Think, do not get provoked

People should understand that both the Congress and the TDP governments ruined the State with their policies and governance, pushing people into the present scenario

The time has come for people of Seemandhra to understand the motives of the Congress party, its splinter groups and the Telugu Desam. Think for a while why the agitation against Telangana State for more than a month has been provoking lakhs of people to come on to the streets in Andhra and Rayalaseema? Vested interests are threatening the peace and preparing a situation to invite drastic actions from the Centre just to stall bifurcation and throw the State into turmoil.

Why did the same leaders want ‘Jai Andhra’ in 1973 and are saying exactly the opposite, ‘Samaikyandhra’, now? They should understand the real strategies behind these slogans. They are interested neither in Jai Andhra nor in Samaikyandhra. If, we the people of India, could be united in 28 States, can’t we remain so in 29 States?

If people of Telangana were not steadfast, justified and democratic in their demand, agitation could not have been so successful. Those who ask for proof of truth of agitation must be blind to history and happenings or do not want to see truth. The poll prospects or possibility of rejection in elections are actually guiding these political parties and the leaders in this last year of the five-year term of Congress Government both at the Centre and in the State.

While Telangana demand is as old as Andhra Pradesh, resistance against division of the State is surfacing whenever the New Delhi announces its decision. In the last five years it happened twice, after December 9, 2009 and July 30, 2013.

The media predicted the resignation of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in October to float a new party like Rajiv Congress and grab the leadership of the anti-Telangana agitation. The media read the CM’s defiance against the High Command, from his post-July 30 statements, while the Telangana Rashtra Samithi suspects it to be the game of High Command to outwit YSR Congress which is ahead in grabbing the anti-division sentiment. The slogan of the CM is the ‘Pride’ of Telugu-speaking people. The CM said that ‘there will be no question of implementing the decision in deference to the wishes and expectations of the Telugus” at the appropriate time.

On the other hand, the Telugu Desam finds it a conspiracy of the Congress, the YSR Congress with the TRS to uproot the TDP in AP. Their Rajya Sabha member Harikrishna declared in Parliament that the entire exercise over Telangana was to bury the TDP forever.

Being the principal Opposition party, the TDP is worried most about its survival. Its supremo Chandrababu Naidu sought advice from Editors of newspapers and Channels besides political analysts. It was observed as an exercise to placate those who could criticise the party in three separate meetings. Then, Chandrababu took a ‘U’ turn again on his stand and picked up 30-year-old-slogan of NTR– ‘self respect’ and launched a bus yatra in agitated Seemandhra. Obviously, the CM’s ‘pride’ or Babu’s ‘self-respect’ of Telugus does not include that of Telangana.

The third and foremost political force today is Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party. Unmindful of criminal cases of cheating and wrongful appropriation of wealth of the State against the party chief, it is going strong and its leading family is taking both the Congress and the TDP head-on in the streets.

People should understand that both the Congress and the TDP governments ruined the State with their policies and governance, pushing people into the present scenario, besides realizing from thousands of pages of charge sheet by CBI which explain that Jagan’s party is an offshoot of wealth made out of his father’s rule.

If a new party takes birth in Seemandhra from out of present Congress MLAs and MPs, including Ministers, there will be triangular fights between it, the Congress and the YSR Congress. The TDP, BJP and Left parties will also be in the fray. From out of these multiple contests, each expects others to fail. People should not remain gullible to be exploited by these parties that enjoyed power at the cost of people of both regions, Telangana and Andhra, presiding over corrupt regimes, and distributed benefits among their kith and kin and are seeking their votes. Those who suppressed Telangana would not hesitate to exploit Andhra and Rayalaseema.

Seemandhra agitation has just one slogan: all Telugu people should be in one State. Why? When Hindi-speaking people are in five States, are they divided? When Tamils are in two States, are they split? Can you bring all Telugu-speaking persons spread over in different States and elsewhere into one State? This is a baseless slogan.

These leaders are spreading apprehensions that if Telangana is separated they will not get jobs, share in river waters, revenue and their investments in Hyderabad would suffer or Seemandhra persons would be insecure. Does it not prove the contention that their jobs, water and revenue were being unduly diverted all these years? Is it right and legal for continuing that injustice? Can anybody count on illegal diversion of revenue, rivers and jobs forever?

People should understand why they are being dragged into the streets if a Telangana State is being formed. The APNGO leaders could not tell the AP High Court why they were striking. They sought time twice in the last two weeks to tell; perhaps they have nothing to tell. They know that they did not and will not lose anything. They do not get their salary for August, while these so-called resigned leaders enjoy all privileges and perks as MPs and MLAs. Realise that they will not really resign. They stop the wheels of the APSRTC while private bus services owned by politicians are making more profits.

Their private educational institutions are running without any problem while all public institutions are closed. It is for the people to believe that their relatives are present in all the 10 districts of Telangana. When there was no threat to their normal life even during the strong agitation in the last decade, why is there fear of insecurity now? Why are these leaders asking for security of rich investors in Hyderabad alone? Simply because there is no fear for others. None can drive out Seemandhra people from any district of Telangana, including Hyderabad; people should not believe false propaganda.

The writer is Professor & Coordinator, Center for Media Law & Public Policy, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.