Two Telugu CMs – What a contrast!

If Naidu vouches for ‘Sunrise state of Andhra Pradesh with a world-class capital,’ Rao dwells on ‘Bangaru Telangana.’ No one understands what this world-class capital offers to the commoner, or when. Life in such a capital, of ordinary beings, is not defined.

Certainly, it will accommodate only the rich and super rich, going by the real estate value projected. ‘Bangaru Telangana' is not conceptualised by world-class architects. It is a welfare society dream of by KCR. What each and every section gets in it has been projected by KCR lucidly. Farmers, artisans, OBCs, SCs and STs have all been addressed in terms of their professional or personal needs

I cannot but get fascinated by the journey of the Telugus of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana since they treaded separate paths nearly three years ago. I am also fascinated by the way the two Chief Ministers, Nara Chandrababu Naidu of AP and K Chandrashekar Rao of Telangana, are coursing through the troubled waters.

If Chandrababu Naidu inherited a revenue deficit and capital-less State, his counterpart inherited serious power shortage and a challenge to make Telangana self-sufficient without Andhras governing it (as the latter always claimed that Telangana would be all at sea without them).

Chandrababu also inherited a gloomy picture, both psychologically and infrastructure-wise, and had to build the second from the scratch. He began on the right side of the Centre being its ally and had the advantage of “right people in right places” to help him out.

Rao was slightly better off when he had embarked on his journey but had to instill confidence among the people in his capabilities of developing Telangana and on his own without being an ally of the Centre.
There could be several comparisons, but I prefer not to get into the nitty-gritty of governance and politics of the two leaders except this one particular aspect of their language preferences.

Children begin their education process by learning to call things by the names that general agreement has bestowed upon them. Parents take the first step in teaching a child to talk by pointing to an object and repeating a word: Mom, dad, cow, apple, horse, dog, train bus, bird etc.

They then proceed to assist the child with picture books that make cows look so very cow-like, with trains, automobiles and other vehicles, names of people around them and how to address them (sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts). That is the first faltering, unsure step to learning.

Both Chandrababu Naidu and Chandrashekar Rao did begin their journey similarly by attempting to teach their people what Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are to be (in future) and what to except.
Naidu chose to term his state ‘Sun Rise State of AP’ while Rao preferred to deliver a ‘Bangaru Telangana.’
Naidu chose a ‘World Class Capital’ as the symbol of the Sun Rise State while Rao’s visualisation of ‘Bangaru Telangana’ was that of a Utopian state with all-round progress and growth.

This is where the two began charting their courses – the first one talking of economy and the second one of welfare – in their own ways. Naidu expects his people to make sacrifices of all kinds so that he could deliver on his promise. Rao seeks people’s support and patience to make him deliver the goods.

The process of governance of the two is as similar as chalk from the cheese. There are some who, intellectually, at least, never seem to rise above or go beyond the mere naming of things, which for them constitutes knowledge, even truth.

If we remember our childhood we could easily recall one of us, boys and girls, whose irritating business was to learn by heart the names of certain objects, such as those which make up the equipment and part of sailboats, the substance and manufacture of marbles, or the terminology used in dress making, or the names for tools in a carpenter’s shop (all in the words of Prof Weller Embler of the US).

Trouble for us used to begin when they used to turn the conversation whenever possible, which was most of the time, upon the subjects they knew so well. Of course, it would have been maddening for us being caught on the wrong foot by them. That is a lowly activity.

Unhappily this pride in so low an order of mental activity may be found in adults in varying degrees of intensity. Such guys have the capability to bring any talk around to, inevitably, what they have studied to remember – Statistics or even make you identify what they prefer you to and realise how important it is to know about these things and keep always talking about the same for your benefit. This is what idle entertainment is all about. We depend on names with a childlike faith and go with that which we have been taught to expect them to go with.

Let us get back to the promises made and check for ourselves what we understand of the two concepts “Sun rise state of Andhra Pradesh with a world-class capital” and ‘Bangaru Telangana.’

The rising of the sun over the horizon of Andhra Pradesh seems to be getting delayed due to various reasons and the world-class capital has not really acquired any meaning. Most of the people have an instinct for facts, for those facts, at any rate, which it is profitable for them to have an instinct for.

However, facts are not, it seems, always facts, Things are not always what they are said to be. People do not believe what they do not see and touch. Only in the realm of the moral and spiritual that we expect to find the abiding abstract truths; there where the masonry of accumulated facts has been transformed into the ideal design. To believe, we turn to concrete every day facts.

Nearly, three years down the line, people are still waiting for ‘Amaravati’ the beginning and people are still waiting for ‘Amaravati’ the conclusion. Naidu has spent awarding the design works to the internationally renowned architects only to scrap them in no time and turn to others. All that one could witness is chaos all around with the ruling party leaders getting steeped in corruption charges and fertile lands forcibly being taken away in the name of development.

No one understands what this world-class capital offers to the commoner, or when. Life in such a capital, of ordinary beings, is not defined. Certainly, it will accommodate only the rich and super rich going by the real estate value projected. The capital concept was never conveyed to the people in terms of their lives except in terms of the mere design which too keeps changing.

Contrast the same with KCR’s dream of ‘Bangaru Telangana.’ This one is not conceptualised by world-class architects. It is a welfare society dream of by KCR. What each and every section one gets in it has been projected by KCR lucidly. Farmers, artisans, OBCs, SCs and STs have all been addressed in terms of their professional or personal needs. This is not difficult to be visualised at all.

If farmers are to get cash benefit from the government directly ahead of their sowing activity, it would be a boon to them. If ‘Yadavs’ get the sheep they could really dream of a better life. Double bed room houses, safe drinking water through Mission Bhagiratha and the other welfare measures for several sections of the society would impact the life of a common man positively. This is a deliverable.

AP’s ‘world-class capital’?

We may see that truth is not made of words at all sometimes. The wish for power is greater than the wish for truth. People sometimes invent the ‘truth’ where it suits them to do so. And sometimes truth seems to be what powerful men say it is.

Naidu chose to be a powerful leader and his counterpart seeks to be a mass leader. Hence, the choice of words and truths is also different.