On 11/01/2013 a book ‘Separate State for Telangana’ by Sri B.Kamalakar Rao, Ex-MLC and a spokesperson of A.P. Congress Committee was released. The book is a compilation of the important contents of relevant reports submitted by the author to various decision makers for the formation of separate state of Telangana.
The Book was released under the aegis of Telangana Development Forum (TDF), at Telugu university, Hyderabad. The meeting was presided over by Justice B.Sudarshan Reddy, Dr.Ch.Hanumanth Rao was the chief guest.Several Telangana intellectuals spoke on the occasion. Some of the observations made by the speakers on Telangana state on the occasion are as follows:
Dr.Ch. Hanmanth Rao: In India, an attempt to majoritization of democracy is taking place. That is not the spirit of democracy. There is need to revive the spirit of democracy, which should be inclusive of the concerns of all sections of the society. The legitimate democratic aspirations of minority cannot be suppressed by majority. The seemandhras should understand this and see the writing on the wall to graciously accede to Telangana state. The newly created small states have developed faster. Both seemandhra and Telangana states will certainly register a better progress.
MahaboobAlam Khan: Telangana spirit is different from seemandhra. The difference can be seen clearly in Gulbarga and Vijayawada. In the united state Telangana spirit is being killed. Political subservience has been imposed on Telangana by seemandhra majority. A Telangana man can never become rich in Seemandhra area, where as seemandhras have become rich and can become rich using Telangana resources in Telangana. There is need to reclaim Telangana spirit, culture and heritage, before it is completely swamped. Demerger is the only alternative.
Gautam Pingle: Sri Gautam has said that the book has presented a great deal of facts, statistics and information on Telangana situation.But, we also need to know the social history of Telangana, behind the scenes, how it was made subservient to Andhra administration and the mystery of Telangana movement.Andhras did what they could do. What about our Telangana people, what were they doing? There is need to bring out the experiences by the people who know about it.
Dr. Jaya Reddy: He had said that the reports submitted to various committees on Telangana were received with more respect. The t-reports were more academic, rational and factual. Unlike seemandhra reports, which were blind to reality and were unnecessarily emotional. The reconstruction of Telangana after the state formation is going to be a big challenge. There will be forces that will work against its success.Telangana people have to rise to the occasion and work unitedly for the creation of new vibrant Telangana State.
Prof.Kodandram: The professor has felt that, a question being asked whether T-movement is for self-respect or for being backward. He explained that both are interlinked. The political subjugation undermined the self-respect and paved way for Andhra hegemony and led to backwardness. There was political questioning till 1980s by Telangana politicians through Regional Committee and other forums. The caliber of political leadership was different. After 80s there was steep decline in the quality of political leadership in Telangana and has fully come under the political subjugation by andhras.Endorsing the view of Sri Gautam Pingle, he said that, there is need to study this and record it for the posterity to learn lessons out of the past and build a strong self-reliant political leadership for Telangana in the new state.
J V Nrupendar Rao: He has exhorted that it is time for us to think what we can do to our selves, forgetting what seemandhras did to us. Reconciliation and reconstruction should be the watchwords in the new state. Small states have made better progress. We should create a grand state in Telangana with an inclusive development of all sections of the society unlike in the past.
Justice B.Sudarshan Reddy: Telangana is converted in to a seemandhra colony as predicted in 1956. Since 1980s Telangana has become a laboratory for neo capitalistic cronyism and free market fundamentalism. The seemandhra administration has looted and shared the resources of Telangana in quid pro quo politics. There is no accountability by the government. Directive principles of state policy are given a go by .The resistance to such happening is expected.Seemandhras calling T-Bill unconstitutional isa treachery. They can tear themselves in to the Bill to study it but, they cannot tear the Bill itself, openly inciting the people. There is no respect for rule of law and the governance is lackadaisical in this administration. The rights of people are tampered for corporate and political interests.Telangana state is going to be a reality. But, we should be wary of the ‘clever Ceasars’ in Telangana in the new state also. There should be a real transparency in the working of the government. Use of state resources should be made open and the details should be available to people in the public dominion. Directive principles of state policy should be implemented with all the seriousness.
J R Janumpalli