpse into the social transitions that many families experienced across the decades. Recalling the episode further, Amar remarked, with characteristic candour, that he himself knew little about the villages associated with the family's Makhtedar legacy and that such memories perhaps belonged more to his grandparents' generation than to his own.

The disagreement, however, left a lasting impression. According to Amar, his uncle, the late Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao, did not speak to him for nearly four years after the telecast. The recollection carried an added historical footnote, as Prabhakar Rao later went on to serve as the first Chairman of the Official Language Commission constituted during the tenure of K. Chandrashekar Rao as Chief Minister. The anecdote also highlighted a larger social transition. Across generations, many families moved from the prestige of inherited landownership to the uncertainties of urban life.

In Amar's case, the memory of ancestral Makhtedar status coexisted with the lived experience of a modest lower middle-class upbringing. The contrast illustrated how inherited identity and personal reality do not always travel together, often reflecting the profound economic and social transformations experienced by families across the Deccan during the twentieth century. The discussion also prompted a broader reflection on the experience of many families whose fortunes changed with the passage of time.

The generation immediately preceding Amar's, like countless others across the region, witnessed the gradual decline of traditional agrarian structures and the migration of families from rural estates to expanding urban centres. In the process, inherited status often proved less enduring than changing economic realities. Landholdings became fragmented or difficult to sustain, and families accustomed to social prominence found themselves adapting to entirely new circumstances in cities that placed greater value on education, professional competence, and personal endeavour than on ancestral distinction.

Viewed in that context, Amar's recollections resonated beyond an individual life story. They reflected a larger social journey experienced by many families whose memories carried echoes of former prosperity, while their daily lives were shaped by modest means and disciplined striving. If earlier generations had inherited position, subsequent generations were often required to create opportunity anew.

The conversation recognised that such transitions, though frequently accompanied by hardship and dislocation, also produced stories of resilience, adaptation, and achievement that became defining features of post-Independence social mobility. Then, the evening's reflections acquired an additional personal touch through a recent milestone in Amar's life. Having celebrated his seventieth birthday two days earlier, on June 10, 2026, with family members, friends, and well-wishers, he recalled one among several memories that had resurfaced during the occasion.

Referring to a photograph included in a collage prepared by his daughter-in-law, he pointed to an image showing a group of journalists seated in a narrow lane outside the residence of the late NT Rama Rao, awaiting a press interaction. Among those captured in that moment from another era was A Saye Sekhar, a detail that prompted both recognition and reminiscence. The photograph served as a quiet reminder of a generation of journalists whose professional journeys have unfolded alongside many of the political and social transformations discussed during these Friday gatherings.

With veteran journalist Venugopal Kadempally joining the Friday Evening Multilogue for the first time, the eighteenth gathering brought together Amar Devulapalli, Bhandaru Srinivasa Rao, Mallepally Lakshmaiah, BS Ramakrishna, A Saye Sekhar, Hanumanth Rao, GK Murthy, Subbarao, Yazi, and myself. As conversations traversed subjects ranging from institutional change and electoral processes to social mobility, memory, and journalism, the evening once again demonstrated how seemingly unrelated themes often converge through shared experience and collective reflection.

As the circle of conversation continues to widen with each passing Friday, it is hoped that more colleagues, friends, and well-wishers will find time to join these informal exchanges. After all, the richness of a multilogue lies not merely in the subjects discussed, but in the diversity of experiences and perspectives that come together around the table.

End of the 18^th Friday Meeting on June 12, 2026.