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By: J R Janumpalli
Telangana issue has once again comes to an interesting stage. The drubbing recieveed by Congress and TDP in the recent by elections seems to have brought some urgency in to the matter. All sorts of speculations are being floated by interested sections. T-Congress MPs as usual, true to their servile loyalty to Congress high command have started the propaganda that Congress party is going to grant Telangana after Presidential election. They went to the ridiculous extent of saying that the first file to be signed by the new president, Pranab K Mukherji would be Telangana Bill. Some Rayalaseema leaders act that the time for division of the state has arrived and are rooting for Rayala – Telangana. Coastal andhra Congress leaders are crowing for the announcement of the decision for united state. As usual TRS guestimates that Telangana is coming in 2-3 months.
In this cacophony of speculations, given the antecedents of Congress party, it is very difficult to say what they are going to do after this their latest ‘put off ‘ i.e. presidential election. They are past masters in post poning the contentious things and igniting back burners for them as per their convenience. They can not be in such a raving urgency as our T-MPs say. For, though they are down, they are not out yet. There is no danger for their governments either in the state or at the center. Next elections are still far off. After throttling the issue for more than 11 years,they can’t be in a tearing hurry to settle the issue in a matter of months. Still they prefer to drag it on till 2014 elections if they can manage to do it.
Even if they wanted to address the problem, it can not be based on the aspirations and the suffering of Telangana people.It will be only on the basis of their vote bank politics, as to what would be the tally of their MPs in 2014 to make Rahul Gandhi, the PM. Circumventing Jagan factor would be the overriding criterion. For that, what would be the best formula —- a Rayala -Telangana or an Andhra – Hyderabad. They can conjure up any incongruous idea as long as they can manipulate for it. Andhras want Hyderabad for protecting their mammoth illgotten properties of Telangana .Seema leaders want to rob Godavari and Krishna river waters, of Telangana. Congress high command wants maximum no.of MP seats, both from Seemandhra and Telangana. That is the ballgame they are playing.
The behavior of both Andhra and Rayalaseema politicians makes a wierd sense.The Seema mandarins,as long as they were hounding in Telangana with Andhras they were happy. They did not apprehend any discrimination to them. Now they feign discomfort to be with Andhras and are rooting for Rayala – Telangana. The Andhra political-money-mafia are the inventors and beneficiaries of the ‘Corporate-Corruption’ practised on hapless Telangana, which has become a conflagration — thanks to the stupidity of Sonia’s coterie, and is unravelling before the nation. Yet, the Andhras are none the wise for it. They want to have the cake of Telangana for ever and eat it too.
In this melee of unscrupulous power politics, what are we going to do? Telangana people want only 1956 Telangana at the time of merger, nothing more or nothing less. TJAC says it is for Telangana with all the 10 disrstricts. TRS says,they want 1956 telangana and they will consider Rayala- Telangana if a proposal is made. They are also inclined to give some safe guards to Andhras. At this stage, we should be certain that Congress Party is prepared to barter as much Telangana as possible to Seemandhra, for their political numbers. Our T’Congress and T-TDP legislators are ever ready to oblige their high commands , what ever be the loss to Telangana. TRS is sounding equivocal on vital matters and appear to be sanguine to join the Congress. This can make TRS position rather weak in negotiations and can compromise Telangana interests. Then ultimately when the ‘D’ day comes who is going to negotiate the terms of Telangana State and what should be our avowed position on it?
Fortunately, there are more than 10 instances of divisions of state in the country. We can study their cases and learn the modalities and conventions of division of assets, and their after effects, for the guidance of our negotiators. Our Andhra brothers with high commands in their favor will not follow the time tested conventions, and try to get it done in their own way, for their definite advantage. If we have the case studies of all the states that have divisions in them after independence and correlate them to our present issues, it would be a great guide book for our leaders and common public.
This time , what ever agreements are made, after all this marathon struggle for more than one decade and the sacrifice of 850 lives, should have the approval of the people at large. They can not be made clandestinely, in the back rooms of power. Our negotiators, need a clear cut understanding of what we should get in the event of division and what agreements should be avoided. For example —-Hyderabad city, which is not negotiable under any circumstances; the safeguards, which were denied to Telangana people can not be given to Andhras; some agreements like Rayala – Telangana can become pestering ulcers in future. There is absolutely no need to give any unconventional safeguards or concessions. In fact, Andhras need pay reparations for the inestimable ‘organized exploitation’ made during the last 56 years. There should be a kind of ‘run-through’ to help them and the public at large to understand the intricacies and implications of the issues involved.
To ensure a clear understanding of the nuances of division, our apolitical intelligentia like Telangana Development Forum (TDF), and Telangana Vidyavanthula Vedika should make effort to compile the case studies of the states hitherto divided and provide clear cut propositions relevant to our issues in the event of creation of Telangana state. It will provide necessary guidelines to the negotiators and a clear perspective to the common public, which is very essential, to avoid the grievous mistakes we have made earlier.