By: J R Janumpalli
Telangana state is coming into existence on 2nd June. But it is not like other new states created earlier. The ruling Congress and opposition BJP tampered and tinkered with it to create a peculiar Telangana state with several unconstitutional restrictions outside the purview of article 3. The State is kept on probation for 10 long years with a common capital and ‘governorgiri’ in the capital. Several issues, which have never formed part of state reorganization earlier, are incorporated in to the Bill favoring seemandhra. Thus, Telangana state is conditional and provisional. It will become autonomous, only when it comes out of the fetters imposed on it in the Act and has the political freedom like any other state in the country. Till that time it is a semi-self-governing state in the country and a kind of ‘B’ class state, while seemandhra, the residual Andhra Pradesh is an ‘A+’ class state without any conditions and some additional embellishments granted to it as part of the Act.
It now becomes the burden of Telangana state government to deal with those incongruous restrictions and the peculiar status of the state. The national parties and seemandhra dominated other parties who are the reason for these restrictions will not be in a hurry to resolve these anomalies. Even the Telangana units of these parties will not have political freedom to act on this matter. And there is scope for further complicating and extending some of the restrictions, creating another chronic conflict, if these restrictions are not removed at the earliest. Therefore, the option for the fledgling T-state is to get a maiden government which has fully committed and has the political independence to fight to make the state full-fledged and self-governing like other states.
Now on the eve of general elections, every party is claiming to be instrumental in getting Telangana state and claim their right to come into power. There is a plethora of manifestos on Telangana with usual promises of the moon. But the most relevant and immediate issue of importance for Telangana government is its division blues. Peculiarly some subjects of state and concurrent lists for Telangana are arbitrarily manipulated in the reorganization Act for obvious political reasons by Congress and BJP parties. They need amendments either by administrative or legal recourse. That can be a long drawn conflict with center and the other residual state. In the circumstances, the ability and the commitment of the party or parties that are going to form the government in the new state, to deal with this cantankerous issue, become very important.
Congress, TDP-BJP combine and TRS are the principal parties that are fighting for control on new Telangana state. We all know the shenanigans of Congress,BJP and TDP who are responsible for all the restrictions on Telangana State and their bias to seemandhra. CPI and T-BJP supported Telangana statehood with some commitment. But, their alliances with Congress and TDP respectively have diluted their ability to implement Telangana agenda for total political freedom in the new state.Therefore the need of the hour is a regional political party that is fully identified with the ethos of Telangana. It should have the ability to fight with the center and the political forces inimical to it in the state politically and constitutionally. And bring absolute political freedom to the state in the earliest possible time to make the creation of new state meaningful. Such party should be voted to power to form the maiden government of Telangana state.
Except TRS, we do not see any other political outfit in Telangana which has the concern, credentials and commitment to a full-fledged Telangana state. We wish we could have some more like it for a democratic option. In the circumstances we do not have any other alternative to TRS.Therefore it becomes an imperative necessity for TRS to come to power on its own in the new state of Telangana to steer the state clear of seemandhra and central government influence on its governance and attain its full political freedom. But, the political forces opposing TRS are very formidable .They in addition to garnering many benefits in the equivocal division of the state, are scheming to entrench themselves in the new state of Telangana to continue their hegemony.Particulary the efforts of TDP and YSRCP are very disconcerting.
Over the years Telangana was pushed in to a political subordination by Andhra Congress and TDP very calculatedly. We have seen its manifestation very clearly in the behavior of T-Congress and T-TDP during the last four years in Telangana state struggle. Even T-BJP which has exhibited some Telangana spirit has succumbed to the machinations of seemandhra influence on its national executive. There is need to beak this political strangle hold of seemandhra and its nexus with center in deciding the politics in Telangana.This general elections should be a watershed for such a break. Henceforth Telangana should have its own regional political identity to decide the destiny of its people in the new state. We see how regional parties are making a difference in favor of the local people in states like Tamilnadu, Bihar etc. Telangana at this stage imminently needs such a political dispensation, to cope up with the teething problems in the new state and make up its loss suffered in the united state.
It would have been comfortable for TRS if TJAC, its comrade in arms in Telangana udyamam is with it fully. But, it is very unfortunate that TJAC has taken a curious neutral stand. This ambiguity on the part of TJAC can lead to confusion among people, and can cause diversion of Telangana votes to other parties leading to a fractured verdict jeopardizing the formation of full-fledged Telangana state in near future. It can even lead to further complications in regard to Hyderabad city and other important issues like power and irrigation projects, division of employees and other assets in the division of the state affecting the interest of Telangana.
There is need for all sections of Telangana society coalesce in to one and elect a political force to make the new found state to find its moorings and surge ahead with the rebuilding of Telangana. The need of the hour is to reject the political forces which are inimical to Telangana state unanimously without any confusion. Not to find faults in TRS or be judgmental on it with our likes and dislikes. Let us keep our predilections aside for once and support TRS to bring Telangana political ethos in to power to lay the road for realization of the true purpose of our Telangana State. If TRS does not deliver the goods it will not survive for long.Some other regional political force shall enter in to its shoes. But we cannot allow foes of Telangana to survive here to torment us any more, just because we have some reservations on TRS.We can’t throw away the baby with the bath water as the saying goes.
Telangana needs its own political identity and governance. We need to have a state with all the self-governing rights like any other state in India. These general elections give us the chance to claim our right. Settle the issue of our political freedom from seemandhra once for all. Take the fight in to the enemy’s camp. A clear and stunning verdict of Telangana people for real political freedom is the only way. It will settle the T-State nice and easy on the rails for its run towards the progress.