http://www.blogs.ivarta.com/Separating-Telangana-from-Andhra-Does-it-make-sense/blog-340.htm
By: Gopal Alankar, Ph.D. (Jan-19-2010)
(The writer is a retired freelancer. He holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Management in addition to degrees in engineering. He enjoys writing on community related issues.)
December 9, 2009 was a defining moment for Telangana. At midnight the Home Minister of India, Mr. P. Chidambaram, announced the initiation of forming Telangana State and instantly Telangana burst into joy and jubilance. Every nook and corner witnessed the spectacle of celebrations that symbolized the culmination of fifty some years of struggle seemingly into fruition. But the news was gloom and doom for opponents of Telangana from Andhra region. They flooded the internet with blurred blogs that reasoned against the formation but those reasons bore very little semblance to truth. They were heavily laced with mistaken facts and muddied truth. They stoked the fears that Andhra settlers in Hyderabad would be driven out to their native places.
Barring a few, the picture was no different with some news papers of national standing that peppered the government on the rationality in forming a new state. Here again the articles were laden with misinformation symptomatic of missing means to unearth the facts. The fact that the first SRC preferred against the merger was simply brushed aside. The fact that Prime Minister Nehru promised to nullify the merger if it proved harmful to Telangana interests was conveniently ignored. So much so it was all hot air and little substance through and through.
This article is an attempt to shed light on the historical facts to substantiate the Government"s move to initiate Telangana formation. As an additional reading I urge the readers to browse through Mr. T.V.R. Shenoy"s article Why is everyone scared of small states?
The incessant trumpeting in the media that Telangana is being carved out of Andhrapradesh or Andhrapradesh is being bifurcated is erroneous. This would be true if Telangana was ever a homogeneous part of Andhra or Madras Presidency. But the fact remains that Telangana had an independent existence as part of Hyderabad State up until November 1, 1956 when it was merged with Andhra in contravention to the Justice Fazl Ali Commission"s report and against the wishes of Telangana people.
Announcing the Government"s decision to merge the two regions, Jawaharlal Nehru, the then prime minister, said on March 5, 1956 in Nizamabad of Telangana,
"Ek masoom ki bachchi (Telangana) ko, ek natkhat (Andhra) ke saath shadi ho raha hai. Ka-yee din ke baad me ittefaq nahi hone ke vaje se talaaq de sakthe hain."
(Ref: Indian Express March 6, 1956)
The above parable says it all. Talaaq was an option offered to Telanganites to secede from the merger if the merger proved harmful to Telangana.
The fifty years of merger has seen Telangana high and dry. Its waters were clandestinely diverted to Andhra. Today its land is dry, parched and un-tillable. Agreed protections against the jobs for Telangana were nixed. The surplus revenue that Telangana had before the merger was all but consumed for the development of Andhra. The present struggle for separation to its original state is an exercise of the option (talaaq) given by Nehru. It is neither carving out a new State nor bifurcating Andhrapradesh.
Culturally the two regions are miles apart. Telangana culture is a unique blend of Adivasi, Mughlai, Maharashtrian, Kannadiga and North Indian cultures. To pitch for togetherness on the basis of homogeneous culture is like trying to sell ice cubes to Eskimos. Although the 54 years of Andhra hold on Telangana has made some inroads into cultural amalgam, the differences are still conspicuous. Vast differences existed in the days of Nizam"s rule. The native dresses of Telanganites still differ from those of Andhras. In the days of yore native Telangana men wore turbans and dhotis while Andhras preferred lungis and bare heads. Telangana women in pre-independence days wore saris in style similar to rural women in Maharashtra. The cuisines of both regions are vastly different. Telangana cuisines reflect Moghlai and Islamic tastes while Andhra cuisines are heavily reflective of Tamilian mould.
There are appreciable differences in languages. Telangana language is more overlayed with Urdu, Maharashtrian and Hindi words. In my growing up years we were taught to address our uncle as kakayya, a Marathi derivative. It was common to address one"s mother as Mataji. Plenty of Urdu words are intertwined into Telangana Telugu such as Pa-ray-shan (worry), Sa-maj (understand). The tones are different so also the verb endings. All in all the Telangana and Andhra Telugu languages are very incongruous. It is fair to say that they are two different dialects.
