By Archana Sonti
A day before the Chalo Assembly protest, my Facebook brothers posted some precautions to be taken and the things to be carried for Chalo Assembly. Night around 12 Am after signing out of FB, I packed my things in a bag, ironed my dress and slept around 12:30 Am only to wake up as usual around 6Am. On 13th evening I have drawn the Telangana Map on a piece of paper and TG too and pasted to my scooter afresh, these were my one day before preparations for the Chalo Assembly.
Morning I called up Srinivas Bhandari, bro of TAF, he said they are starting around 10 AM, so I opened FB and shared few posts on Telangana and signed off. At 9:45 I started from home wearing a Raincoat, as it was drizzling; I stopped at a temple in my colony to take blessings, from my bike itself. When I reached Mehdipatnam from Attapur, the road to NMDC was blocked, so I took a lane which takes me to Nampally Gandhi Bhavan, after reaching there the road to Assembly was also closed. But actually my intention was to reach Indira Park from where the march was planned, I also thought I will meet my brothers there and will be with them all through the march and give slogans together and do activities together.
All I was thinking and trying on my way was how to reach Indira park.
From Gandhi Bhavan, I took another lane which goes to Abids and then Troop bazar and from there lanes and by-lanes I reached Hyderguda. I stopped at Hyderguda and inquired with a person which lane can take me to Indira park, he said ‘take the front lane there no police, you can go’, but it was also barricaded. Everywhere, even a small by-lane which can lead to Assembly and Indira Park was barricaded. This was something which never happened and shows how much the Seemandhra government is scared of Telangana movement. And the people, the scooterists were moving in the by lanes like as if it’s some game they are all playing, the traffic jams too in by-lanes..
I went straight from that road at Hyderguda, reached a circle and that circle was also closed and many police were there. everybody were just requesting the police but the police not allowing, then I saw a small by-lane on my right side which seemed open, I immediately turned my vehicle to take the lane but by then the police started putting the fence and barricade, didn’t allowed there also, just sitting on the bike I waited and waited just then a boy called me ‘Akka’ (Sister) and I felt so relieved with the call and looked to his side, I didn’t recognized him but his face was very familiar, he recognized me and said Akka My name is Bhaskar, we met at Sagara Haaram, (a Telangana protest, which happened on Sept 30, 2012). I asked him where I can keep my bike, he said his office is nearby and can keep there. I kept my bike at blue dart and he said akka tell the police that your family members are in Apollo hospital and yo u have to visit them urgently, they will allow you. I thanked him and went straight to the circle again and asked the police who were busy answering the citizens that they cannot allow them even though they are government employees; a person was showing his government office id too. In that busy scene, I asked people to give me way and went close and asked the police men which way is Apollo hospital, the police man sincerely answered me this way straight, and he moved as if he gave me the way to go and I just passed the barricade and simply went straight 🙂 nobody stopped me…
From Hyderguda I walked and walked and reached Basheerbagh Chowrastha, in-between my Telangana brother Bhaskar calling me to know whether am going in right way or not, to guide me… Basheerbagh Chowrastha is again main circle and tight security. I waited there for some time and saw that couple of people showing some Id cards and going in, then I asked a journalist who was standing with cameras in a low voice ‘ID card means is it election card’, he said “no ID card of the Govt. office where you work”.
I told him in a hush voice that ‘I came for Telangana actually and I want to go to Indira Park’.
He said Indira park is very far from here what you can do is go straight and you can reach Assembly. Then I asked him “will they allow me”.
He replied “they will, you just go”
I kept wondering how the police will allow me, because in front of him only they are not allowing people without government id card. Then a lady showed her id card and they allowed her to pass, after sometime i just went near and to my surprise the police fellow said one minute madam and he removed the fence which was obstructing the way and the barricade and allowed me to go without asking me any ID card 🙂
As if some divine force is clearing my way for my divine intentions!
I passed the main Basheerbagh chowrastha and started walking straight to Assembly, this road was like exactly the India border or may be at Kashmir or some border area, with CRPF and BSF police at every ten feet distance, everybody looking at me but not asking me or stopping me, even police on the other side of the road too watching me from distance but didn’t stop me. I headed towards Assembly and there the women little far away from me has crossed the police and barricades, without thinking anything I was just walking and called up my bro Srinivas and told him I reached the Assembly and am very close to it.
I was updating Srinivas Bandari now and then… and as soon I reached the barricade the police man from distance walked towards me and I too walked in the normal speed towards the barricades. He asked, madam do you work in any office, do you have ID card, i said i don’t work there and I don’t have ID card. Then he said ‘why are you here?’ in a very casual tone I said I came for ‘Chalo Assembly’!
The policeman were taken aback with my ‘straight answer’ and they turned to big smiles and laughter. The police man said come aside now, I didn’t move, the higher police officer sitting back asked what is it? This man answered she says ‘she came for ‘Chalo Assembly’ again laughter’s and the higher police official came towards me, before that this man asked who else is with you, I said “I am alone, and am not here to harm anybody or anything, just wanted to come to Assembly and say “Jai Telangana”.
The policeman asked where did you come from and how you came.., I said I am coming from Attapur and kept my bike at Hyderguda and came walking from there. Then another question this time by the higher police officer, ‘how you know about this?’
I replied “Tv lala antha cheppirru kada Chalo Assembly 14th june ani Telangana gurinchi, anduke vachhina” (All the TV channels showed that there is ‘Chalo Assembly’ on 14th June for Telangana, So I came…)
At this checkpost opposite to assembly, only police were there, nearly 20 policemen with huge barricades and no media or any other persons with pin-drop silence, …
The Higher police officer said to the rest of the policemen ‘how she must have come in such tight security till here’, one police answered that ‘they must have allowed may be because she is alone’.
They took me as a simple woman who came there by seeing news on TV channels about the event, for the sake of Telangana innocently. My attire also added to this, I was wearing a turquoise-blue, a florescent color rain-coat with a bag stuffed with all the things which my brothers posted on FB to carry along with me for the Chalo Assembly, may be also I have an innocent look on my face too along with my plain and straight talk .
Time is around 12PM, the police officer said ‘situation here is not safe madam so please, go home, Telangana will come for sure’… I told them I came till here to say ‘Jai Telangana’ …naku sopathy ledu, okkadaanne, sopathy unte joshla Jai Telangana ani vellipoyedaanni’. (I don’t have company to say Jai Telangana)… The officer said ‘madam we give you chorus no problem’). Madam mem meeku sopatistham ani (all of them Said loudly “Jai Telangana along with me!” and the mighty Assembly building stood as a witness to this.
(To my own surprise and to the surprise of Police, I went in front of Assembly around 12Pm 🙂 not only I but i made nearly around 8 Police and 2 higher police officers say ‘Jai Telangana’ aloud at the witness of Assembly 🙂
This is one of the proofs for our Chalo Assembly Success, the call given by T-JAC and supported by whole Telangana.
One more thing. Without a single ‘lie’ I reached the Assembly 🙂 I carried ‘truth’ with honor!