Deputy CM Rajanarasimha Urges Congress Core Group on Telangana Bifurcation, Highlights Historical Injustices

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha told the Congress Core Group that those who were opposed to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh were quoting Indira Gandhi and claiming that she had opposed separate T state but along with that importance should be given to what Nehru had said over the issue of merger much earlier and also the report of Justice Fazal Ali Commssion who said that Telangana state could be converted into a colony by enterprising coastal Andhras which turned out to be true.

Quoting Nehru he said the then Prime Minister speaking at Bharat Sevak Samaj conference at Nizamabad said that the Government of India had decided to merge Telangana with Andhra and assured Telangana people that "ek masoom si Bachchi Ka, ek natkhat se shadi ho raha hai. Kuch din ke bad mein ittefaq nahi hone ke vaje se talaq de sakthe hain." (An innocent girl is being married off to a delinquent.

If she is dissatisfied she could seek separation at a later day.) Rajanarasimha who is likely to go to New Delhi on Monday to meet the members of the Congress Working Committee and brief them about the need for immediate decision to bifurcate the state ha reportedly prepared a brief 11 page report consisting of highlights of the presentation he had made before the Congress Core Group. Talking about the viability of Seemandhra, the report said Andhra people developed under the British rule which gave them advanced education and modernization. The Seemandhra region, he said has assured irrigation, 10 natural ports, proven reserves of gas and petroleum, huge coastline, petro chemical corridors and the state will have surplus power.

On the other hand T region which comprises of 10 districts was subjected to oppression and exploitation. While land is a source of profit for people in Andhra, it is a source of livelihood in Telangana. The report says that the common man in Andhra is not concerned with either Telangana or Hyderabad. The only people who are opposing T state are small community of businessmen, industrialists who have invested in and around Hyderabad. For example 49 of the 103 SEZs sanctioned in the state are around Hyderabad city and 90% of them belong to businessmen turned politicians from Andhra. Referring to the revenue aspects, the report says by virtue of Hyderabad being capital of the state many of the tax payers have their registered offices at Hyderabad and they pay their tax in Hyderabad. In the event of bifurcation, the revenues shown at Hyderabad will definitely be shared by the two states and Seemandhra would definitely get more taxes compared to Telangana inclusive of Hyderabad. The report also said that the newly formed states like Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarkhand have registered Gross State Domestic Product at 9.2%, 11.1% and 8.1% respectively. Mentioning about the injustice even in regard to political power, the report said of the 56 years, Seemandhra leaders had ruled the state for 48 years and Telangana got a chance for ruling the state for only eight years. It also says that T people were never integrated emotionally and psychologically.

Unable to bear the injustice and delay in carving a separate state hundreds of Telangana youth committed suicides for the cause of separate state, the report said. On the issue of naxalism, Rajanarasimha told the Core Group that it emanated from coastal Andhra and after 1969, Osmania and Kakatiya Universities became breeding grounds for naxalites. Most of the students belong to BC/ST/SC communities due to failure of bifurcation of the state. 370 youth from these communities were killed in police firing and the youth had chosen this movement to fight against feudals and land lords. Allaying apprehensions on carving of separate state particularly in regard to those who came from other regions and settled here, the report said all citizens have right to reside anywhere in the country.

For last 200 years T people were co-existing with people from across the country like Marwadis, Sindhis, Gujaratis, Bengalis etc. Settlers like Mandava Venkateswara Rao, Konappa Narayana Rao and Lok Satta President Jayaprakash Narayan had even risen to become legislators. Similarly there are many corporators as well. It also says that of the 1.10 lakh employees working in Hyderabad less than 12% were from Telangana and more than 40% of the 4.98 lakh employees working in other parts of T region belong to Andhra. Even in regard to gazetted officers only 10-12% are from T region. There has been clear discrimination in public employment since 1952 to date, the report adds. In regard to water sharing, it says that a water regulatory authority can be incorporated in the bill for T state. Water allocations have already been made by Krishna and Godavari Tribunals. While justifying the demand for separate state, the report also talks about how successive governments violated Supreme Court judgement on Mulki Rules, Six Point Formula, presidential order of 1975, GO 610 etc.