Telangana People's Struggle and Its Lessons
The Telangana Rebellion
The Telangana Rebellion was a Communist led peasant revolt that took place in the former princely state of Hyderabad between 1946 and 1951. This was led by the Communist Party of India.
The revolt began in the Nalgonda district and quickly spread to the Warangal and Bidar districts. Peasant farmers and labourers revolted against the Nizam and the local feudal landlords (jagirdars and deshmukhs) who were loyal to the Nizam. The initial modest aims were to do away with the illegal and excessive exploitation meted out by these feudal lords in the name of bonded labour. The most strident demand was for the writing off of all debts of the peasants that were manipulated by the feudal lords.
Few among the well-known individuals at the forefront of the movement were great leaders like Anabheri Prabhakar Rao, Doddi Komraiah, Bandi Yadagiri, Chakalli Iylamma,Komaram Bheem, Puchalapalli Sundaraiah, Makineni Basavapunaiah, Chandra Rajeswara Rao, Raavi Narayana Reddy, Arjula Ramana Reddy, the Urdu poet Makhdoom Mohiuddin, Hassan Nasir, Bhimreddy Narasimha Reddy, Mallu Venkata Narasimha Reddy, Mallu Swarajyam, Arutla Ramchandra Reddy and his wife Arutla Kamala Bai.
The violent phase of the movement ended after the central government sent in the army. Starting in 1951, the CPI shifted to a more moderate strategy of seeking to bring communism to India within the constraints of Indian democracy.
Post-independence history of Telangana
When India became independent from the British Empire, the Nizam of Hyderabad wanted Hyderabad State to remain independent under the special provisions given to princely states. Rebellion has started throughout the state against the Nizam's rule and his army known as the Razakars (hyderabad). The Razakars, led by its chief, Qasim Razvi, massacred many people and rebels to suppress the movement, but in vain. They destroyed many temples and monuments across the state. Mass assassinations, similar to Jallianwalabhag, took place through out the state. The Government of India annexed Hyderabad State on September 17, 1948, in an operation by the Indian Army called Operation Polo. When India became independent, the Telugu-speaking people were distributed in about 22 districts, 9 of them in the Telangana region of Nizam's Dominions (Hyderabad State), 12 in the Madras Presidency (Andhra region), and one in French-controlled Yanam. A Communist led peasant revolt started in 1946 and lasted until 1951, weakening the viability of Hyderabad as an Indian state in its present form.
The Central Government appointed a civil servant Vellodi Narayana Menon K, as First Chief Minister of Hyderabad state on 26 January 1950. He administered the state with the help of bureaucrats from Madras state and Bombay state. In 1952, Telangana had tasted democracy for the first time when it participated in general elections and elected Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao as the Chief minister of Hyderabad State. The Telugu speaking people in Madras state enjoyed some form of democracy since 1920. During this time there were violent Mulki agitations by some Telanganites to send back bureaucrats from Madras state, and to strictly implement Mulki rules.
Meanwhile, Telugu-speaking areas (Andhra region) were carved out of an erstwhile Madras state by popular agitation by leaders like Potti Sri Ramulu to create Andhra State with Kurnool as its capital in 1953.
Merger of Telangana and Andhra
In December 1953, the States Reorganization Commission was appointed to prepare for the creation of states on linguistic lines . The States Reorganization Commission (SRC) was not in favour of an immediate merger of Telangana region with Andhra state, despite the common language between the two.
Paragraph 382 of States Reorganization Commission Report (SRC) said "opinion in Andhra is overwhelmingly in favour of the larger unit, public opinion in Telangana has still to crystallize itself. Important leaders of public opinion in Andhra themselves seem to appreciate that the unification of Telangana with Andhra, though desirable, should be based on a voluntary and willing association of the people and that it is primarily for the people of Telangana to take a decision about their future". The people of Telangana had several concerns. The region had a less developed economy than Andhra, but with a larger revenue base (mostly because it taxed rather than prohibited alcoholic beverages), which people of Telangana feared might be diverted for use in Andhra. They also feared that planned irrigation projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers would not benefit Telangana proportionately even though people of Telangana controlled the headwaters of the rivers. It was also feared that the people of Andhra, who had access to higher standards of education under the British Rule, would have an unfair advantage in seeking Government and Educational jobs.
