T Cong leaders in rare show of unity

• Appeal to Seemandhra leaders to cooperate
• Telangana youth urged not to commit suicide l Sonia promised 'gift' of 15-16 LS seats if AP bifurcated
• Deputy CM gives a spirited speech
• Resolution to be sent to Sonia

Hyderabad: Expressing full confidence that the AICC President Sonia Gandhi will take a positive decision in favour of bifurcation of the State and would keep the party's promises, particularly the one made on December 9, 2009, the Telangana Sadhana Sabha has resolved that there is no other option but to carve a separate state that existed before it merged with Andhra in 1956. Addressing a huge gathering at Nizam College grounds on Sunday, the Telangana Congress leaders appealed to their counterparts in Seemandhra to cooperate in the process of forming a new state so that the two Telugu-speaking states can emerge as top two states in the country. The leaders also appealed to Telangana youth not to lose heart and not to commit suicide. They promised Sonia Gandhi that if the High Command gives T state before 2014 elections, they in return will "gift" the party with 15-16 Lok Sabha seats. Two veteran leaders Manikya Rao and Dr Gopalakrishna who faced the bullets during the 1969 separate Telangana agitation and went to jail, were among those who stressed the need for carving a separate state. In his spirited speech, Deputy Chief Minister Rajanarasimha said, "Let us get separated as regions and grow as states." The struggle for separate state is more than five decades old and it is time people of other regions as well as the High Command ponder as to why Telangana has been on the boil. The agitation and anguish is not for packages but for restoration of self respect. Telangana has rich culture and has always been secular in nature. It celebrates Bathukamma festival as well as Peerlu Panduga (Muslim festival) with equal fervor. In united Andhra Pradesh since 1956, T leaders got a chance to be at the helm of affairs for only 12 years. The principle of equality was not maintained. There was all round discrimination and hence the region has been boiling. Recalling the 1969 agitation, Rajanarasimha said that though the communication channels like mobile phones and strong media was not there and the awareness was also not as high as now, large number of people came out and 400 fell to bullets. That is T history, he said. The Deputy CM said the State Congress was the first to demand separate T state. In 1999, it submitted a resolution to the High Command. In 2004 it entered into alliance with TRS assuring separate T state. This shows the commitment of the Congress party towards Telangana. He said though certain forces prevented formation of a new state in the last three years, he was certain that ultimately Telangana state would become a reality and Congress alone would be able to do justice under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy, who presided over the meeting, said that the T Congress leaders while reposing full faith in Sonia Gandhi are even ready to resign from their posts and work for the party. "We will not bother as to who gets ticket and will ensure their victory in 2014 elections if Congress sets the process of formation of a new state in motion." He said this meeting had exhibited that the determination for a separate state was very strong. The Congress had in the past carved many smaller states and was confident that it would make T state a reality soon and hence no one should resort to suicides. This meeting, he remarked, was not organised with an eye on elections or for garnering political advantage. It is to tell the High Command as to how strong the sentiment was. Lashing out at opposition parties, Jana Reddy said it was the faith the party leaders have in Congress which made them bear the insults heaped on them by other T parties for the past three years. The developments at High Command level have given the T Congress leaders a renewed confidence that their aspirations will soon become a reality. Through this meeting, he said, they will send a resolution to Sonia Gandhi urging her to take forward the promise made on December 9, 2009.