Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s dream of carving out a Telangana state still eludes him, so he is busy putting together the political dreams of the next generation in his family. TRS appears to be the latest entrant in the long list of political leaders bitten by the dynasty bug.

Chandrasekhar Rao’s son K Taraka Rama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao play a key role in deciding the day-to-day affairs of the party. Rama Rao represents Siricilla segment in the Assembly whereas Harish Rao is the MLA from Siddipet.

With his son and nephew at the helm of affairs, Chandrasekhar Rao has cleared the decks for his daughter K Kavitha, who has been playing a key role in the Telangana movement by taking up non-political issues concerning the region with her outfit Telangana Jagruthi, to take the political plunge.

Kavitha is likely to get her first taste of electoral politics in the 2014 polls by contesting the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat. Kavitha sitting on the dais at the 12th formation day meeting of the TRS, held on April 27 at Armoor in Nizamabad district lends credence to this argument.

Twelve years ago when he launched the TRS, Chandrasekhar Rao said he had started the party with an aim to bring statehood to Telangana and he promised that he would never allow his family members to interfere in party affairs. Now, the TRS has become a family fiefdom of Rao with his kin calling the shots in the party.

Rao often draws flak from his critics and political rivals for this. Latest to attack the TRS boss is former MP Chada Suresh Reddy, who had quit the Telugu Desam Party to join the TRS three years ago. “Chandrasekhar Rao’s fight was not for the sake of separate Telangana but for the sake of his family development,” Reddy criticised, who now stands suspended.

The TRS chief, a silver-tongued politician, always rules out the charges of his critics that he is using the Telangana movement to get political power for his family. In retaliation against the jibes of his critics, he says, “I am not simply making members of my family play key roles in the party. I allot them suitable positions in the party only after considering their services. All of them are sweating it out to intensify the Telangana movement.”

source: http://newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/Thanks-to-TRS-new-dynasty-rises-in-Telangana/2013/05/05/article1575292.ece

The Telangana people are struggling for a separate State for this region for about the 57 years to get their judicious share of political power and resources for economic growth and prosperity. Today, the entire Telangana population, regardless of their political, social and economic differences, would like to live with self-respect and prosper in their own State. The demand is accepted as judicious by all the political parties of the State. In the 2009 elections, except the CPM, all other political parties—the TDP, CPI and Congress—assured a separate State to the people of the region. However, the promise has not been fulfilled.

The situation changed after the massive upsurge of people during the indefinite fast by Sri K. Chandrasekhar Rao in 2009. Considering the ground realities and political situation, the Government of India, which has the responsibility to uphold the Constitution and respect the aspirations of the people, has taken a clear decision to establish the Telangana State. The announcement for initiating the process of establishing a Telangana State was made by the then Hon’ble Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, on December 9 and was reiterated on the floor of Parliament, the highest decision-making body empowered to take such decisions.

After that day the Telangana people had nothing to rejoice for; and they had to wait for years for the process to begin. It is surprising, rather shocking, that in India, the largest democracy in the world, a small group of financial and political lobbyists from the Andhra region could be so powerful as to stop a highly democratic process from its initiation. However, the common people of the Andhra region are not against the division of the State. A decision announced three years ago is still kept suspended in the air, and the people of Telangana are still continuing their struggle. Since the beginning of 2011 we launched four major agitations—non-cooperation movement, a million strong march to Hyderabad, all-peoples struggle (sakalajanula samme) and Chalo Hyderabad. The government has not been moved by any of them.

The Congress Party, which is leading the current government at the Centre, has indulged in giving deadlines after deadlines for taking a decision. This has been going on for the last ten years. In this connection, we would like to remind you of the following facts:

a. The Congress Party announced and supported the cause of Telangana during the 2004 elections. It had contested the elections along with the TRS with a clear understanding that, if the Congress wins, the State will be formed soon after the elections; and, both at the Centre and in the State, the Congress Party formed its governments.

b. The UPA-I had clearly mentioned about the Telangana State as a part of the Common Minimum Programme.

c. The formation of the Telangana State was part of the Presidential speech.

d. The government’s decision was announced in Parliament.

e. The all party meeting held on December 27, 2012 resolved in favour of a separate State for the Telangana region. At the meeting the Home Minister stated that a decision on the issue would be announced within one month. These actions and the recurring deadlines seriously undermine the very functioning of democracy.

This delay in fulfilling the promise made to the Telangana people has been responsible for the humiliation of the people of this region and also led to many a suicide out of sheer distress. Till now more than 1000 youth of Telangana have died in desperation. Some of them died in public in front of the media by setting them-selves on fire for not implementing the decision. Most of them left behind detailed suicide notes, clearly blaming the government and naming some political leaders. We feel these suicides are a direct consequence of the failure of the democratic process. This is not good for India, which claims itself as the largest democracy in the world.