The commission proposed that the Telangana region be constituted as a separate state with a provision for unification with Andhra state, after the 1961 general elections, if a resolution could be passed in the Telangana state assembly with a two-third majority.
The Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, expressed his view that a majority of Telangana people were against the merger.
Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru initially was skeptical of merging Telangana with the Andhra State, fearing a “tint of expansionist imperialism” in it. Later, he compared the merger to a matrimonial alliance having “provisions for divorce” if the partners in the alliance cannot get on well.
However, following the "Gentlemen's agreement, the central government established a unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956. The agreement provided reassurances to Telangana in terms of power sharing as well as administrative domicile rules and distribution of expenses of various regions.
Anti-Nehru politics emerged with the repression of the Telengana movement; many within the Congress extended their hands to radical and not-so-radical leftist causes. Feroze Gandhi was among them.
Separate Telangana state movement
1969 movement
In the years after the formation of Andhra Pradesh state, people of Telangana expressed dissatisfaction over how the agreements and guarantees were implemented. Discontent with the 1956 Gentleman's agreement intensified in January 1969, when the guarantees that had been agreed on were supposed to lapse. Student agitation for the continuation of the agreement began at Osmania University in Hyderabad and spread to other parts of the region. Government employees and opposition members of the state legislative assembly swiftly threatened "direct action" in support of the students.students.
Although the Congress faced some dissension within its ranks, its leadership stood against additional linguistic states. As a result, defectors from the Congress, led by M. Chenna Reddy, founded the Telangana People's Association. In Parliament elections held in May 1971, Telangana Praja Samithi won 10 out 14 Parliament seats in Telangana.[25][26] Despite electoral successes, however, some of the new party leaders gave up their agitation in September 1971 after realizing that Prime Minister not inclined to towards Telangana, much to the chagrin of separatists, rejoined the safer political haven of the Congress ranks.
During this period, the Government promised to correct what critics saw as violation to Gentleman's agreement in jobs, budget allocations, educational facilities. Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi was strongly against the division of the state but on her recommendation, P. V. Narasimha Rao became first Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from Telangana on September 30, 1971.
In the year 1972, all candidates belonging to STPS under the leadership of M Sridhar Reddy contested the assembly elections, however, only Mr Thakkalapalli Purushothama Rao got elected from Wardhannapet constituency of Warangal District and rest were defeated. In 1969, Mr Purushotham Rao unveiled Telangana map in the state assembly.Purushotham Rao was for outright separation during the 1969 movement and he supported the student views.
At the end of 1972, when the Supreme Court upheld the Mulki rules, the very next day of the Judgement, Jai Andhra movement was started in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions protesting the protections mentioned in the Gentleman's agreement. P. V. Narasimha Rao had to resign as Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh on January 10, 1973. President's rule was declared in the state. Finally, a political settlement was arrived at under the aegis of the Central Government. A Six-Point Formula was agreed upon by the leaders of the two regions to prevent any recurrence of such agitations in future. The `Six-Point Formula' included (1) the abolition of Mulki rules and the Telangana Regional Committee (protections mentioned in the Gentleman's agreement) and (2) the establishment of a Central University at Hyderabad to augment educational facilities. (3) In regards to jobs, state divided into six zones, within the framework of three regions, namely, Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, and Telangana (Zone V, and Zone VI) with Hyderabad under Zone VI. Each zone should prefer local candidates for state government jobs. However according to GOM, the regions were rezoned with Zone I,II,III Coastal Andhra, Zone IV Rayalaseema, Zone V,VI Telangana.
Movement in 1990-2004
The emotions and forces generated by the movement in 1969 were not strong enough, however, for a continuing drive for a separate state until 1990s when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), promised a separate Telangana state if they came to power. BJP created Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarkhand states in year 2000 as promised. But the BJP could not create a separate Telangana state because of the opposition from its coalition partner, Telugu Desam Party. These developments brought new life into the separatist Telangana movement by year 2000. Congress party MLAs from the Telangana region, supported a separate Telangana state and formed the Telangana Congress Legislators Forum. In another development, a new party called Telangana Rashtra Samithi (or TRS), led by Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), was formed with the single point agenda of creating a separate Telangana state, with Hyderabad as its capital.
