No purpose is served by delaying Telangana
The Congress must ensure that the situation does not get out of hand. It must change the Chief Minister in Andhra Pradesh
The simmering Telangana problem has resurfaced in the form of fresh agitations in Andhra Pradesh because the Government continues to dither on taking a firm decision. The January 28 deadline given by the Union Minister for Home Affairs Sushil Kumar Shinde was not kept because the Congress developed cold feet once again. The unstated reason for the delay is that the Government does not want any resignation from the Congress MPs from Andhra Pradesh, as it does not have adequate number to push through important legislations in the coming Budget session. So, the Telangana issue is likely to be decided only after that, much to the disappointment of people of the region and the political parties.
There are two sensitive issues in the Telangana tangle — Hyderabad and water. Who will get the capital Hyderabad as Telangana has staked claim on the ancient city? The Andhra and Rayalaseema people who have invested millions in the city are opposed to it tooth and nail. The second sticky issue is water. How will the people of Telangana get water from Krishna and Godavari? Therefore, whatever may be the decision, it should address these two concerns.
In the 2009 election, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, demanding a separate State, was almost routed, although it won five seats in 2004 as a UPA partner. When YS Rajasekhara Reddy became the Chief Minister for a second time in 2009, he ensured that the Opposition Telugu Desam Party, the Praja Rajyam Party and the TRS were weakened further.
Had he lived longer, the Telangana issue would not have surfaced again. But it was the Congress leadership at the Centre, which revived it on December 9, 2009, by announcing that the process for a separate state would begin, fearing the decline in health of the fasting TRS, chief Chandrashekar Rao. Though the Srikrishna Committee, set up to look into the Telangana tangle, came up with the solution recommending six options, the Government, struggling to find a way out prefers to delay the inevitable.
For decades, successive Governments in the State have done little to develop the region. The State witnessed two ugly agitations — the Telangana agitation and the Andhra agitation. After the Andhra agitation of 1972 and the resultant imposition of the Six-Point Formula, the State was divided into seven zones, with the capital city as a separate entity.
The Telangana issue is the trickiest problem that the Congress-led UPA Government is facing today. The party fears that the creation of Telangana under pressure would open a Pandora’s Box of regional demands elsewhere, including demand for Gorkhaland, Saurashtra, Vidarbha, Bodoland, Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand. There is also a fear it might trigger several separatist movements in the country.
The irony is that almost every party except two is vertically divided on the issue. While the TRS is for a separate Telangana State, the newly formed YSR Congress headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy is for a united Andhra Pradesh.
The pro-Telangana leaders have almost persuaded the Congress high command that in the 2014 polls the Congress could bag at least 15 of the 17 parliamentary constituencies in the region. They argue that the Congress could also claim credit for creating a separate State and do better as the TRS has agreed to merge with the Congress. But the Seema-Andhra legislators argue that the Congress would get zero in the other two regions, pointing point out that the YSR Congress would sweep the polls. The longer Mr Reddy remains in jail, the more supporters he will attract.
The Government and the Congress must ensure that the situation does not get out of hand. The party must change the State leadership and install a man who can control explosive situations. It is clear that there is not going to be any consensus. The Government must take a hard decision and stick to it.
A good option could be the Gorkhaland model for Telangana. The Telangana Territorial Administration can be an autonomous body, with greater financial and administrative powers wielded by an elected chief executive and members of the council. This would also solve the Hyderabad problem ensuring that it continues to be the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
The next four months should be utilised to persuade the people to abide by whatever decision the Government takes. This is a stupendous but not an impossible task.
The simmering Telangana problem has resurfaced in the form of fresh agitations in Andhra Pradesh because the Government continues to dither on taking a firm decision. The January 28 deadline given by the Union Minister for Home Affairs Sushil Kumar Shinde was not kept because the Congress developed cold feet once again. The unstated reason for the delay is that the Government does not want any resignation from the Congress MPs from Andhra Pradesh, as it does not have adequate number to push through important legislations in the coming Budget session. So, the Telangana issue is likely to be decided only after that, much to the disappointment of people of the region and the political parties.
There are two sensitive issues in the Telangana tangle — Hyderabad and water. Who will get the capital Hyderabad as Telangana has staked claim on the ancient city? The Andhra and Rayalaseema people who have invested millions in the city are opposed to it tooth and nail. The second sticky issue is water. How will the people of Telangana get water from Krishna and Godavari? Therefore, whatever may be the decision, it should address these two concerns.
In the 2009 election, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, demanding a separate State, was almost routed, although it won five seats in 2004 as a UPA partner. When YS Rajasekhara Reddy became the Chief Minister for a second time in 2009, he ensured that the Opposition Telugu Desam Party, the Praja Rajyam Party and the TRS were weakened further.
Had he lived longer, the Telangana issue would not have surfaced again. But it was the Congress leadership at the Centre, which revived it on December 9, 2009, by announcing that the process for a separate state would begin, fearing the decline in health of the fasting TRS, chief Chandrashekar Rao. Though the Srikrishna Committee, set up to look into the Telangana tangle, came up with the solution recommending six options, the Government, struggling to find a way out prefers to delay the inevitable.
For decades, successive Governments in the State have done little to develop the region. The State witnessed two ugly agitations — the Telangana agitation and the Andhra agitation. After the Andhra agitation of 1972 and the resultant imposition of the Six-Point Formula, the State was divided into seven zones, with the capital city as a separate entity.
The Telangana issue is the trickiest problem that the Congress-led UPA Government is facing today. The party fears that the creation of Telangana under pressure would open a Pandora’s Box of regional demands elsewhere, including demand for Gorkhaland, Saurashtra, Vidarbha, Bodoland, Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand. There is also a fear it might trigger several separatist movements in the country.
The irony is that almost every party except two is vertically divided on the issue. While the TRS is for a separate Telangana State, the newly formed YSR Congress headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy is for a united Andhra Pradesh.
The pro-Telangana leaders have almost persuaded the Congress high command that in the 2014 polls the Congress could bag at least 15 of the 17 parliamentary constituencies in the region. They argue that the Congress could also claim credit for creating a separate State and do better as the TRS has agreed to merge with the Congress. But the Seema-Andhra legislators argue that the Congress would get zero in the other two regions, pointing point out that the YSR Congress would sweep the polls. The longer Mr Reddy remains in jail, the more supporters he will attract.
The Government and the Congress must ensure that the situation does not get out of hand. The party must change the State leadership and install a man who can control explosive situations. It is clear that there is not going to be any consensus. The Government must take a hard decision and stick to it.
A good option could be the Gorkhaland model for Telangana. The Telangana Territorial Administration can be an autonomous body, with greater financial and administrative powers wielded by an elected chief executive and members of the council. This would also solve the Hyderabad problem ensuring that it continues to be the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
The next four months should be utilised to persuade the people to abide by whatever decision the Government takes. This is a stupendous but not an impossible task.
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