By: J R Janumpalli
Telangana region has become a state in 6 decades after its merger with Andhra in 1956. The struggle for the statehood had been very long, intense and poignant. By and large the states reorganized based on language had gelled together very well except in case of Andhra Pradesh. Both Andhra and Telangana cultures went in their own ways causing little influence on each other. Though the language was one, the political, economic and cultural backgrounds of the two regions were different.
Photo: KCR praying Telangana Talli
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Andhras had experience in politics in the provincial self-government system of British India. In Andhra, century old canal systems for irrigation in agriculture have given them economic advantage. Because of Urdu medium in Telangana, the importation of English knowing Andhra employees in to the administration by the military and civilian governments, from 1948 to 1952 and after have placed Andhra people in the key positions of the administration. In contrast Telangana region was in Nizam’s feudal dominion outside the Indian mainstream political system. Though Hyderabad was made in to a first class city for the prestige of rich Nizam, the entire hinterland of Telangana was backward economically with lack of irrigational facilities and less favorable agro climatic conditions. There was not much surplus income for education, investment and development of enterprise.
In Telugu, though the language was same the dialect was different. Andhra Telugu with a mixture of Sanskrit was felt superior to Telangana idiom. Because of their economic wellbeing and language bias the culture of Telangana was looked down. It has developed a kind of superiority complex in them. The Andhras kept Telangana people at arm’s length. They had started asserting themselves in politics, economics and culture in the state. With all this background the 175 versus 119 members in the legislative Assembly have given them all the political advantage they needed to control Telangana. A systematic exploitation of Telangana resources by majority Andhra administration has begun and went on unabated despite the opposition to it many a times.
There were several agreements, plans and formulas original and modified at regular intervals, whenever there were agitations. Progressively watering down the interests of Telangana. They were all flouted with a disdain by the dominant Andhra administration. The central government never bothered to oversee the implementation of any of these agreements. Whenever there were protests Central government would support andhra government to suppress the agitations. About 1600 youth have laid down their lives for liberation from this majority tyranny.
Both Congress and BJP, the national parties have played their self-seeking politics with Telangana sentiment and had reneged on it time and again —- provoking TRS to undertake a continuous and uncompromising agitation. The congress under duress declared Telangana state on 9 December 2009 in Parliament. But, again went back because of Andhra politician’s volte-face and tormented Telangana people for 4 long years. 1200 of its youth have committed suicide for the non-implementation of the declaration.
Telangana was proving disastrous for congress in both the regions. In such tenuous circumstances congress gave a state of Telangana, with several restrictions making it a ‘B’ class state, while seemandhra was made an ‘A +’ state with several excessive concessions to it. The behavior of Congress and BJP in the final act of adopting the T-Bill in Parliament speaks volumes of their bias to seemandhra. That is the treatment of the Center for Telangana whatever national party is in power there. It cannot be different now.
Therefore, now getting a state is not the end of troubles for Telangana. There is still a long way to go. The people have to survive the 10 year long joint capital in the company of the seemandhras, who are scheming to stay – put in Hyderabad and play vexatious politics to make Hyderabad a ‘UT’. There are several contentious issues in the reorganization Act in small print, detrimental to Telangana. There will be a war of attrition on those numerous restrictions. The center as usual will be helping the profligate seemandhra. Telangana is only like a political orphan to it. For, it does not have the numbers or resources to please the behemoths at the Center.
Now that Telangana has elected TRS with absolute majority, the government should work for the interest of Telangana people alone. It should be free from the suzerainty of any other political entity as in the past. It should challenge the restrictions in the Act —- in the parliament or in the courts or with the central government. And disentangle the fetters one by one to make the state full-fledged at the earliest possible. The setback in the merged state and the present needs of Telangana state should be identified fastidiously. A systematic development plan is to be prepared and grounded methodically and transparently. The most important aspects of rebuilding of the new state are Employment, Power, Irrigation and Industrialization in which areas Telangana was deliberately pushed backwards. The other areas such as social welfare, education, health and technological development should be promoted simultaneously.
Whatever is done, it should be done, keeping the feet firmly on the ground. No grandiose visions which will end in disappointment. The state needs to be different to fulfill the aspirations of people, which were long suppressed and also those now stoked up. But, we cannot create an economic or political model radically different from other states. The state needs to be different with in the frame work of larger political and economic system of the country and deliver the promised goods.
The need of the hour is a strong Telangana political ethos. The leadership of Telangana and Telangana people, both should become tough, pragmatic and self-interested to realize the benefit of the new state, got after such an arduous struggle and with such heavy price. The long lost political freedom to decide their own destiny is back in their hands now. It is up to them to make the right use of it and restore Telangana state’s rightful place in the comity of states in the country. The definite mandate to TRS in 2014 general elections should be the watershed for such momentous change.
The electoral wins for BJP in the Center and TDP in seemandhra do not bode well for Telangana State. The alliance of the two parties, the sinister nexus of wily Chandra Babu Naidu and Venkayya Naidu , their influence in the Central government and also the perfunctory attitude of Modi towards Telangana make us worry. That makes Telangana government to be doubly cautious, determined and resourceful to challenge the machinations of these honchos in the coming days.