Establishing the Telangana State, as announced on the floor of Parliament, is the only choice for a peaceful and democratic functioning and it would enhance the dignity of the government and the Congress Party. The State of AP is already a non-existent phenomenon. The political parties are vertically split and the society has got divided into two. In any democracy it is difficult to ignore the will of the people. The Government of India delayed this process and its terrible cost is evident—human loss, economic damage and loss of credibility for the political decision-making process. This is not the feature of good governance and would bear consequences in the long run too for the nation.

To impress upon the Union Government to deliver a decision on the
Telangana issue and to realise the promise made on December 9, 2009, we are staging a dharna in Delhi at Jantar Mantar on April 29 and 30, 2013. We request you to extend full support to the just cause, a State of their own, for which the people of Telangana have been fighting for decades now.

Jai Telangana… Jai Jai Telangana!

Source: http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article4168.html

Naidu to hold massive meeting to send a message to TRS, YSRC and Congress.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who had decided to conclude his padayatra with a grand meeting on April 27, is planning to hold another massive public meeting in Hyderabad.

The idea of holding the meeting is being mooted by Telugu Desam Party leaders from Telangana region.

The main objective behind mooting the idea of organising the huge meeting in Hyderabad is to show the strength of Telugu Desam Party in Telangana region.

The idea assumes importance in the wake of TRS’s strategy to encourage defections of leaders from the Telugu Desam Party to its fold.

According to senior TDP leaders from the region, TRS’s move is likely to have a huge impact on the party cadres in Telangana region and force them to leave the TDP to join TRS.

“Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has hit us at the right time. We never expected this kind from the TRS and are floored by it,” a TDP senior leader and politburo member from Telangana region told Postnoon on Tuesday.

“To tackle the effect of TRS’s move, we are planning to hold a huge public meeting in Hyderabad in order to send out a strong signal to the TRS and rival Congress and YSR Congress parties,” he added.

“We want to prove to these three political parties that we are still a reckoning and dominant force in the State,” said the TDP senior leader from Telangana region.

TDP had earlier planned to hold a massive public meeting in Visakapatnam on April 27 to mark the conclusion of over 200 days of marathon ‘Vastunna Mee Kosam’ padayatra.

The padayatra was launched on October 2 last year on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi

Source: http://postnoon.com/2013/04/17/tdp-plans-show-of-strength-in-hyderabad/120331

Telangana Congress MPs on Tuesday continued to build pressure on the Centre for a positive and early decision on the separate State demand even as the party high command sought to persuade them not to cross the line.

Said former Rajya Sabha member K Keshva Rao, “All the MPs will sit together soon and decide what should be done to secure a Telangana State.” Implicit in his statement was their anticipated decision on TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao’s invitation to join his party.
Peddapalli MP G Vivek said the Parliament session beginning April 23 would be his last. “I hope the party takes a positive decision. If not, I will have to think of alternatives,” he said.

According to sources, Vivek is only trying to pressure the Congress and is in fact not keen on leaving the party for TRS. He had said on Monday he would not leave the Congress and would contest the next election on a Congress ticket.

Last night, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana tried to make the unhappy MPs see reason and later, announced that none of them is leaving the Congress.

According to sources, Botcha and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, when they meet Rahul Gandhi on April 18 in Delhi, are expected to bring to his notice the feelings of T Congress MPs, the status of the party in Telangana and how KCR is entrapping the MPs.

There has been intense speculation for the last few days that MPs S Rajaiah, Vivek and Manda Jagannadham would leave the party and join the TRS. In fact, the TRS chief, when he called on former Rajya Sabha member Keshava Rao, who is coordinating the activities of the T Cong MPs, made an offer to the MPs to join his party on April 27, the anniversary of the party’s formation at Armoor.

Of the three MPs, Manda Janganndham appeared keen on looking for an alternative to the Congress which evoked criticism from his own partymen that since his roots were not in Congress (he was earlier in the TDP), leaving the Congress may not be all that difficult for him.

At an informal meeting in the city on Tuesday, Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy, Keshava Rao and Vivek took stock of the situation but did not firm up their stand on the invitation of KCR to join his party.

Though Keshava Rao has not shown much interest in joining the TRS, he believes that it is the only party that is working sincerely for a separate state for T region and therefore, the T Cong MPs would be doing a service to the movement if they join the pink panthers. “It is a party wedded to the T movement. The Congress has forgotten about the demand for a separate state,” Keshava Rao said on Tuesday, apparently to continue the heat on the Congress leadership.

He does not find anything wrong if KCR is inviting the MPs and MLAs to join the Congress. “KCR wants the TRS to emerge as a major political force so that securing Telangana state becomes easy. What is wrong with that line of argument?” he asked.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Telangana-Congress-MPs-keep-up-statehood-rhetoric/2013/04/17/article1548420.ece

Hyderabad: Renewing his onslaught against the Congress and TD, Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao on Sunday appealed to the MPs and MLAs of the twin political parties to join the TRS before the latter’s foundation day on April 27.

