By: J R Janumpalli
Our suspicion that Congress party is leading Telangana issue in to the vagaries of next general elections in 2014 or earlier, is becoming true now. Though we were analyzing the issue based on the unscrupulous politics practiced by Congress party, we were hoping against hope that UPA government will honor its declaration of Telangana State in the Parliament on 9 December, 2009, in time before the elections. But, regrettably, the wish to prove ourselves wrong is not likely to happen. The Congress high-command and its coterie, besides making parliamentary democracy a casualty, are going to create a dubious record of aborting a sovereign parliamentary declaration in both houses of the Parliament, by its own UPA government. This brings the prestige of the Parliament of largest democracy in the world, to its lowest ebb. It is all done not to avert any calamity to the nation, but, to serve the egotistic idiosyncrasies of an oligarchic leadership and its fraudulent political cronies.
In the last 3 years, the politics played by Congress high-command and its crony Andhra political mafia to stop the implementation of the State declaration, are among the murkiest in the politics of independent India. To go past every parliamentary session the party high command had played all kinds of dramas. Even now also they are indulging in the same dramatics to say that they are still considering Telangana State, though they have decided inwardly to abort it. There were several interlocutors, who were brokering Telangana issue and taking us through the long winding road to elections. The latest behind the scene development is that the Prince Charming Rahul Gandhi was lured in to the scene by a couple of ‘sirens’ from Andhra Congress to seal the fate of Telangana State before elections. We all know how tenuously Congress coterie and Andhra Congress are linking Telangana State formation/no formation and Rahul Gandhi’s illusory coronation as PM in 2014.
Rahul Gandhi, who had failed to get the pulse of the politics elsewhere, now appears to embark on finding the pulse of people in AP. He is said to be working out to throw a new package at Telangana and get away with it or making a statement at the fag end without completing the requisite formalities. Then they can go to the elections once again to create confusion in the minds of Telangana people. Whether these ploys come in to play or not only future can tell. But, it is certain that Congress party does not want to implement Telangana declaration in clear terms. They are already on the way to pass this winter session. They are only left to skip the next budget session. Then they can take the implementation of the declaration beyond the reach of Telangana people, as the time runs out before elections.
Suryapet Samara-bheri has once again reestablished the momentum of Telangana agitation. TRS and TJAC have come together to stage a strong comes back on to the trail of Telangana State. But, as things stand the chances of their reaching their destiny before next parliamentary elections are becoming scarce. We are now probably in the run up for the next elections. Hitherto, the performance of TRS in elections was not very spectacular. In both 2004 and 2009 the uncertain alliances and the ambiguity in the minds of people have given TRS not a very impressive success in elections. But this time it would be different. Moderate successes will not be usefull. We need a thumping result all the way. As was desired by many we need, not less than 15 MPs and 100 MLAs to really make a match of it and force the creation of T-state by the next government.
It might sound pompous, to think that we can get that many seats. But given the circumstances it is not impossible either. The situations in the run up to the elections are always different and dynamic. The situation in Telangana because of the autocratic behavior of Andhra and central governments —- the oppressive regime in Telangana region; the deaths of hundreds of youth; several glaring examples of step-motherly treatment to Telangana in education, irrigation etc., the Andhra media excesses; total neglect of rural Telangana by Andhra government and finally the tormenting evasion and abdication of implementation of Telangana state declaration, makes Telangana livid and galvanizing. That situation makes the above ambitious anticipation possible. Earlier, Telangana Praja Samithi (TPS) has won 10 out of 11 MP seats in Telangana in 1971.
It might look very difficult in the fissiparous politics being practiced now a days. But, the political situation in Telangana is different from the general politics in the country. The ambience of elections here would be quite different. Telangana is in the middle of a ‘freedom’ struggle for emancipation from seemandhra neo-colonialism. The Congress Party was the cause for the colonization and the effect is the irredeemable devastation of Telangana region. Now, Congress Party once again re-enacting its antipathy towards the region by aborting Telangana State declaration. This incessant hostility of Congress party towards Telangana, and its draconian rule will be the fuel for the campaign of the Telangana united front. The extent of damage to Telangana because of the merger and its awareness in the people of the region by now is the highest ever. All this, points out to a burgeoning resurgence of near total Telangana sentiment.
But, in the midst of a fractured political climate and money politics, it cannot be a roller coaster. TRS and TJAC have to contend with poachings of other political parties, splinter groups of castes and disgruntled elements and many other things. The parties which are in sync for Telangana statehood should come together with a healthy understanding of each other and form an alliance/united front, to thwart the machinations of rival parties and engage them in a fashion, where there is no possibility of division of pro-telangana votes. The arrangement with BJP can be a testing exercise in view of the post-election possibilities.
TRS has to play an epoch making role in this matter. It has to ponder over the miscalculations it had with Congress and TDP in 2004 and 2009 respectively and their after-effects on the agitation. Now TRS has to be very circumspect and at its diplomatic best to bring the genuine pro-telangana parties under one umbrella to channelize the injured telangana ethos in to voting for telangana state enbloc.The oversize personal egos and agendas have to make way for impassioned cooperation to attain to our avowed dream —- The Telangana State.
Apolitical Telangana organizations and intellectuals have to play a very important facilitating role in this endeavor of forging a winning combination of the disparate political elements, to win the campaign of emancipation of Telangana.