Many Telangana festivities are not found in Andhra region such as Holi, Bathkamma, Bonalu, Kolatam, etc. Telanganites fly kites during Sankranthi in a frenzy of passion that is comparable to kite flying in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Incidentally Telanganites observe Muslim festivals too. Peerila festival (muharram) is one of them.
The subject of Telangana culture is copious and a detailed discussion of it will be voluminous. But for now I will provide a pointer to a speech of an illustrious Telangana writer Kaloji Narayan Rao
"Telangana life styles are different, Telangana language is different."
Development is a multifaceted task aimed at providing basic human needs at one end and luxurious life styles at the other end. Economy and beautification of Hyderabad are two other facets.
The unabated vociferous chanting by people from Andhra for credit for Hyderabad"s development is a hollow rhetoric. It is a good try but a tricky dick trick. A little development towards a stench-free drive across Musi river would have sanitized their claim for credit. But alas, the stench still stays all the way along the river!
City of Hyderabad was judged as highly developed prior to India"s independence. It ranked high among the beautiful cities in India in terms of cleanliness, underground sanitation, gardens, wide roads, lakes, robust infrastructure and sustainable economy. Nizam of Hyderabad was once the richest person in the world. This does not mean that the people were rich, but meaningfully it could be interpreted that the sweat and toil of the people made him rich.
The precious Kohinoor diamond came from Hyderabad. The old buildings are still the architectural marvels that reflect the fusion of Islamic, Italian and Hindu architectures. Some examples of these are Charminar, Osmania University, Mecca Masjid, Falaknuma palace, Assembly building, etc. Spawned around the city are beautiful lakes - Hussain Sagar, Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar. These developments do not bear the seal of Andhra investors.
The merger of the two regions also saw the slow death of the Telangana indurtries viz: Ajamjhahi mills, Sirpur sirsilk mills, Anthargam spinning mills, DBR mills, Alwyn metal works, Praga Tools, Republic forge. The Nizam Sugar Factory is now on the verge of extinction. This record does not add up to any development.
Huge monstrous ugly cement flyovers eclipsing the beauty of the city do not constitute development either. Adding bricks, mortar and cement to the already overcrowded city leaving debris all over is not a measure of development. Sathyam Computers, sure is an Andhra investment but one mired in fraud and deception. Could this be a barometer for development? Whatever development that Hyderabad achieved through government investment is neither the generosity of Andhras nor that of Telanganites.
Hi Tech city lies way out in the suburb of Hyderabad and it does not constitute part of Hyderabad per say. It survives because of foreign investments such as Microsoft, Oracle, Dell, Motorola, Deloitte, HSBC, GE, and out of state investors like Tata Consultancy, Infosys, Wipro, etc. Should we call these as Andhra investors? It beats me.
It is no denying that ever since the merger of the two, Hyderabad had become a Mecca for shady real estate dealers with expertise in land grabbing and illegal acquisitions of government lands in collusion with the men in power. The expensive media blitz unleashed now by Andhras, whipping the fear of getting evicted if Telangana were to separate has no truth. Instead, it has the lurking fear of losing the lucrative real estate shenanigans in and around Hyderabad, and the chilling reality of being exposed to legal investigation into their ill gotten money by the incoming Telangana government.
Telanganites by nature are passive, submissive, hard working and law abiding - a modus Vivendi cultivated under the suppressive kingly reigns and harsh democratic rules unfriendly to their wellbeing. They learned to suffer and live happily among all Indians - Andhras, Tamilians, Muslims, Punjabis, Gujaratis, Marwaris, Maharashtrians, Kannadigas, and you name it. Their history and culture is a rich derivative from the people from different faiths and regions. They will always welcome any Indian willing to settle among them and that includes Andhras.
In whichever way you look at it, it makes sense to separate Telangana from Andhra. The twain shall live in harmony guided by the principle of "Live and let live."