Sources say the TRS chief’s appeal isn’t a hollow political move aimed at scaring the Congress and TD. “Rao means business this time around”, a TRS source said. “In fact, he is also in touch with five each MLAs of the Congress and TD respectively and they might soon join the TRS”, he added.

In fact, grapevine has it that TD MLAs from Karimnagar and Choppadandi, Gangula Kamalakar and Suddala Devaiah besides the Congress MLA from Wardhannapet Dr Kodati Sridhar might join the TRS any day now.

Kamlakar said on Sunday he was yet to take a final call but gave clear hints that he might join the TRS shortly after “consulting party workers and well wishers” However, in a related development, the TRS chief met Congress Working Committee member and former MP Dr K. Kesava Rao on Sunday. They remained closeted in the Congress MP’s house and were later joined by Nagarkurnool Congress MP Dr Manda Jagannadham, a source said.

On Saturday, Jagannadham met the TRS chief and discussed with him the modalities of joining the regional party (TRS). During the meeting, the TRS chief reported to have told the former Congress MP (Dr K Kesava Rao) that it was time he parted ways with his own party (Congress) and joined the regional party (TRS) to put up a joint fight for a separate Telangana state. He also reportedly offered the Congress leader the Zaheerabad Lok Sabha seat.

The TRS chief also told the Congress and TD leaders that the Congress would not consider granting statehood to Telangana before the 2014 general election. In such a case, it would be difficult for the Congress leaders to continue in the party and seek votes in the name of Telangana

Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130415/news-politics/article/kcr-meets-kesava-telangana

With the Congress putting the Telangana issue in the cold storage, the TRS leadership has intensified its efforts to establish a firm foothold in the areas so far dominated by the ruling party as well as the main opposition party in the Telangana region in the run-up to the 2014 general election.

In a bid to achieve its target of winning as many Lok Sabha and Assembly seats as possible in the next general election, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao is focusing his attention on attracting leaders with winning potential from the Congress as well as the TDP to the pink party’s fold.

According to party sources, the TRS chief has already started holding negotiations with disgruntled leaders of the two parties and has been persuading senior Congress leader K Kesava Rao to join the pink party as the Congress is not keeping its promise of carving out Telangana state.

“The TRS chief is of the opinion that if Kesava Rao, a staunch Telangana advocate in the Congress, joins the TRS, it will encourage some more top leaders of the ruling party to join the pink party. But Kesava Rao is reluctant to join the TRS,” said a source.

The TRS leadership is also in touch with some Congress MPs such as Manda Jagannadham (Nagarkurnool), G Vivekananda (Peddapalli), Siricilla Rajaiah (Warangal), Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy (Bhongir) and Gutta Sukhender Reddy (Nalgonda). Fuelling the speculation, Rajgopal Reddy’s brother and former minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has met the TRS chief at the latter’s residence here recently. Jagannadham and Sukhender Reddy have made no secret of their desire to join the TRS in case the Congress fails to keep its promise on Telangana. Rao has been claiming that five MPs of the Congress are ready to join his party.

Speaking on the possibility of he and his brother Rajgopal Reddy quitting the Congress for the sake of joining the TRS, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said, “I firmly believe that the Congress high command will carve up the state and form a Telagnana state by the end of May. If it does not happen, we will take an appropriate decision as per the wishes of the people.”

TRS leaders, however, say that the Komatireddy brothers have kept their options open on joining the YSR Congress.

“The main reason for the Congress senior leaders’ hesitation to join the TRS is that Chandrasekhar Rao does not, usually, keep his promise on ticket allotment. If he assures them party ticket, many leaders are ready to quit the Congress and join the TRS,” a senior Congress leader told Express.

As far as the TDP is concerned, the TRS leadership is concentrating on wooing the senior leaders who could win on behalf of the pink party in the ensuing general election. As of now, KCR has succeeded in persuading former minister P Chandrasekhar, once considered a close confidant of N Chandrababu Naidu, from Mahbubnagar district to join the TRS.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/article1534357.ece

PTI, 23 March 2013

Hyderabad: Asserting that the Centre had never said that “it would “give or not give” a separate Telangana state, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today said that the union government would take a decision on statehood when the ‘time and occasion’ come.
He also said that any resolution in the state Assembly (on Telangana) could be taken up only on the directive of the Centre.

“The Centre had only said on December 9, 2009 that it would get a resolution adopted in AP Assembly but never said it would give or not give Telangana (state). The resolution at that time was not possible because of different (political) reactions,” the Chief Minister recalled while speaking in the assembly today.

“Any decision on Telangana will impact many things across the country. Hence the Centre will take a decision when the ‘time and occasion’ come,” the Chief Minister noted.

As the Congress came under severe attack in the Assembly today from a combined opposition over its “indecisiveness” on Telangana, the Chief Minister sought to put up a spirited defence maintaining that his party only agreed to constitute a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to look into the demands for formation of smaller states.

“Telangana is a sensitive and complicated issue. The Centre will take a decision taking people, state and country’s interests into consideration. We have to remain patient till the Centres takes a decision. Whatever decision the Centre takes….that will be our party’s stand,” Kiran stated.