Grievances of Telangana proponents
Telangana is the largest single region of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh state covering 41.47% of its total area, is inhabited by 40.54% of the state’s population, contributes about 76% to the state’s revenues (excluding central government contribution). From Central govt: 19.86%, From Telangana: 61.47% (including 37.17% from Hyderabad), From Andhra: 14.71, From Rayalaseema: 3.90%.
Among others, alleged injustices in water, budget allocations, jobs are the grievances cited by Telangana proponents. Telangana supporters cite that the majority of water supply is from the Telangana region, yet canal irrigation disproportionately benefits the Coastal Andhra region with relative underdevelopment of Telangana. In addition, the share of education funding for Telangana ranges from 9.86% in government aided primary schools to government degree colleges which has a share of 37.85%. Above numbers includes the expenditure in Capital Hyderabad. In addition, budget allocations to Telangana are generally less than 1/3 of total Andhra Pradesh budget. In addition, there are allegations that the Telangana budget is being misappropriated. Telangana proponents cite that only 20% of total Government employees, less than 10% employees in secretariat, less than 5% of head of the departments in Andhra Pradesh are from Telangana, while those from other regions make up the bulk of employment. Andhra Pradesh was represented by Telangana chief ministers for only 6-1/2 years out of over five decades of its existence, with no chief minister from the region being in power continuously for more than 2-1/2 years.
Proponents of a separate Telangana state feel all the agreements, accords, formulas, plans and assurances on the floor of legislature and Lok Sabha, in last 50+ years, could not be honoured and Telangana was forced to remain neglected, exploited and backward. They allege that the experiment to remain as one state proved to be a futile exercise and therefore, separation is found to be the best solution.
2004 and later
In 2004, for Assembly and Parliament elections, the Congress party and the TRS had an electoral alliance in the Telangana region with the promise of a separate Telangana State.[50] Congress came to power in the state and formed a coalition government at the centre. TRS joined the coalition government in 2004 and was successful in making a separate Telangana state a part of the common minimum program (CMP) of the coalition government.[51] In September 2006, TRS withdrew support from the Congress led coalition government at the centre on the grounds of alleged indecision by the government over the delivery of its electoral promise to create Telangana
2004 and later
In 2004, for Assembly and Parliament elections, the Congress party and the TRS had an electoral alliance in the Telangana region with the promise of a separate Telangana State.[50] Congress came to power in the state and formed a coalition government at the centre. TRS joined the coalition government in 2004 and was successful in making a separate Telangana state a part of the common minimum program (CMP) of the coalition government. In September 2006, TRS withdrew support from the Congress led coalition government at the centre on the grounds of alleged indecision by the government over the delivery of its electoral promise to create Telangana.
In December 2006, the TRS won the by-election to the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency with a record margin. The TRS continued to pressure for the creation of aTelangana state in 2008.
All TRS legislators in Parliament and in the State (4 MPs, 16 MLAs, 3 MLCs) resigned in the 1st week of March 2008 and forced by-elections to increase the pressure on Congress party to take action.
By-elections for the 16 MLA seats, 4 MP seats were held May 29, 2008. During the election campaign, the TRS party said it is a referendum on a Telangana state but both Congress and TDP parties said it is not a referendum on Telangana and also said that they are not opposed to the formation of Telangana state. To the disappointment of Telangana proponents, the TRS retained only 7 out of 16 MLA seats and 2 out of 4 MP seats after the by-elections.
In June 2008, Devender Goud, who is considered number two in the TDP, a politbureau member and Deputy Leader of the Telugu Desam Legislature Party, resigned from the party saying he would devote his time and energy to the formation of a separate Teelangana state. In July 2008, Mr Goud along with some other leaders like Mr. E Peddi Reddy formed a new party called Nava Telangana Praja Party or NTPP.
On 9 October 2008, in a historical turnaround from its 26-year history TDP announced its support for the creation of Telangana.
Konda Laxman Bapuji of the Nava Telangana Party announced that "We solemnly declare statehood for Telangana on November 2, 2008."