Gopal Alankar, Ph.D.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
srikrishna committee day 15
Respected Chairman (CCSAP),
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
If we do have power and money, the first thing will do is sealing the border with Andhra and Rayalaseema by building great wall. For us they are as dangerous as Manchurian and Mongolian tribes to china’s Ming dynasty.
I am just quoting this to express how much hatred we have for THEM at the bottom of our heart. They have introduced cheating, factionisam, murders on streets, extortion, land mafia, showing of muscular power, corruption, lobbying, buttering finally prostitution into Telangana and gullible Telanganites became the victims. This is what we got in independent India.
We never trust our neighbors, due to their behavior.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
If we do have power and money, the first thing will do is sealing the border with Andhra and Rayalaseema by building great wall. For us they are as dangerous as Manchurian and Mongolian tribes to china’s Ming dynasty.
I am just quoting this to express how much hatred we have for THEM at the bottom of our heart. They have introduced cheating, factionisam, murders on streets, extortion, land mafia, showing of muscular power, corruption, lobbying, buttering finally prostitution into Telangana and gullible Telanganites became the victims. This is what we got in independent India.
We never trust our neighbors, due to their behavior.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
srikrishna committee day 14
Respected Chairman (CCSAP),
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
The merger in 1956 is a grave mistake on the part of the then Indian government under the guise of language.
We do speak telugu but which is totally different from Andhra’s telugu.
Historically, geographically Telangana is under telugu rulers (Shatavahana’s and Kakatiyas) present Andhra is extended land of earlier telugu rulers. East andhra, Rayalaseema never part of Telangana.
We were under Muslim rule for more than 200 years.
Our language is a classical mix of Deccani Urdu, Parsi, Arabic, Kannada, Marathi and Telangana Telugu.
After merger Central Andhra Telugu was forced on us.
We were under feudalistic rule for several years. Never part of British Rule.
Never exposed to Democracy, Modernism, Political thought.
Contrary to this Andhra is under British and exposed to all developments.
After merger Instead of giving us enlightenment Andhra’s exploited our innocence.
We never trust our neighbors, due to their behavior.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
The merger in 1956 is a grave mistake on the part of the then Indian government under the guise of language.
We do speak telugu but which is totally different from Andhra’s telugu.
Historically, geographically Telangana is under telugu rulers (Shatavahana’s and Kakatiyas) present Andhra is extended land of earlier telugu rulers. East andhra, Rayalaseema never part of Telangana.
We were under Muslim rule for more than 200 years.
Our language is a classical mix of Deccani Urdu, Parsi, Arabic, Kannada, Marathi and Telangana Telugu.
After merger Central Andhra Telugu was forced on us.
We were under feudalistic rule for several years. Never part of British Rule.
Never exposed to Democracy, Modernism, Political thought.
Contrary to this Andhra is under British and exposed to all developments.
After merger Instead of giving us enlightenment Andhra’s exploited our innocence.
We never trust our neighbors, due to their behavior.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Friday, March 05, 2010
srikrishna committee day 13
Respected Chairman (CCSAP),
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
How come Telangana does not have a notable industrial group, business house like Andhra’s GMR, Lanco, Gayathri, Shenayya etc. Because Andhra capitalists with their lobbying and money power captured all government works. Get the list of contractors and sub contractors of Hyderabad Ring Road and JalaYagnam projects. All of them are from Andhra or Rayalaseema.
If it is other state company they do have interest in that.
Find out by question, how much mobilization advances the government paid to those companies and how much they invested in Hyderabad real estate in turn.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
How come Telangana does not have a notable industrial group, business house like Andhra’s GMR, Lanco, Gayathri, Shenayya etc. Because Andhra capitalists with their lobbying and money power captured all government works. Get the list of contractors and sub contractors of Hyderabad Ring Road and JalaYagnam projects. All of them are from Andhra or Rayalaseema.
If it is other state company they do have interest in that.
Find out by question, how much mobilization advances the government paid to those companies and how much they invested in Hyderabad real estate in turn.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
srikrishna committee day 12
Respected Chairman (CCSAP),
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
We Telangana people till last year need to come to hyderabad or warangal for better education and employment purpose where as Andhra has nearest cities Vishaka, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Bangalore and Madras apart from Hyderabad with easy access.
