My views on Telangana

I started knowing about Telangana issue during my college days when i was preparing for Civils. It was a people's revolt against atrocities of Nizam state (Bonded labor, Religious Conversions, feudal landlord’s atrocities, heavy taxes and Nizam’s resistance to join India after Independence) and then, people’s movement for livelihood, for the rights of natural resources/employment opportunities to the local people who must be the real beneficiaries. Many true leaders were born out of this movement and many did lost their lives for the sake of this movement. Most tragic part of this movement is the loss of student life’s who dare to dream good for themselves as well as for the people of the Telangana region.

1969 was a historical moment in the history of struggle for Telangana. There were agreements after a long series of discussion and destruction. Many have lost their lives and few benefitted politically. 

The region remained calm for few decades with little progress made during this period. The main issues and agreements were kept aside. During Chandrababu time, Hyderabad developed faster than any other city in India and this brought the city into the limelight. During the same decade, education was given more importance by parents and many started to look to Hyderabad for their children education. As there was years of drought during Babu regime, many people from Andhra and Rayalaseema migrated to Hyderabad either for their livelihood or for business purpose. Many people saw their future and their children future brighter in Hyderabad than at their native places. Few people started investing on lands and acquiring properties in Hyderabad. There were separate colonies or nagars specially developed in this regard. And also, much of the small businesses were overtaken. Language, food habits, culture and traditions of Telangana were sidelined during this period. Anyone who stayed in Hyderabad for more than 15 years was eligible for local jobs and seats in educational institutions. On by one, all these things led to difference between the local and non-local people. Certain agreements like 610 GO, jobs to locals were not at all implemented and in the meantime, water sharing of rivers, construction of irrigation projects, allotting Government projects benefitted non-locals than locals. Demands for their rightful share were raised on many forums by the Telangana people which were not addressed by the Government. 

During this period, political agenda of individuals were emotionally mixed with the people struggle and the whole movement took its turn into different form. People’s fight was converted into political fight and all other issues were kept aside – giving rise to the demand for “separate state” again. 

Many committees were formed and all the Government reports from past decade show better development in Telangana than in Rayalaseema.

There are some serious issues which must be solved which are there for more than half century but will the formation of new Telangana state solves those problems. I doubt because again Telangana people has to deal with Andhra people to solve them. When being united, these issues cannot be solved for more than half century; there is less possibility to solve it separately. 

THE FIGHT HAS TO CONTINUE FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF TELANGANA REGION THAN FOR SEPARATE STATE. IF ALL OF US CAN FIGHT IN THE SAME WAY AS OU STUDENTS ARE FIGHTING FOR TELANGANA, MANY OF OUR PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVED IN DAYS……THINK ABOUT IT.

Experience has shown that smaller state has more problems than bigger states. Divisions of State in the present political situation cannot happen on linguistic or caste or religion basis. There are demands from some quarters that why we can’t have two different with same mother tongue. History is the proof for the mistake we did in the past. Some even quoted that if North India has multiple states speaking same language, why can’t South India? If this continues, then we will have multiple Telugu states, multiple Tamil, Kannada, Marathi and Malayalam states. Are you for that...

As Hyderabad is the State Capital, it is obvious that development in Hyderabad is more compared to other parts of the state. I don't personally support division of Andhra Pradesh but there are some historical blunders made by the successive Governments on the Telangana People. Something like River waters, building big dams in Telangana but not helpful to Telangana people but to Andhra people and Government employment policies which benefits people in other areas more than Telangana people. It's time we rectify these historical blunders so that peace prevail and all the people of the state live unitedly.

Even with having separate Telangana state, the major problems like River water sharing and job related problems will not be solved. Issue with Government jobs can be solved but what about private jobs, business and so on.....We will have same educational institutions, same hotels, same business houses, same media houses.....

Then, let the people of Telangana fight for water and job related issues in the same way as they are fighting for separate state. Formation of separate state will not solve these problems and more over they will become more problematic.

Leave Telangana or Andhra. The right on resources lies with the people of that region and it is agreed fact by all the international agencies while sharing natural resources. Different countries share natural resources in the similar fashion and may international laws are also based on this formula only. The biggest blunders with regard to dams constructed in Telangana region are that they all are PLANNED to benefit the Andhra region rather than the Telangana region. When u have such big Nagarjunasagar dam and the water from it are not allowed to be used by the people where it is....what more i can say.

The area chosen for building of Nagarjunasagar dam is debatable. Many people have questioned the choice and their intentions of doing so. With regard to lift irrigation, i think Mr.JP has given some very good points in one interview. I think u can get it on YouTube. Spending money on lift irrigation is a waste and only temporary results can be obtained from it. More than farmers it is the business people who benefit from that. Just another political play ..

Political agendas taking over people agenda – if an individual or a group is fighting for their own benefits, it not a big problem. But when they influence other people and common public into their political games, it is a big issue and serious problem, we need to look into. See what is happening in OU. Students fighting against police. OU will remain OU either in United Andhra Pradesh or in separate Telangana state. If the OU students have fought about their student problems, job issues or any other issues relating to them in the same fashion as they are doing with Telangana issue, i think they would have benefitted a lot. If we take up all the issues in similar fashion, i think half of the Telangana problems can be solved easily and in very less time...

Is the demand for separate state really justified after 60 years of Independence? It may be right before Independence under the Nizam rule but not now. People of Telangana are electing their representatives to the AP assembly and their representatives are ruling the people. Leave aside the CM position, there are Ministers, MP and prominent leaders from Telangana and this is the way the Democracy works...

I know many of you may not agree with my views but it’s my view and I have every right to have my own views on certain issues…..