[edit] 2009 and later
In February 2009 the state government declared that it had no objection, in principle, to the formation of separate Telangana and that the time had come to move forward decisively on this issue. To resolve issues related to it the government constituted a joint house committee.
Ahead of the 2009 General Elections in India, all the major parties in Andhra Pradesh supported the formation of Telangana. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) again announced that they would create two more states, Telangana and Gorkhaland, if they won the election. The Congress Party still says it is committed to Telangana statehood,but claims Muslim minorities are opposed to creation of separate state along with majority of people. Some analysts, however, feel that the "Muslim reluctance card" has been deftly played by then Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who is staunchly opposed to the formation of the new state.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had promised to work for Telangana statehood. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) joined a Mahakutami (or grand alliance) with TDP and left parties to defeat the Congress party for denying statehood for Telangana.
The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), newly founded by film star Chiranjeevi, supported Telangana statehood. Nava Telangana Party merged with PRP after it realized that there is not enough political space for two sub-regional Telangana parties with Telananga statehood as main agenda.
Congress returned to power both at center and state. In AP, Congress won 154 out of 294 MLA seats and 33 out of 42 MP seats. Within Telangana, Congress won 50 out of 119 MLA seats and 12 out of 17 MP seats.
In September 2009, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) died in a helicopter crash while flying in bad weather.
On November 29, 2009, the TRS president, K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) started a fast-unto-death demanding that the Congress party introduce a Telangana bill in the Parliament. He was arrested by the government of Andhra Pradesh.Student organizations, employee unions and various organizations joined the movement. Telangana strikes shut down Telangana on Dec 6th and 7th. Student organizations planned a massive rally at the state Assembly on Dec 10th. Government warned that the rally did not have permission and deployed police troops through out Telangana. The apparent decline in KCR's health led to a sense of urgency to take a decision on the issue of Telangana statehood.
Proposed Telangana state formation process
2004 to 2009
For the 2004 Assembly and Parliament elections, the Congress party and the TRS had an electoral alliance in the Telangana region that promised a separate Telangana State. Congress came to power in the state and formed a coalition government at the centre; TRS joined the coalition and was successful in making a separate Telangana state a part of the common minimum programme of the coalition government. In April 2006 the then Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy categorically said that the state would remain united. In September 2006 TRS withdrew support from the coalition government because of their failure to deliver on their promise to create an independent Telangana state.
In December 2006 the TRS won a by-election to the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency with a margin of 2.01 lakh votes.
TRS and Congress leaders from Telangana continued their fight for the creation of a Telangana state in 2008. All TRS legislators in Parliament and in the State (4 MPs, 16 MLAs, and 3 MLCs) resigned in the first week of March 2008 and forced by-elections to increase pressure on the Congress party to take action. By-elections for the 16 MLA seats and the 4 MP seats were held on 29 May 2008. During the election campaign, the TRS party called the by-election a referendum on a Telangana state. The Congress and TDP parties said it is not a referendum on Telangana, and said that they were not opposed to the formation of Telangana state. The TRS retained only 7 out of the 16 MLA seats and 2 out of the 4 MP seats as a result of these by-elections.
In June 2008, Tulla Devender Goud, a politbureau member and Deputy Leader of the Telugu Desam Party, resigned from the party, saying he would devote his time and energy to the formation of a separate Teelangana state. In July 2008, Goud and other leaders such as E. Peddi Reddy formed a new party called Nava Telangana Praja Party (NTPP).
On 9 October 2008 the TDP announced its support for the creation of Telangana.
Konda Laxman Bapuji of the Nava Telangana Party announced that "We solemnly declare statehood for Telangana on November 2, 2008."
2009
In February 2009 the state government declared that it had no objection, in principle, to the formation of separate Telangana and that the time had come to move forward decisively on this issue. To resolve related issues, the government constituted a joint house committee.
In the lead-up to the 2009 General Elections in India, all the major parties in Andhra Pradesh supported the formation of Telangana. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) again announced that they would create two more states, Telangana and Gorkhaland, if they won the election. The Congress Party said it was committed to Telangana statehood, but claimed that Muslim minorities were opposed to the creation of separate state, along with the majority of the people. The MIM party and Muslim leaders within Congress felt that the new state would jeopardize the interests of minorities, the safety and welfare of Muslims, and the future of the Urdu language.