Refuting Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLA T Harish Rao’s contention that the Congress went back on its promise of granting statehood for Telangana region, the Chief Minister said what was agreed was only the constitution of a second SRC.

“That was the agreement signed between Congress and TRS on the eve of 2004 elections when we forged an alliance. I don’t know what happened in private between leaders of the two parties,” Kiran added.

The Telangana issue came up for discussion during the course of a debate on the arrest of two TRS MLAs and Joint Action Committee leaders in connection with the ‘sadak bandh’ agitation on March 21.
All the opposition parties denounced the arrests while TRS accused the government of adopting a vindictive attitude.

Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, who made a statement on the incident, refuted the allegations and said the arrests were made in accordance with the law.

Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130323/news-current-affairs/article/centre-decide-telangana-right-time-occasion-kiran-kumar-reddy

While other political parties are merely discussing early general elections, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is already busy selecting the ‘right’ candidates for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. He wants to win 15 Lok Sabha and 110 Assembly seats in next elections.
Chandrasekhar Rao is understood to have come to the conclusion that the Congress would not resolve the Telangana issue in the coming days.

After his experience of 12 years leading the Telangana movement, KCR believes that the TRS would emerge as the single largest party in the Telangana region by wining 15 Lok Sabha seats and he would be able to play a key role in Parliament, forcing the Central government to declare a road map for the creation of Telangana state.

For the last several months, the TRS chief preferred to stay in his farm house and concentrated on the selection of candidates. His family members KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao and Kavitha, and TRS legislature party leader E Rajender are reportedly helping him with the selection.

They have have reportedly submitted lists of candidates, and the TRS chief is going through them to zero in on the right candidates.

The TRS strongly believes that several Congress MPs will join the pink party as KCR has begun selection of candidates. KCR has already indicated to C Kanaka Reddy, who joined TRS recently, that he would be fielded from Malkajgiri Assembly constituency. He has also selected former MP KR Suresh Reddy for Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat. He gave the green signal to new faces for Kamareddy and Station Ghanpur Assembly constituencies, where TRS has sitting MLAs, Gampa Govardhan and T Rajaiah. KCR is also reportedly searching for a new face for Dubbaka Assembly constituency, from where former MLA S Ramalinga Reddy contested in 2009.

However several senior leaders are expressing displeasure over the way the TRS chief is going about the selection of candidates. They are apprehensive that they will not get party nomination in the next elections.

“Last time too, KCR selected candidates secretly. If there is a repeat of the same, it would damage the prospects of the party,” said a TRS leader.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/article1462791.ece

Hyderabad: Union Minister Manish Tewari today appealed the leaders in Andhra Pradesh to “observe forbearance” as the Congress high command will come out with a decision on Telangana issue soon.

The statement from Tewari, who landed here this afternoon, came state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana left for New Delhi today to discuss the Telangana statehood issue with the party high command.

“The Congress high command is seriously trying to resolve the Telangana issue. It will come out with a decision on this soon. I request leaders from Telangana and Andhra-Rayalaseema regions to observe patience,” Tewari, who is Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and official spokesman of AICC, told reporters at the Hyderabad International Airport.

“We understand the sensibilities… understand the sentiments (of Telangana people). But there is a need for everybody to be patient. There is need for forbearance,” Tewari said.

He added that the Union Home Ministry was engaged in the process of making a statement on the statehood issue.

Meanwhile, Botsa’s visit to New Delhi today is a follow-up to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s trip to the national capital last week as part of the “consultation process” initiated by the AICC leadership on the statehood issue.

Like the Chief Minister, the PCC chief is also expected to meet Union ministers and top leaders of AICC, including Sonia Gandhi and discuss the political repercussions of any decision on the state bifurcation demand, sources close to Botsa said.

He is expected to submit a report to the party high command on the “positives and negatives” for the ruling Congress arising out of the decision on the contentious issue, the sources added.

Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130209/news-politics/article/manish-tewari-asks-andhra-pradesh-leaders-have-patience-telangana

The argument in defence of small states is that these sub-regions, which have remained underdeveloped as part of large states, can tackle developmental issues better. Hence the argument that size matters and small states can focus their attention on development because they are nearer to the people. So the agitation for Telangana. However, in spite of six options given by the Justice Srikrishna Commission, which was set up to look into the Telangana tangle, the Centre has not been able to arrive at any conclusive decision.

The Constitution-makers had made elaborate provisions for dealing with such sub-regional demands by laying down a provision for the establishment of territorial administration without partitioning a state, and this provision has been in operation in Bodoland, Gorkhaland et al. A Telangana Territorial Administration can be set up with ‘special status’ for 10 backward districts of the region.

A few things must be pointed out. First, small states with 80-100 MLAs have a history of political instability because the defection of a few MLAs can bring down the government. The relatively new small state of Haryana, created in 1966, had gained notoriety for practising the ‘politics of Aya Ram-Gaya Ram’ (here today, gone tomorrow).

