KCR’s unscrupulous U-turn

This September 17 is the 70th Independence Day of Telangana State. The people of Telangana and a few parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra were denied the opportunity of freedom even as the rest of the nation celebrated the Independence Day on the 15th August 1947. It was the Nizam of Hyderabad who rejected Indian Union’s call for accession to India. In fact, history records that he even brokered proposals to join Pakistan or stay as an independent nation in the south of India.

The day marks the decisive action by the Indian government to acquire the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad State through military action. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel successfully executed this strategic decision as then Union Home Minister of India. Operation Polo brought the Nizam to his knees and he had to surrender before the might of Indian armed forces.

The people of Telangana region were liberated from the oppressive regime of a foreign autocratic ruler and were presented with freedom and democratic governance by the Indian government. This day in history marks the end of shackles to millions from the slavery and the dawn of a new way of life with freedom.

Nizams are descendants of Asaf Jahi dynasty, a Turkic dynasty from the region around Samarkand in the modern day of Uzbekistan. Some political leaders who are ignorant political opportunists try to even praise this foreign ruler for good governance.

It exposes their enslaved mindset and unscrupulous politics of appeasement for Muslim votes. I wonder why the same leaders don’t praise the British for their good governance too! If there were appeasement votes in that demographic, they are capable of praising the white masters too. Such is the low in politics of appeasement in Indian politics.

Telangana Muslims are not descendants of Asaf Jahi’s or Nizam family; why would they have any problem with the celebration of Telangana Independence Day on September 17? They wouldn’t. However, TRS and CM KCR would miss a big opportunity to confuse Telangana Muslims and make them believe that TRS is protecting their interests. Many Muslim brothers and sisters died fighting the oppressive regime of Nizam, especially in the uprising for self-governance and freedom after India attained its freedom in 1947.

However, even the undivided Andhra Pradesh State did not recognise this historic day of national importance, though 10 districts of the Telangana region were annexed to the state, even more districts than Maharashtra and Karnataka, the reason again being minority appeasement.

The successive governments undermined the Telangana region’s history and culture stymieing the self-respect and cultural identity of Telangana region. Rest is history. The region has seen a 60-year prolonged struggle for separate statehood. Eventually, UPA-2 for its political expediency before general elections had separated Andhra Pradesh, carving out the new Telangana State with unconditional support from BJP, through a constitutional provision.

The 29th state of Indian union is born as ‘Telangana State,’ the long-cherished dream of the people of this region to reclaim their rightful share of resources, development, history and cultural identity. KCR entered the people’s struggle in the second spell and participated in it for about 12 years.

He did contribute his might to the separate state struggle through his articulation, inspiration to drive the agitation. However, this one petty political ploy will cost him very dearly in undoing his credibility and trustworthiness as a reliable leader.

Political Power is temporary and fleeting – it’s not permanent. Great leaders are remembered beyond their life for their greatness not for pettiness.

KCR was on record both in print and electronic media many times, while fighting for separate statehood, on the demand for September 17 to be officially celebrated as the ‘Telangana Liberation Day.’ On many occasions, he used strong and even abrasive language against earlier Chief Ministers of undivided AP for not respecting Telangana’s history and cultural identity. KCR promised the people of this region that on the formation of the new state, September 17 would be celebrated officially as a historic day of Independence.

However, taking a clear ‘U’ turn, for which he has become quite popular in the last 3 years of his rule, he has exhibited that he has a biological anomaly of having two tongues instead of one. CM KCR has totally gone back on his commitment. It is not a small commitment to forgive and forget. It’s about the self-respect of millions of people of this state. It’s about the history being twisted for individual and selfish interests of power, denying factual history to the next generation.

CM KCR should have not have played with history and misinterpreted it. Those who tried doing it in the past left no great legacy of their own; history is a testament to this fact.

KCR has proven that he and his party are no different from the opportunistic Congress, when it comes to mortgaging Telangana self-respect to AIMIM for petty vote-bank politics. KCR has repeated the mistake Congress had committed, and for which it is paying the price.

The unholy alliance of KCR and his party TRS with AIMIM, a party which has never supported the idea of a separate ‘Telangana State,’ is the height of unethical and soulless politics. CM KCR bending backwards to woo AIMIM for petty political expediency, undermining the self-respect and aspirations of millions of Telangana people, is a historic low, which he and his party can never repair.

KCR, who would have been remembered in the regional history, as one of the leaders responsible for driving the second round of people agitation for Statehood of Telangana to success, has today reduced himself and his stature to be remembered as someone who cheated the people of Telangana by going back on a key commitment to restore the self-respect of this region, which was trampled upon for decades.

At the end, KCR stands exposed for his double speak, breach of people’s trust, political slavery for minority vote bank and sheer political opportunism. This degree of pettiness is unbecoming of a leader, in whom the people of this region reposed unchallenged trust and faith in 2014 elections.

When a leader loses faith of his people, he will end up losing everything. BJP is fighting for the self-respect of Telangana people. BJP is fighting for their fundamental right to have an official celebration of their Liberation Day and Independence Day on the 17th of September.

As it’s quite evident that CM KCR is scared of AIMIM to celebrate this historic day, BJP will ensure this day will be marked with massive celebration from across every village and town in Telangana with official proclamation. We shall deliver this commitment, when we form the next government in Telangana State.