The Telugu Desam Party promised to work for Telangana statehood. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) joined a Mahakutami ("grand alliance") with the TDP and other parties to defeat the Congress party for denying statehood.
The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), founded in August 2008 by film star Chiranjeevi, pledged support to Telangana statehood if it becomes inevitable. The Nava Telangana Praja Party announced that it would merge with PRP after it concluded that there was not enough political space for two sub-regional Telangana parties that had Telananga statehood as their main agenda, Devender Goud later quit PRP and returned to the Telugu Desam Party.
In the 2009 elections, Congress returned to power both at the center and state. It won 154 out of 294 Assembly seats and 33 out of 42 Parliament seats. Within Telangana, Congress won 50 out of 119 Assembly seats and 12 out of 17 Parliament seats.
On 29 November 2009 TRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) started a fast-unto-death, demanding that the Congress party introduce a Telangana bill in Parliament. He was arrested by the government of Andhra Pradesh. Student organizations, employee unions, and various organizations joined the movement.General strikes shut down Telangana on 6 and 7 December. Student organizations planned a massive rally at the state Assembly on 10 December. The government warned that the rally did not have permission and deployed police troops throughout Telangana. The apparent decline in KCR's health led to a sense of urgency to the issue.
Proposed Telangana state formation process
On 9 December 2009, Union Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram announced that the Indian government would start the process of forming a separate Telangana state, pending the introduction and passage of a separation resolution in the Andhra Pradesh assembly. KCR ended his 11-day fast, saying from his hospital bed that this was a "true victory of the people of Telangana."
Pro-Telangana supporters celebrated the central government decision, while those from the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions (Andhra region) protested. Within a short time of the Home Minister's declaration, MLAs from the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions submitted their resignations in protest. By 16 December, at least 147 legislators (including Praja Rajyam Founder Chiranjeevi) and many Members of Parliament had resigned. 22 Ministers from the State Cabinet, all from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, submitted their resignations.
On 16 December, there was a split in the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) over the Telangana issue, with its leader Chiranjeevi as well as 16 out of 18 party MLAs (the remaining 2 hailed from Telangana) opposing the division of Andhra Pradesh, while Telangana leaders in the party were unhappy with the shift in the party's views.
On 23 December, the Government of India announced that no action on Telangana will be taken until a consensus is reached by all parties. The TRS reacted by calling for another general strike on 24 December 2009, an action aimed at stalling the regional economy.
A Joint Action Committee (JAC) was formed with the pro-separation members of the major political parties. There were reports that members of the JAC had widely divergent approaches on the issue of a separate Telangana.Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region MLAs started withdrawing their resignations while MLAs and ministers from Telangana started submitting their resignations, and demanded that the Centre take immediate steps to initiate the process of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. The Home minister conducted an all-party meeting on 5 January to elicit views of all parties in the State. On the advice of Congress party's central leadership, all of the Ministers from Telangana withdrew their resignations. Rallies, hunger strikes, and suicides continued throughout Telangana to protest against the delay in bifurcating the State. The all-party Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) started relay hunger strikes and threatened the resignations of all legislators on 28 January, demanding that the Centre spell out its intentions and create a timetable for change. Union minister for Home Affairs P Chidambaram announced on 28 January that a Committee to examine the demand for a separate Telangana would be announced in a week. On 3 February the government announced the five-member committee that would look into the issue.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee said the agitations would continue until a Bill was passed in Parliament. On 3 February, the JAC organized human chain a distance of 500 kilometres (310 mi) from north to south in Telangana. Organizers claimed its longest human chain in India.
The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind supported a separate Telangana state with the slogan "Justice for Telangana and Telangana for Justice" under the leadership of Malik Motasim Khan. The Jamaat, with its student wing Students Islamic Organisation of India, organised a rally at Nizam College grounds on 7 February 2010
On 12 February, the central government announced Terms of Reference to the Srikrishna Committee, with a deadline of 31 December 2010. Telangana-JAC rejected the terms of reference saying that it "undid" the Union home minister's statement of December 9 in New Delhi.
