North Andhra ‘cheated’again

Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam in North Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh are the most neglected and under-developed districts in Andhra Pradesh. In fact, the region was once under one district, Visakhapatnam, the largest during the British regime. It has provided all the resources, particularly the forest- based products, to the British and, therefore, we could see small ports developed by the British for their export on the Eastern coast. The history of the region is distinctly different from that of other regions of the state that claim a unique identity as the Telugu-speaking people.

The region and the people, scholars claim, were responsible for development of Telugu in the name of “Trikalinga” (a derivative is Telang and Telugu) during the Buddhist period and later was abandoned with contempt with the emergence of dynasties that were supported by Brahminical theology. Thus the history and culture of the region, which is more ancient and enduring than that of the rest of Andhra, was considered by the developed coastal Andhra people as alien. Therefore, the derision for the region could be seen not only in the historical period but also in the modern period as the six developed coastal districts never considered the history of the region as part of Andhra, calling the region “thoorpollu” (Easterners).

Interestingly, the State website and historians do not speak about the Eastern Gangas who ruled the whole of Andhra at one time. They leave the region as separate and consider the three districts as part of Kalinga or Odissa even now. Therefore, the whole separate movement for a Telugu- speaking State started in this region and the renaissance crusade of Andhra originated here with Gidugu, Gurajada, Unnava, VVGiri, Sri Sri and other leaders in the Madras Presidency.

It is a region with self-sufficiency and own identity based on the Eastern Ghats. The backwardness and neglect started with the formation of a separate State in 1956 with the dominance of coastal Andhra both in North Andhra and elsewhere. The current separatist movement in the State created a very interesting situation, each claiming that they are backward. In fact, the coastal Andhra leaders who claim for a united Andhra quote the backwardness of the region giving data of North Andhra and do not allow the local people to speak on their behalf.

All the incidents of the movement are taking place in Visakhapatnam and the leaders are not local people except one or two students’ representatives. There are no incidents in the developed coastal districts like Kakinada, Eluru, Vijayawada, Ongole, Guntur, and Nellore and are concentrated in Vizag. This is good if the local issues of underdevelopment and exploitation are discussed. They talk only about Telangana and Hyderabad here.

Therefore, if the data on underdevelopment of the region is presented by separating the three districts as North Andhra, the realities would come out. It is a cunning plan to block the opportunities in the form of a development grant in the process of present debate on the separate Telangana State. Though the people are neutral or have no voice in the issue, the dominant politicians have created chasm between us and Telangana. This is unfair and sincere observers know the reasons for this drama.

Water distribution: The region had the bounty of nature in the form of the Eastern Ghats and about 10 river systems along with tanks and rivulets. It is a surplus region if the riparian rights are legitimately considered. The dominance of the advanced districts could be seen in terms of drawing of irrigation water from the rivers that depend upon the region’s rivers like Sabari, Sileru, Eleru, etc. The cunning nature of the leaders could be discerned if the distribution of the proposed Polavaram is considered.

The major source of water in the Godavari, if the upper reaches of Telangana are taken care of, comes from Eastern Ghats of North Andhra emanating from Vizianagaram. But, no one has ever discussed the sharing of water beyond Visakhapatnam city as they have interests only in the city and not about the needs of Vizianagaram or Srikakulam districts.
The amounts of money spent on irrigation projects have been considered as reasonable if we know that the lands in the region are appropriated by Coastal players. Despite that, the amount of net area irrigated and sown in the region is lower than that in the coastal and Telangana. This may be verified from the data presented by the Statistical Bureau of the state.

Agriculture: The region consists of forests and tribal areas have scarcity of cultivable land. Yet, most of the projects that need land are now being located here creating tensions in the region. It has the longest coast, half of the total State. But no worthwhile project on the coast, except the old Port at Visakhapatnam, was planned. The emerging needs of the economy could have given opportunity for the region but for the cunning nature of politicians who are settlers from the neighboring districts and who diverted projects from Visakhapatnam and others in the region. Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam are used as dumping grounds of polluting industries like pharmaceuticals that are thrown out of Hyderabad. This has created problems for the irrigation needs of the region due to the diversion of water from agriculture.

Land holdings in the State indicate that 5 per cent of the 6 coastal districts (excluding North Andhra) own more than 52 per cent of the land in the region, and if data are culled out in other districts of the State, the role of dominant contractors of coastal Andhra and politicians will be known.

Industry: The first industrial corridor was set up by the British keeping the natural harbor in Visakhapatnam and Garividi for its minerals. After Independence, the government of India located several public sector units here including the Vizag Steel plant. Nothing has happened during the last two decades of liberalization except locating the polluted units of thermal projects and pharmaceuticals. The discrimination meted out to the North Andhra region can also be seen in several other sectors.

The people are disillusioned with the present arrangement and ready to support anyone who would give them the necessary hearing and much needed attention. After all, development of the region and the people (and not the contractors) should be the aim of any political party and hope that the Central leadership listens to the oppressed and marginalized region with a separate package either as part of united Andhra or as a truncated region.

K Chandra Mohan

(The views expressed by the Visakhapatnam-based journalist are his own)

- With inputs from Prof KS Chalam