The latest to join the ranks of unstable states is Jharkhand. The state has experienced President’s rule three times and eight governments have been formed in the state during the 12 years of its existence and the President had to suspend the assembly on January 18.

Second, the assertion that small states can manage development challenges better than large ones has not been substantiated. In the age of globalisation, every chief minister is competing for investment, and in this atmosphere of competition, the size of a state does not have any special advantage. The best illustration of the fact that investments flow in only if investors are given special incentives and the size of the state is not relevant was proved on January 11 at the sixth bi-annual Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Hence, a separate state of Telangana is not at all on the agenda of investors and solutions to regional backwardness can be found only within the existing state boundaries.

Third, it is not far-fetched to state that the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is a signal to many other local regional bosses to spearhead similar movements. Is India prepared for violent, parochial and sub-regional movements manipulated by local powerbrokers? Has Maoism ended with the creation of a Chhattisgarh or a Jharkhand?

It is also a tall, even fallacious, argument that democracy will be deepened by creating small states. None of the small states has practised any new model of democracy different from the all-India democratic political system.

The Congress, as an inheritor of Nehru’s legacy, should tread very cautiously because the former prime minister’s experience with the states’ re-organisation, beginning in 1956, was not at all happy and he had witnessed emotive, competitive and even violent, regional and sub-regional struggles for the creation of new states. This history is likely to repeat itself. Further, the Congress should also know that its real ideological antagonist and adversary, the BJP, does not believe in linguistic-cultural diversity and plurality of India and the Sangh parivar wants 50 or more ‘administrative units’ to be established. MS Golwalkar, the guru of the RSS, had stated in 1948 that India should have a centralised, presidential system with ‘administrative units’ for maintaining and defending the unity and territorial integrity of the whole Hindu rashtra.

The choice before the country is between Nehru’s pluralist, secular and federal democracy or Golwalkar and his disciples’ idea of a Hindu India where regional and ‘sub-regional’ autonomies will be a thing of the past.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/A-Telangana-Territorial-Administration/Article1-1005894.aspx

Hyderabad: It seems unlikely that the Centre will be announcing its decision on the Telangana statehood issue anytime soon with sources hinting at a two to three-month delay i.e. after the Parliament and state Assembly Budget sessions.

AICC sources said that in view of the complexities involved in the decision-making process and the impending Budget, the Union government might take longer than the ‘little more time’ as had been announced by Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde a few days ago.

Sharad Pawar pitches for Telangana

New Delhi: Union agriculture minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday strongly pitched for Telangana state and told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a delay on the issue would not be helpful.

Pawar also sought a meeting of the UPA to discuss the Telangana issue. The government responded by saying that it had taken Pawar’s words seriously, but added that the issue need to be dealt with patience. Even though the pro-Telangana Congress MPs had been claiming that no UPA ally was opposed to Telangana, Pawar’s party was the first UPA constituent that came out openly in support of an early decision. Pawar said that he had raised the issue with PM on Thursday.

“The question (to create a separate state) is that of timing…. We want Telangana as early as possible. A delay will not be helpful to us,” Pawar told media persons. Pawar, who reiterated that his party has been supportive of separate Telangana for long, expressed his view that the Congress also stands ‘generally pro-Telangana”.

Pawar said that NCP had held a rally with TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao a few years back. Later in the day, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that the views of Mr Pawar, a senior colleague, were taken seriously but added that ‘we need patience’ on the issue.

“The issue is being addressed. We need to be patient. We need to be engaged and need forbearance,” Mr Tiwari said at a press conference when asked about Pawar’s statement.

Pawar, whose party is also a major partner in the Congress-led coalition in Maharashtra, said that NCP has no objection if Vidarbha region also becomes a separate state. “We will not come in the way”. Asked whether Jagan Reddy’s YSR Congress could also have ties with the Congress like NCP, he said: “I do not know their equation with the Congress. But Jagan will be important force that one has to accept in this case, particularly in Andhra Pradesh.

The Budget Session of Parliament will start from February 21 and may stretch to the end of April with mandatory recess in between and both Houses of the AP Legislative bodies are most likely to commence from March 11 for a 31-day statutory sitting to approve the Budget.

“The threat of resignations both by MPs and legislators from the state on account of the final announcement by the Centre on Telangana may lead to instability of the governments, which may also affect the passage of the Budget,” said a source.

The source also pointed out that Sonia Gandhi was likely to put the Telangana issue before the supporting parties in UPA before coming to a final conclusion on the issue and said that Telangana was one of the “pending” issues that were identified for the UPA Coordination Committee a few months ago.

As had been announced by AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, “some more consultations with leaders of all the three regions of the state, the Chief Minister and PCC president are needed before the Congress takes a final view on the subject”.

Changes in the AICC set-up and the ascension of Rahul Gandhi as the party vice-president is said to be another reason for the delay. It is expected that Gandhi will bring in a ‘new set up’ before the Budget Session starts.

It is also likely that Azad will be replaced by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh as the in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs, a move that has been on the cards for the last few months.

