City puts its best foot forward for 'T'- party

“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom--Every proud Indian has soaked in these precious words orated by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947. These words did ring in a bell at Tank Bund when ecstatic Hyderabadis gathered at the stroke of midnight on June 2, this time to witness the birth of Telangana. The mood resonated scenes of what could have played out on August 15, 66 years ago---firecrackers were burst, the national flag was unfurled, sweets were distributed and greetings were exchanged. The celebrations for the birth of Telangana were indeed that historic as emotions ran high.

The revelry set in when firecrackers decorated the night sky at the stroke of 12am. While ecstatic shutterbugs captured the vivid images, the DJ revved up the tempo with a loud burst of the ‘Poru Telangana’ song. The song spurred the euphoric crowd to groove to the beats. It was a rare sight to see the otherwise busy Liberty Chowrasta turn into a dance floor. The traffic hit a standstill but none were complaining. Scores of families got together to shake a leg and mingled with strangers to shake the leg.

Something which was an exception was the presence of a skeleton police force. Though the crowd was jubilant, patriotic fervour ensured that they didn’t cross the line. In fact women came out in large numbers and blended to the tunes of Telangana folk songs.

“I was initially apprehensive of people misbehaving with me when I came at around 1am. But I was surprised that people made way for me and while I danced celebrating the spirit of Telangana. This is when I knew that acche din zaroor aa gaye (the good days have arrived),” said Nidhi, a software employee.

There was a barrage of colours which splashed around the stretches of Necklace Road, Tank Bund and Nampally. Needless to say, the colour pink dominated the proceedings as TRS party cadres moved around in vehicles carrying flags, with Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao’s image imprinted on it. Meanwhile the Secretariat, Buddha Statue and the arch at Tank Bund was illuminated with blue lights, magnifying the glory of the structures.

The celebrations which began at night were just the tip of the iceberg. Within hours, at the break of dawn, the city was back again on its feet to ramp up the festivities. The slogan ‘Jai Telangana' rented the air as the city erupted in joy. Hundreds gathered at Gun Park near the state Assembly building to pay their tributes to the martyrs of Telangana.

As KCR was being sworn-in students burst fire crackers at the Osmania University, the hub of Telangana movement, to mark the formation of the first State Government.

In the Arts College premises, Law College, Engineering College and others places, students were seen greeting and congratulating each other. At the iconic Charminar, families cut a giant cake to mark the ‘birthday’ of the new state. Such scores of celebrations is a rare moment and will indeed be a moment to cherish for those who were part and parcel of history in the making.­