All ten TRS MLAs, one TDP MLA, and one BJP MLA insisted that the speaker of Assembly accept their resignations. The rest of the Telangana MLAs withdrew their resignations.
On 16 February, Congress legislators from the Telangana region resigned from the Joint Action Committee due to "unilateral actions by KCR.".
The SKC compiled information which indicates that between 30 November 2009 and 27 February 2010, 313 Telangana people committed suicide over the delay in the formation of Telangana state.
The Srikrishna Committee solicited suggestions and views from political parties, social organisations, and other stakeholders on 21 February. The committee received over 60,000 petitions by the deadline of 10 April. The committee began personal interactions with the various stakeholders, including the political parties, starting on 16 April. The committee met with the leaders of TRS, PRP, CPI, MIM, TDP,and various organizations from throughout Andhra Pradesh.
On 6 July, Telangana congress legislators and ministers met with the Srikrishna committee and made arguments in favor of the formation of Telangana state.
All the Telangana MLAs who resigned in protest in February were re-elected in by-elections on 27 July 2010 with huge majorities. Congress and TDP candidates who decided to contest the elections, ignoring the appeal of JAC,lost their deposits by obtaining less than one-sixth of the votes in many constituencies. TDP candidates lost their deposits in all constituencies.
In a report submitted to the Srikrishna Committee, ministers from Seema-Andhra region stated that the demand for separate Telangana under grounds of self-respect and self-rule is anti-national and will sow seeds for disintegration of the country. They said that all the districts of Telangana were well-developed between 1992 and the present. This statement evoked strong protests in Telangana and demands for the dismissal of those ministers. In a report dated 9 August, the central government declared 13 districts in AP are backward, and 9 out of 10 Telangana districts are backward.
On 16 December 2010, two weeks before the deadline for the submission of the Srikrishna report, TRS organized a public meeting in Warangal. It was estimated that 1.2 to 1.5 million people attended this meeting. News reports said that even more would have attended, but they were stranded on the roads due to traffic jams reaching between 20 kilometres (12 mi) to 35 kilometres (22 mi) along roads leading to Warangal city.Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K. Chandrasekhar Rao appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to note that the people of Telangana were losing patience. He demanded that the Centre introduce the Bill on Telangana in the next session of Parliament.
The Srikrishna committee on Telangana submitted its report in two volumes to the Home Ministry of India on 30 December 2010. The home Ministry announced that it would hold talks with all eight recognized political parties of Andhra Pradesh on 6 January 2011 and make the report public on the same day.
Srikrishna Committee report
In an all-party meeting on 6 January 2011, which was boycotted by the TRS, BJP and TDP, the Home ministry made the 505-page Srikrishna committee report public. Section 9-3 (page 440) of the report discusses six solutions.
Committee's preferred option is Keeping the State united by simultaneously providing certain definite constitutional and statutory measures for socio-economic development and political empowerment of Telangana region through the creation of a statutorily-empowered Telangana Regional Council. Committee's secon best option is # Bifurcation of the State into Telangana and Seemandhra as per existing boundaries, with Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana and Seemandhra to have a new capital.
After the report
Telangana leaders rejected the recommendations of the Sri Krishna committee report and insisted on the formation of a separate Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital.
Pro-Telangana student protesters set an RTC bus and a police vehicle on fire, and broke windowpanes of at least eight buses. They hurled stones, forcing police to use teargas to disperse the mobs. The stone throwing resulted in injuries to many policemen, including an Additional DCP (District Commissioner of Police). Some activists also damaged the statue of Potti Sriramulu at Vanasthalipuram junction in Hyderabad after alleged remarks by Ongole MP on KCR.
Criticism of the Sri Krishna Committee report includes that it compared regions (Seema-Andhra vs Telangana), not people (Seema-Andhrites vs Telanganites). The state government did not or could not provide all the data the committee asked for; they had only 10 years worth of data.
The Telangana JAC steering committee, comprising experts from different fields, studied the Sri Krishana Committee report and came to the conclusion that the report was a " bunch of lies", while proponents of the United State Movement, including Samaikhya Andhra JAC and the Praja Rajyam party, welcomed the recommendations of the committee. The MIM party was disappointed because their favoured options of maintaining the status quo (Option 1) or bifurcate as Rayala-Telanagana (Option 3) were rejected by the committee.
