Telangana is located on the Deccan Plateau and is a crucial link between the North and South India. The region has an area of 114,840 Square Kilometers (44,340 sq mi), and a population of about 35 Million.
It comprises of ten districts – Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medak, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Warangal, Nalgonda, Khammam and Mahabub Nagar.
Telangana was under the Nizam rule until 1948 September 17th. The people of Telangana had waged an armed rebellion against the Nizam. The Indian government had send army to annex the Nizam’s dominions into Indian Union in 1948.
After the military action, the Nizam’s kingdom was made into an Indian state named Hyderabad state. It continued to exist as Hyderabad state from 1948 to 1956.
Image: Rare map showing Telangana state granted by First SRC in 1955. (then named Hyderabad state)
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The States Reorganization Commission had recommended constituting Telangana into a separate state in 1955. But a powerful lobby from Andhra state influenced the leadership in Delhi and forcefully merged Telangana with the Andhra state to form the Andhra Pradesh state on November 1st, 1956.
People of Telangana have been agitating ever since demanding a de-merger from Andhra Pradesh.
In 1969, a popular movement spearheaded by students and government employees was crushed ruthlessly by the state government. About 370 youngsters were gunned down in the crackdown on the statehood movement.
The movement gathered steam in mid 1990s. By 2001, the movement gained popularity as a new political party – The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as launched by a local politician named Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao.
In 2004, the Congress (I) party rode to power in India after promising to create the state of Telangana. UPA Chair Person Mrs. Sonia Gandhi herself assured the people of the Telangana region that her government would form the Telangana state as soon as they are voted to power. Subsequently Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the then President of India Abdul Kalam Azad have reassured the people of Telangana that they are actively considering formation of Telangana state.
In spite of promises from the highest offices, Telangana statehood remained a mirage. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government ruling India continued to dilly-dally on the statehood issue. On November 29th, 2009, Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao, the Parliament member from Telangana Rashra Samithi, sat on an indefinite fast demanding immediate formation of Telangana state.
On the 11th day of his indefinite fast, when his health had deteriorated considerably, the UPA government pressed the panic button and decided to form the Telangana state.
A statement was made by the then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram that the process of formation of Telangana state would be initiated.
Within hours of that statement, the powerful business-politician lobby from the Andhra region, which was opposing the Telangana state formation has threatened to pull down the state and central governments if they went ahead with the state formation. Yielding to the blackmail tactics of this powerful lobby, the Indian government has postponed the demerger for almost four years.
The delay in statehood led to several rounds of agitation in Telangana region. A political Joint Action Committee headed by Prof Kodandaram organized several novel and popular protest programs such as Maanava Haaram, Million March, Sagara Haaram, Sansad Yatra, Sadak Bandh etc.
Delay in Telangana statehood has led to a tragic outcome – unable to bear the delay in state formation over 1200 youngsters have committed suicide in the last four years.
In July 2013, the Congress party and UPA government finally decided to go ahead with the Telangana statehood. The process which began in July of last year, is now in its final leg.
The Indian Parliament is expected to pass the statehood bill this week. With this, India’s most popular and long standing statehood demand would be realized.