Photo: A screengrab of a news story being telecast on CNN-IBN about a Bodoland type solution for Telangana
—
The ‘leaks’ that keep appearing in media about a probable ‘solution’ to Telangana issue, highlight the depths to which journalistic values have fallen in this country.
Let us discuss a little about one ‘leak’ that appears in regional and national media with amazing regularity – that a regional territorial council on the lines of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) or Gorkhaland Territorial Administration would be announced for Telangana.
Any sane person would understand that this ‘solution’ cannot be prescribed for Telangana. But our journalists keep recirculating the same lie again and again. It is the duty of the journalists to crosscheck all such ‘leaks’. They should use their own commonsense before writing about issues, especially when any misreporting might even lead to loss of lives on the ground.
Here is why a Bodoland/Gorkhaland type ‘solution’ will not work for Telangana
– Telangana already had an equivalent of a Regional Council in the form of Telangana Regional Committee (TRC), ever-since it was forcibly merged with Andhra state. The TRC continued until 1973. This experiment has already failed with respect to Telangana. It is like an expired medicine.
– Creating a Regional Council requires 2/3rd majority in Parliament. BJP has already announced it is not going to support anything short of statehood for Telangana. There is no way UPA can create a Regional Territorial council without BJP’s support. On the otherhand, creating Telangana state requires only ½ majority in Parliament. A statehood bill would pass with resounding majority as it would be backed by BJP, CPI and several non-UPA parties too.
– Bodoland Territorial Council and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration were tripartite agreements. Which means, the central government, the state government, and the organization that is leading the statehood agitation have signed on the agreement. Even a kid would understand that this cannot happen with Telangana
– Bodo Liberation Tigers was waging an armed agitation against the government of India. Telangana, on the otherhand is a peaceful and democratic peoples’ movement
– With a population of 3.5 Crores and area of 114,840 Sq. Km. Telangana is the largest peoples’ movement for statehood, when compared with any other similar demand. In comparison, Gorkhaland area is just 7,217 Sq. Km