Sec 8 integral to joint capital

Unfortunately, the Governor who is the custodian as per the APRA to safeguard the interests of all the citizens is maintaining silence for obvious reasons. He is issuing statements that everything is normal and everybody is happy. To implement the Section 8 practically, he needs more powers and network

Of late, some politicians are arguing, raising their eyebrows and questioning why, all of a sudden, some political parties and citizens are demanding the implementation of Section 8 of AP Reorganization Act (APRA), and that too only after Revanth Reddy’s note-for-vote issue was exposed. They point out that so far no organized crime or registered cases are reported by the people who settled from other areas in Hyderabad.

But, they are ignoring that even senior officials including the Chief Secretary from AP, along with other staff hailing from residual AP, have been humiliated while discharging their duties in Hyderabad. Besides, there are a number of issues like TS Ministers issuing statements against the people from the Andhra area. Add to them Comprehensive Household Survey, FAST issue – even the students whose grandfathers settled in Telangana are not eligible for local criteria unless they were staying in Telangana before 1956 – water wars, relieving of 1,200 employees of Andhra origin without bothering to implement court interim direction, veiled threats etc.

Unfortunately, the Governor who is the custodian as per the APRA to safeguard the interests of all the citizens is maintaining silence for obvious reasons. Contrary to all the aforementioned concerns, he has kept on issuing statements that everything is normal and everybody is happy. In fact, the Section 8 has not come all of a sudden. People like us have been demanding for implementation of assurances given in the Parliament as well as in the Act (including Section8) and recently we were in Delhi for about one week on that purpose.

One can’t forget that in the month of last August, the Centre initiated the implementation of Section 8 giving more powers to the Governor, apart from constituting certain special police bodies in Hyderabad, with active participation of AP State Police. But the Telangana Government has raised its objection to this and its Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao even branded the Prime Minister as a fascist. However, it seems, after slightly modifying their ideas, a letter was later sent by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to the Government of Telangana regarding the implementation of Section 8.

Then, even the BJP leaders from Telangana fully supported it and planned to write to all the CMs in India, in favor of the Section 8. In contrast, at present every political party is playing ‘politrics’ on the Section 8, leaving the people in utter confusion. Actually as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the Center has 91 subjects, State 61 and 52 subjects are under the Concurrent List. The law and order is in the State list. The Article 369, which gives some powers to the Centre to overrule the State, will also not be applicable in the case of law and order.

It is a fact that without amending the Constitution, it will be difficult for the Centre to intrude into the State subject in general circumstances. But the same rule was not followed in the case of APRA with regard to issues like 371 D. It is a fact that a lot of injustice was done to residual AP in the bifurcation process as well as in the APRA. In this connection, it is pertinent to recall the earlier Jai Andhra Movement of 1972-73, demanding a separate State without Hyderabad, expressing anguish that though their resources were being diverted to Hyderabad, yet the people of 13 districts of Andhra didn’t have equal rights or status in their own capital for jobs etc.

But then most of the leaders from Telangana vehemently opposed the division of AP. They did not even bother to remember sacrifices made by the Telangana youth in the 1969 movement of separate Telangana. The then CM, P V Narasimha Rao (from Telangana) and PM Indira Gandhi, brutally crushed the separate Andhra movement (hundreds of people were either shot dead or lost their lives in the movement), saying that there would be no question of bifurcation of the AP state in the future, and initiated corrective measures to redress a few of their grievances.

Actually, since the time of bifurcation movement from 2009, the coastal and the Rayalaseema people asked for a right on Hyderabad city. When almost all the political parties agreed to bifurcation, people like us also gave in after understanding ground realities, but with a condition that major issues like water problems, employment, education and Hyderabad must be resolved amicably before taking any decision on bifurcation. In fact, Hyderabad city was built with the sweat and blood of people from Telangana, Coastal, Rayalaseema areas together.

From the date of its foundation in 1589, funds were transferred from Coastal and Rayalaseema areas to Hyderabad, barring for some period. In the first leg of 19th century, Nizams of Hyderabad finally sold Coastal area of AP to the British for a price. Again from 1956, for a number of years, whatever amount spent by the government on Hyderabad was from Coastal and Rayalaseema areas, which was confirmed by Justice Vasishta Committee.

However ‘whatever happened has happened.’ Hyderabad was made an integral part of Telangana, but it is also a joint capital for both AP and Telangana States up to 2-6-2024, which is being ignored, conveniently. Unfortunately, on the provision of joint capital for 10 years, the Government of India did not provide even minimum statutory provisions, rules, regulations, directions, rights and guidelines to the residual AP, much to the benefit of interpretations by Telangana State and their leaders.

Even the Section 8 of the APRA, which was intended to allay the fears and apprehensions of migrants in Hyderabad hailing from the residual AP, does not state clearly its role & responsibilities, thus defeating the very purpose of its incorporation in the Act. Though the Governor has to act as per the Telangana government in the case of law and order, if there is any deviation, his direction will be final. To implement the Section 8 practically, he needs more powers and network.

Hence, civil society representatives, AP and Telangana governments have to come to an understanding on that, and have to resolve the matter once for all. Though some leaders from Telangana are spreading hatred, the people of Telangana are still affectionate towards the people who have migrated and settled in their areas. The people of Coastal and Rayalaseema also share the same affection towards the people of Telangana. (The writer is the president of Andhra Intellectuals Forum)

By Srinivas Chalasani