A Betrayed Telangana Movement

If there is any single movement in Indian history that’s betrayed as much as the independence movement by the British, I think it’s the movement for a separate Telangana. The movement which most of the people wrongly perceive as KCR’s brainchild has taken its birth way back in 1948 after Telangana region became independent from the Nizam of Hyderabad.

First SRC on Telangana

The betrayal of this people’s movement started as early as in 1953 and it has continued till today. In 1953, the then Prime Minister Nehru appointed States Reorganization Committee (SRC) headed by Fazal Ali to recommend the Government on reorganization of states. Releasing the SRC report in 1955, in para 386, the commission pointed out, “"After taking all these factors into consideration we have come to the conclusions that it will be in the interests of Andhra as well as Telangana area is to constitute into a separate State, which may be known as the Hyderabad State with provision for its unification with Andhra after the general elections likely to be held in or about 1961 if by a two thirds majority the legislature of the residency Hyderabad State expresses itself in favor of such unification." But, Nehru’s government decided to ignore the SRC recommendations and established a unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956. However, a “Gentleman’s Agreement” was promised by the Central Government.

Jai Telangana Movement and Chenna Reddy's Betrayal

In the following years after the formation of Andhra Pradesh, Telanganites revolted on the way Gentleman’s Agreement was lapsed. Disgruntled Students from Osmania University accused that Telangana is politically ignored, economically being discriminated and culturally unidentified and launched ‘Jai Telangana movement’ for the cause of separate Telangana. The movement led to a widespread violence in which around 400 students lost their lives. But unfortunately, the congress termed Telangana movement as anti national and stood against the demand. In 1971, came the biggest betrayal of Telangana. Marri Chenna Reddy founded Telangana Praja Samithi, a political party to fight for Telangana. After winning all the Telangana lok sabha seats, he has chosen to betray the people of Telangana by falling in to the congress trap of the offer of the chair of Chief Minister for Andhra Pradesh in return to the merger of TPS in congress. In this way, Telangana people and their sentiments were completely cornered and fooled by Congress and Chenna Reddy.

BJP’s Promise of two states for one vote

In 1990s, the movement started gaining momentum with BJP passing resolution favoring a Saperate Telangana in its Kakinada executive meeting. The party which promised Telangana in 1998 in its manifesto could not deliver it because of its alliance with TDP which stood for a United Telangana. Vajpayee, the then prime minister during his tenure said that the party which could carve out three new states Uttaranchal, Jharkand and Chattisgarh could not deliver its promise on Telangana because of its coalition compulsions. BJP could not afford to miss its first chance of creating an alternative government to congress at the center and therefore it had no option but to accept Chandra Babu’s terms and conditions on Telangana.

TRS formation and Congress betrayal

Later in 2004, Telangana Rashtra Samiti was formed by KCR, who walked out of TDP for an unsatisfied offer of a deputy speaker of state assembly given by the then Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu. In subsequent elections, TRS entered into an unholy alliance with congress which always opposed separate Telangana and as expected congress once again betrayed Telangana saying that it would appoint a second SRC committee to take a decision on Telangana. SRCs have become a simple means of fooling the innocent telanganites again and again. TRS, the party that criticized the previous Governments for neglecting Telangana districts did nothing for Telangana in their three years of its tenure and instead it has chosen to praise Congress Sonia Gandhi and YSR who stood as hurdles for the long term demand of a separate state. Speculating that people would revolt against their illogical alliance with congress and their poor performance as ministers being a part of Government, after enjoying ministerial berths in Central and state congress Governments for around 3 years, TRS ministers resigned from State and Central congress Governments.

TRS is ‘Telangana Rakshasa Samiti’

Inspite of an open and a categorical assurance that was given by BJP PM Candidate L K Advani for separate Telangana, KCR once again exposed his true colors of opportunism by announcing a baseless alliance with Mahakutami of which communists who are dead opposed to Separate Telangana are a part. To everyone’s surprise, during the recent party ticket distribution, TRS contestants lashed out at KCR for selling party tickets for the highest bids. Such is the status of a party that formed to lead a movement and such is the hypocrisy of the leader of the movement. Losing its spirit of movement, having exploited the psentiments of people of Telangana for its political gains, TRS has become a ‘Telangana Rakshasa Samiti’ and a liability for Telanganites. Can anyone trust such a party and such a leader any more? One would be reminded of a Gandhiji, a Bhagat Singh and a Potti Sree Ramulu when any body talks of a movement or the leader of movement. KCR, one who is least comparable in any single way to such great personalities, one who has no values in his political life has the least eligibility to lead the movement. A vote for TRS is a vote for one more betrayal. A vote for Congress is a vote for suicide of the movement.

Vote BJP for Telangana in 100 days

Therefore, if people of Telangana are strongly committed for the cause of a separate Telangana and if Telanganites do not want to face any more betrayals, they should choose BJP to vote as BJP alone has the credibility and capability for the formation of separate Telangana. It was and it is in the favor of smaller states and has the track record of forming three separate states. Advaniji during in his Vijaya Sankalp sabha in Hyderabad in the last month said that the one word that he likes the most is ‘trust’ and such a person has promised to carve out Telangana within 100 days of NDA coming into power. It’s the time for people of telangana to choose the right party to vote for. People should trust Advaniji to entrust him with power and to achieve the long term demand Telangana. A vote for BJP is not only a vote for security, development and good governance but it’s also a vote for Telangana.

Jai Hind

(An article written for BJP website)