Regionalism takes roots in backward areas: Historians

Ongole(Prakasam district): When all the regions in the States do not develop uniformly, regionalism starts from those backward areas, observed the historians, who spoke at the two-day ICSSR national seminar on 'Regionalism and Regional Movements in South India'. The Department of History has organised the seminar at Acharya Nagarjuna University PG Campus in Ongole on Tuesday.

Speaking at the seminar presided over by Dr G Somasekhara, which concluded on Tuesday, a historian from Puducherry, Dr B Ramachandra Reddy explained that the Andhra State with capital at Kurnool, was formed in 1953, as a result of the 40 years long Andhra movement. He said that with the integration of Telangana region, Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956, but was bifurcated in 2014. He observed that it was disappointing that the Andhra movement failed to keep the Telugu-speaking people together.

He said that Andhra Pradesh lost its capital in every bifurcation and now remained a capital-less State.

Andhra Kesari university Vice-Chancellor Prof M Anjireddy observed that regionalism comes from undeveloped areas and said that it can be addressed by developing all regions equally.

Prof Y Chinnarao from JNU Delhi, ANU PG Centre special officer Dr Banana Krishna, seminar coordinator Dr D Venkateswara Reddy, HoD of History Prof G Rajamohan Rao and others also participated in the programme.