The Telangana Tale

 "DEVELOPMENT" MANGLED UP AS "DIVERSIFICATION"

2020 and India will be a developed nation where developed may be synonymous to "more diversed".Telengana and KCR are the new names of buzz over the media(mostly to speculate) and words of political trauma for the non-telengana region politicians and the locals.Let us be frank! How many of you guys over there knew that a region called 'Telengana' even existed in Andhra Pradesh? The percentage will be meagre.The development in a state being 'region-centralised or  'city centralised' is unhealthy for the overall progress of both the state and the nation.


The 11 day fast by a 55-year old man and the President of Telengana Rashtra Samithi(TRS),K Chandrashekar Rao,was yet another fast or the non-andhra people till 10th December 2009 when  Home minister P.Chidambaram announced the "divide and rule" policy implementation in Andhra Pradesh which hit the headlines of the print and the electronic media.

History of Telangana

The pre-indepence history of Telangana deals with various dynasties out of all the Muslim rule was the most promininent,initiated by the Delhi Sultanate followed by Qutb Shahis and Mughals.In this part,I will give you its post-independence history succintly.After independence,the Nizam of Hyderabad who actually was ruling the Telangana region demanded for his regime once again.But the newly born Indian government made it sure by denying his claim and acting sternly.This stern action was called "Operation Polo".The Indian government condensed the  number of princely states of India into a lesser number in which the Telangana region was tucked in the "State of Madras" on September 17,1948.In 1946,a revolt was started by a communist against the injustice done by the landlords under the aegis of the Nizam to the farners of that region.This continued till 1956.Meanwhile,the telugu speaking areas were extracted out from the State of Madras by leaders like Potti Sri Ramulu who accomplished his misson by protests and clamours.Actually his demise in the process made the agitation shoot up in his cadres,resulting in a state of telugus called Andhra Pradesh with three major parts- Coastal Andhra,Rayalaseema and Telangana.


In December 1953,the State Reorganisation Commission was appointed for splitting Telangana from unified Andhra.This was ignored by the Indian government and a unified Andhra was created but in accordance with the "Gentlemen's agreement" which specifed some terms and conditions for the management of Telangana region with Andhra.

In the following years many vehement protests were made which include the 1969 Telangana movement.This was struck due to the violations of the Gentlemen's agreement.The agression still prevailed after that and even traversed past through a series of electoral years.But the agression "fading out" was never a possibility.


Now,the big question "Should Andhra pradesh be split?".What is it then? The Central gave a nod for the process of splitting.Will the fullfill it? or was it just a quick-fix solution for the heated up tension in Andhra? Was the "fast-unto-death" a leader's aspiring coup or a mere drama magnified by the media lens? These are the questions or even more lingering in all our minds.A debate that can never be won by any side.

The name "Telangana" actually means "land of Telugus" in telugu.The reason that tops the list is the backwardness of the telangana region but this cannot be argued as the sole reason for claiming the state.The protests for a seperate statehood did not pop out as a bolt out of the blue but dates back to 1950's.

First of all,out of the 35 states currently in India,70% are smaller than Telangana.So,the most basic qualification of a state cannot questioned. i.e 25 states in India are smaller than Telangana.So,this may not engender a problem of National Unity as many other smaller states still maintain the national bond of Unity.Many non-Telangana protestors and even leaders claim that Telangana region's telugu is not proper telugu and some even say that it isn't telugu at all.Why should they demand Telangana in Unified Andhra when they discriminate Telangana from their community?Most of the water resources traversing across the state of Andhra Pradesh has its root in Maharashtra.But non of these rivers or its tributaries are properly processed for irrigation in Telangana region.You can find all the major dams in non-Telangana regions of the state.So,these are some of the accusations made by KCR and other supporters which have indeed turned the table for the State's integrity in its entirety.

Hyderabad,on the other hand comes under the Telangana region.This is the part where Andhra and Rayalaseema cadres go berserk.Many stakeholders and Businessmen who have invested in Hyderabad are against this new statehood as they feel that the value of the present capital of Andhra Pradesh may be deterred by Telangana.This point was equally counterposed by the pro-Telangana leaders who say,"Hyderabad is ours.Becoming the capital of another state does not affect its value and stature by any means.After all,it is in India".

The Central Government is stranded after declaring statehood for Telangana unofficially but through the Media lens.Will the government define its words in action? or Is the declaration euphemeral? Will the outcome be a reasonable reckoning? Let us all wait admist the protests and rallies typified by the anti-Telangana cadres for the best possible outcome which makes sure India is diversed,united and in the track of develeopment irrespective of the regions,languages and communities.