Even with regards to resignation threats by the seven Telangana Congress MPs, there is a built-in condition. The MP’s in their letter addressed to Ms Sonia Gandhi along with their letters of resignation, had mentioned that if she was not going to make a favourable announcement on Telangana, she should forward the resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker for approval. This means that as long as the issue is being “considered” by her, the MPs will not submit their resignations directly to the Lok Sabha Speaker.

This was evident from the statement of Bhongir MP Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy who said their next ‘option’ would be stalling the ensuing Budget session of the Lok Sabha.

Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130201/news-current-affairs/article/centre-moves-telangana-may-take-3-more-months?page=show

Advocates of smaller states have a robust case. India should look for further reorganisation as it no longer needs to fear about the country’s unity

I recently came across some fascinating news reports, dating from the year 1914, on the then growing demand for a separate state for Telugu speakers. In towns such as Guntur, Nellore and Vijayawada (known at the time as Bezwada), many meetings were held, asking for a separation of Telugu-speaking districts from Madras Presidency, with areas from the Nizam’s Dominions being added on later when conditions permitted.

Tamils on Telugus

The Tamil intelligentsia did not take kindly to this movement for an ‘Andhra desa’. Thus, in its issue of 6th June 1914, Swadesamitran, a widely circulated newspaper published out of Madras, wrote disparagingly of a conference in Guntur which claimed that Tamil domination blocked the progress of the Andhras. The Andhras, it was argued here, needed to break free of the Tamils to realise their hopes and ambitions.

Swadesamitran said it could not “understand the rationale of this argument. If Tamilians are forward in education, etc., their company can only infuse a spirit of emulation in the minds of the Andhras. How can it impede the progress of the latter? The Andhras are not a set of uncivilised barbarians. They are an intelligent community with an ancient civilisation and the example of the Tamilians is bound to create in them new desires and aspirations. This is exactly what is happening. The present feeling among the Andhras that they have not been progressing much, and their demand for a separate province and equal privileges with the Tamilians indicate only this new desire and aspiration. We are at a loss to understand the meaning of their demand that they should be separated from the Tamilians. Is it that they do not want the Tamilians to step into their portion of the country? The patriotic leaders of the country are striving their best to do away with the distinction of caste and creed in India, which prevents the union of the people and impedes the progress. It is therefore regrettable that the Andhras should try to separate from others and form an independent community.”

Despite Tamil scepticism, the movement for a separate state of Telugu speakers persisted. Through the 1920s and 1930s, Congress leaders from the Andhra districts raised the demand at meetings of the party. Within the Congress, these Andhrawallahs had one strong ally — Mahatma Gandhi, who early on, recognised the importance of linguistic states — and several strong opponents, such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel, who worried that such demands would weaken the unity of the nation-in-the-making. Already, by the 1930s, Muslim intellectuals had begun moving away from the Congress, finding refuge instead in a newly revived Muslim League, now headed by the brilliant Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Renewed demand for separate state

The demand for a separate Muslim state gathered pace, and eventually resulted in the creation of Pakistan. However, once India gained its independence, the Andhra speakers renewed their demand for the reconfiguration of provincial boundaries to create compact units whose populations spoke the same language. But Nehru and Patel were worried that (as with the Muslim League and Pakistan) separate provinces could become the launching pad for separate nations.
Meanwhile Gandhi died, removing from the scene the most influential non-Andhra supporter of Andhra Pradesh. The Congress high command now thought that the demand would slowly ebb away. Instead, it intensified, with protest meetings being held all across the Madras Presidency.

In October 1952, a veteran Congressman named Potti Sriramulu went on a fast demanding the immediate constitution of an Andhra State. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C. Rajagopalachari, and the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, both ignored him. But Sriramulu was undeterred. He fasted, and fasted, dying during the night of 15/16 December after 56 days without food. His martyrdom provoked widespread public anger, with hartals and dharnas held across the Telugu country, and demonstrators attacking and burning government offices and railway stations.

Unnerved by the scale of the protests, and the intensity of the anger, Nehru and Rajaji capitulated. An Andhra State was formed in 1953, provoking Kannada, Marathi, and Malayalam speakers all to demand separate states of their own. A States Reorganisation Commission was formed, which recommended the constitution of linguistic states.

Unity and linguistic states

I have long held that the creation of linguistic states has safeguarded the unity of India. Pakistan was divided, and Sri Lanka subject to a protracted civil war, because Bengali speakers in the one case and Tamil speakers in the other were refused the autonomy and dignity they wanted and deserved. On the other hand, the fact that in India citizens are free to educate and administer themselves in their own language has created a feeling of comfort and security.
Linguistic states were crucial at one stage of Indian history, but have they now outlived their usefulness? In north Karnataka, in the inland districts of Andhra Pradesh and of Maharashtra, and in the hilly districts of northern Bengal — in all these places there are vigorous movements calling for separation from the parent province. Are these movements legitimate, and will they persist? Or are they spurious and hence to be disregarded?