Due to greediness most of Andhras purchased lands in and around Hyderabad. One can see thousands of open plots without any development on all national highways. This hampered proper development of Hyderabad. It also made real estate prices not reachable to needy men.
All industries owned by Andhras, in and around Hyderabad have employed their own caste and region people, not a single person from Telangana, except in lower cadre posts. Best example All Institutions under Ramoji Group.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
We Telangana people till last year need to come to hyderabad or warangal for better education and employment purpose where as Andhra has nearest cities Vishaka, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Bangalore and Madras apart from Hyderabad with easy access.
Due to greediness most of Andhras purchased lands in and around Hyderabad. One can see thousands of open plots without any development on all national highways. This hampered proper development of Hyderabad. It also made real estate prices not reachable to needy men.
All industries owned by Andhras, in and around Hyderabad have employed their own caste and region people, not a single person from Telangana, except in lower cadre posts. Best example All Institutions under Ramoji Group.
That is why we want our own state to Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
srikrishna committee day 11
Respected Chairman (CCSAP),
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
Due to lack of educational facilities and economical strength the people who belong to reservation categories in telangana never gained any thing from constitutional guarantied reservations.
All quota s were filled with educationally and economically sound coastal reservation category people. You will find these facts if you get bonafides of all reserved category employees of secretariat as an example.
The same is true with all government concerns where reservations are applied.
We are not able to compete with our neighbors. That is why we want our Rule.
We need our own area to gain constitutional support to live.
Jai Telangana.
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
Due to lack of educational facilities and economical strength the people who belong to reservation categories in telangana never gained any thing from constitutional guarantied reservations.
All quota s were filled with educationally and economically sound coastal reservation category people. You will find these facts if you get bonafides of all reserved category employees of secretariat as an example.
The same is true with all government concerns where reservations are applied.
We are not able to compete with our neighbors. That is why we want our Rule.
We need our own area to gain constitutional support to live.
Jai Telangana.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
srikrishna committee day 10
Respected Chairman (CCSAP),
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
No doubt Hyderabad has developed into megacity with lot of opportunities.
But due to lack of educational facilities we haven’t utilized any opportunities including IT revolution which has made Hyderabad as major IT Hub.
If you go into deep of all hypes of IT Jobs and all other institute jobs you will find that 30 % which are from other states and 70 % from Telugu people, in which only 20 % from Telangana again 15% of this from hyderabad itself, leaving only 5 % to rest of telanagana.
Thease statistics are perfect if you take any IT company, Pharma company and any other big employer in and around Hyderabad.
That is why we want our Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
No doubt Hyderabad has developed into megacity with lot of opportunities.
But due to lack of educational facilities we haven’t utilized any opportunities including IT revolution which has made Hyderabad as major IT Hub.
If you go into deep of all hypes of IT Jobs and all other institute jobs you will find that 30 % which are from other states and 70 % from Telugu people, in which only 20 % from Telangana again 15% of this from hyderabad itself, leaving only 5 % to rest of telanagana.
Thease statistics are perfect if you take any IT company, Pharma company and any other big employer in and around Hyderabad.
That is why we want our Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Monday, March 01, 2010
srikrishna committee day 9
Respected Chairman (CCSAP),
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
The minor irrigation sector in Telangana is drstically neglected after merger. Tank irrigation is the major farm activity in telangana since Kakatiyas. Now most of tanks were dry and filled with silt. Result of which is Telangana people were forced to migrate in sessions and branded as Labour.
Palamoor Labour from Mehaboob nagar and Gulf Labour from Nizamabad and KarimNagar are the best examples of forced migration
That is why we want our Rule.
Jai Telangana.
Sub: Need for formation of Telangana State.
The minor irrigation sector in Telangana is drstically neglected after merger. Tank irrigation is the major farm activity in telangana since Kakatiyas. Now most of tanks were dry and filled with silt. Result of which is Telangana people were forced to migrate in sessions and branded as Labour.
Palamoor Labour from Mehaboob nagar and Gulf Labour from Nizamabad and KarimNagar are the best examples of forced migration
That is why we want our Rule.
Jai Telangana.
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