Of all these struggles for separate states, the movement for Telangana is the oldest as well as the most intense. When Andhra Pradesh was constituted, the residents of these inland districts, formerly under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, worried that they would be dominated by the more prosperous and educated parts of the State, which were along the coast, and previously part of the British-ruled Madras Presidency. The inlanders thus asked for special safeguards, and, when these were not granted, launched a major social movement in the year 1969, demanding a separate state of Telangana. Ever since, the demand has been persistently raised, with varying levels of intensity — but it has never gone away.

The leaders and opinion-makers of coastal Andhra do not wish to see their state broken in two. The rhetoric they use in opposing the Telangana movement is strikingly similar to that used by the Tamils, back in 1914 or thereabouts, when they asked the Andhras not to ask for a separate state of their own. Why break up a unity once achieved, they say. And if the residents of Telangana want to progress, does not living with the more advanced residents of coastal Andhra give them the necessary impetus to do so?

Politics of Telangana

It took 40 (and more) years for the Telugu speakers of Madras Presidency to make the Tamils see the sense of the demand for Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana movement is already 40 (and more) years old; and it still hasn’t quite achieved what it aimed for. Before the General Elections of 2004, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti allied with the Congress, which informally promised it would concede the TRS’ main demand, while formally stating that it would create a States Reorganisation Commission if voted to power. The Congress alliance came to power in 2004, but a new SRC did not materialise. This led to a renewal of the protests, whereupon, in December 2009, the then Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, promised that the demand for Telangana would soon be granted. But he quickly backtracked. More recently, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said that it would create a Telangana state within 100 days of coming to power at the Centre. As with the Congress in 2004, this promise may be opportunistic rather than principled — intended only to gain votes and seats for its alliance.

My own view — writing as both historian and citizen — is that while linguistic states were necessary in the first, early, stages of Indian independence, it may now be time for a further reorganisation of states. The proponents of Telangana, Vidharbha, and Gorkhaland all have a robust case.

Their regions are well defined in an ecological and cultural sense, and have historically been neglected by the more powerful or richer parts of the State. Likewise, Uttar Pradesh is far too large to be administered as a single unit. Breaking it up into three or four states would lead to more effective and focused governance.

After 65 testing years of independence, there need no longer be any fear about the unity of India. The country is not about to Balkanise, nor is it about to become a dictatorship. The real problems in India today have to do with the quality of governance. Smaller states may be one way to address this problem.

(Ramachandra Guha’s books include India after Gandhi. He can be contacted at ramachandraguha@yahoo.in)

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/living-together-separately/article4358004.ece?homepage=true

Will the Centre agree to create a separate state of Telangana or not? This is the question on top of every one’s mind as the January 28 deadline set by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde approaches.

Indications available here suggest that it would not be a clear yes or no. According to political leaders and officers in the know of things, the Centre is likely to unveil a road map for considering the demand.

Some of the key elements in the contemplated road map include an official committee to suggest measures for earmarking revenue divisions, water sharing and the demand for making Hyderabad the common capital of both Seemandhra and Telangana for some time.

Congress secretary and person in charge of party affairs of Goa P. Sudhakar Reddy, who is from Telangana, was confident that it was a matter of time before the formation of the new state, with Hyderabad being its integral part.

Though Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and seniors in the government and the Congress are deeply involved in the discussion on Telangana, they do not want to disturb the current peaceful atmosphere prevailing in Andhra Pradesh by announcing anything concrete like the government did in 2009.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/final-decision-on-telangana-unlikely-by-monthend/article4317056.ece

By BV Shiva Shankar, TNN, Jan 18, 2013

HYDERABAD: Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) would be routed in Telangana region in the next elections, if a separate state is not formed, revealed a secret survey conducted at the behest of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

The survey done by a private agency said the TRS would do better if it is merged with the Congress in a separate Telangana state, and the report said the two parties with the combined strength were likely to bag 12 to 14 Lok Sabha seats, and 70 t0 80 Assembly seats in the region. Telangana region has a total of 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, and 119 assembly segments.

Highly placed sources in the party said the senior leader from AP Congress engaged the private agency to do the survey and submitted the report to Rahul Gandhi a couple of days ago ahead of the Jaipur AICC session. The centre is committed to take a decision on Telangana issue before January 28.

“The Congress high command has taken Telangana issue seriously considering its political implications, especially after the self-imposed deadline is fixed. Rahul wanted us to give him authentic inputs for his personal consumption. We hired a private agency to do the survey, and we gave the report to Rahul on January 14,” said a Congress MP from Telangana, who is close to Rahul Gandhi.

As a two-day brain storm session started on Friday in Jaipur as a prelude to the AICC session slated for January 20, the state Congress leaders expect the Telangana issue to figure in the deliberations on Saturday.

“So far the deliberations were on the issues such as economic reforms, and the schemes like direct cash transfer. Telangana issue may come up on Saturday in a separate committee meeting on Saturday,” labour minister Danam Nagender told TOI from the venue of the session in Jaipur.

The survey report throws up some politically significant aspects such as no political party including the Congress and the TRS would singly benefit from the formation of Telangana state. And these two parties would face a win-win situation in case the Centre grants statehood for Telangana before 2014 elections. The report warns the Congress that it would be routed out in the region if no decision is taken on Telangana. And interestingly, it says even TRS would take a hit in case Telangana state is not formed, and the party’s representation in the state Assembly would reduced to a single digit. Now, the TRS has 17 MLAs, and two Lok Sabha MPs.

“The outcome of the survey is clear that the Congress must take a proactive step in dealing with Telangana issue, and the party must join hands with the TRS if it wants to take benefit of the formation of Telangana state. And it is inevitable for the TRS to go for the merger with the Congress,” said the Congress MP.

In a measured response to the query relating to the survey report, the TRS leaders said their party is open for all the options that ensure the formation of Telangana state.

“In October last year, when the Congress leaders invited us to discuss Telangana, the issue of merger had come up. But, they retracted after a point of time during the discussion in Delhi. Now, they are saying their survey suggest them the merger. We don’t want to say anything at this juncture. Our course of action depends on the political situation going to be emerged,” B Vinod Kumar, a politburo member of TRS.

The survey report said the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) would gain some grounds in the region thanks to its pro- Telangana stand expressed in the all-party meeting held on December 28 2012.

But, the report has sounded a death knell for the Telangana Congress minister and legislators, who took neutral stand on the state division issue, as it predicted they would be severely punished by the voters in the next elections in either way if Telangana state is formed or not.

The reports said there would be little change for the pro-Telangana parties like BJP, and CPI as they can hardly improve their tally even if the Telangana is granted. However, the report said, the YSR Congress was expected to grow stronger thanks to the joining of defectors from the other parties including Congress, TDP, and TRS.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Congress-will-be-routed-if-Telangana-not-granted-says-Rahul-Gandhis-secret-survey/articleshow/18077567.cms

Hyderabad is likely to be made Union Territory, Warangal capital of Telangana.

Abhinandan Mishra & S. Rama Krishna, The Sunday Guardian, New Delhi/ Hyderabad, 12th Jan 2013

The government is expected to stick to its decision to announce the formation of a separate state of Telangana by the end of January. The plan is to make Hyderabad a Union Territory, Warangal the capital of Telangana and Vijayawada the capital of Andhra. “The status of Hyderabad is the most contentious issue between those who want Telangana and those who are against it. Converting it into a UT will solve this problem,” a senior Congress leader said.

However, if political reactions in Andhra Pradesh are anything to go by, the Congress high command will face a major political upheaval whichever way it moves. The party will witness an avalanche of resignations and revolt by its MPs and MLAs from one or the other region.

There were some reports that the announcement of Telangana will be done during the Congress’ Chintan Shivir, which will be held between 18 and 20 January in Jaipur. Commenting on the matter, a party functionary said that though Telangana will be discussed in the Jaipur meeting, it’s difficult to say conclusively that the announcement will be made there. “As things stand now, the decision will come after the Shivir, but before the month’s end.”

Party leaders in Delhi think granting UT status to Hyderabad will be acceptable to everyone. The UT will have four districts.

According to sources, the leadership knows that dragging the matter anymore will bleed the party politically. “The deadline of arriving at a decision on Telangana by 28 January, as promised by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has to be honoured. Congress MPs from Telangana have made it clear that this is the last chance for the party. Even Union minister S. Jaipal Reddy has indicated that if a decision is not taken, then he will be forced to take a strong step,” a source said.

However, if the formation of Telangana is announced, at least 15 MPs and a large number of MLAs are likely to quit and join the Jagan Mohan-led YSR Congress. As for the UT status for Hyderabad, those in favour of a united Andhra are not willing to even discuss it. Elur MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao told this newspaper, “When we are opposing the move to split AP, where is the question of discussing about Hyderabad?”

A delegation of MLAs from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema called on Shinde on Monday and made it clear that the Centre should not rush into a decision without consulting them. “We are confident that the Centre would keep the state united,” Shailajanath told this paper.

Cooperation Minister Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy has threatened to quit the moment the Congress announces its decision to form Telangana. “If our high command decides to divide AP, there is no point in continuing in Congress,” the minister said.

However, people and leaders from Telangana are not ready to accept anything short of statehood. “We are eagerly waiting for 28 January; if Shinde announces a road map for the creation of the state, we welcome it, otherwise, we are going to quit the party and our MP seats too,” Nalgonda Congress MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy told The Sunday Guardian.

According to Sukhender Reddy, at least eight MPs including Jaipal Reddy and 35 MLAs will not hesitate to quit the Congress if the high command comes up with an alternative to Telangana. “Any other alternative, be it an economic package or a regional council with Constitutional safeguards or a proposal to go for a 2nd States Reorganization Commission are not okay with us,” Reddy said.

Source: http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/telangana-possible-congress-revolt-certain