Economist and former Planning Commission member C.H. Hanumantha Rao said that the Srikrishna Committee's recommendations are at variance with its own analysis. He said the committee did not study the reasons for the failures of earlier protections, and how future protections will do justice to Telangana. He said that even while the committee's own analysis and data supports the formation of an independent Telangana, it only recommended this as the second-best option.
Protests in Telangana continue in the form of strikes, hunger strikes, suicides, giving petitions and roses to public officials, and the boycotting of public events. The state government's RacchaBanda program (which promises social benefits for everyone) in Telangana has been obstructed by protesters and had to be conducted by using the police, who used preventative arrests and other measures. In some areas, the programme had to be cancelled due to uncontrollable protests. Telangana proponents boycotted this program, saying it was intended to dilute the pro-Telangana agitation. KCR, in a meeting in Hyderabad, in a attempt to ridicule Andhra people who say they taught how to make Biryani to Telangana people, allegedly remarked that Andhra Biryani tasted like cow dung triggering protests.
A movie called Jai Bolo Telangana based on the Telangana movement received censor clearance only after protests by Telangana supporters.
Journalist Kuldip Nayar said that if the state is divided, development will take a back seat. He remarked that Andhra Pradesh could achieve rapid economic growth only if it remains united.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev supported the demand for a separate Telangana state and warned the centre that the movement may turn violent if there is a delay in the formation of the state. Another Hindu guru, Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, supported the Telangana demand when his stance was sought by some students.
8th Chapter of Sri Krishna committee Report
On March 23, 2011, Justice L Narasimha Reddy of Andhra Pradesh high court ordered central government to make contents of 8th chapter of Sri Krishna Committee, so called 'secret report'. Justice in his 60 page judgement said "The Committee travelled beyond the terms of reference in its endeavour to persuade the Union of India not to accede to the demand for Telangana". The judgement (in para 75, 80 94) also quoted the SKC report's 8th chapter which advised central govt on how to manage Telangana political parties, how to manage Telangana public opinion using local media virtually owned by Seema-Andhra industrialists and what kind of law and order methods to be used. The justice further said(in para 103) "The maneuver suggested by the Committee in its secret supplementary note poses an open challenge, if not threat, to the very system of democracy."
Telangana JAC and Telangana leaders from all political parties demanded prosecution of Sri Krishna Committee members.[232][233] Telangana leaders asked for legal action on the committee members for projecting “illusionary threats” if Telangana became a separate state and for colluding with Seemandhra leaders to suppress the Telangana movement.Telangana leaders were complaining about Sri Krishna committee's integrity since its member secretary attended party hosted by Seema-Andhra leaders in November 2010.
A Telangana lecturers' forum was organised by the JAC toured Telangana to create awareness of the need for introduction of a Telangana bill and to prepare people for the upcoming non-cooperation movement.
On 26 April, a division bench comprising the Chief Justice of the AP high court has stayed the order of Justice L Narasimha Reddy who had directed the Centre to make public the secret Chapter.
Non-cooperation movement
On February 17, 2011 noncooperation movement was started and it last for 16days which was participated by 300,000 government employees and caused Rs 8 billion per day in revenue to government.
In February and March, Assembly session was boycotted for weeks and Parliament session was disrupted for several days by Telangana representatives.
Million March 2011
Miilion March was organized by Telangana JAC in Hyderabad on March 10, 2010. In a move to disrupt the march, police shutdown arrested over hundred thousand activists through out the region and closed down entry to Hyderabad city, stopped transaportation service, traffic was diverted and no one was allowed to areas close to the venue 50 to 100 thousand people reached venue by hoodwinking police and organized the march. . Some Telangana activists damaged 16 statues of personalties hailed form Seema-Andhrarepresenting Telugu culture language on Tank Bund, the venue. They threw some of the remnants into the lake. Top leaders of all political parties in the state including KCR and various organizations condemned the vandalism.
April–July 2011
Fearing law & order problem due to violence similar to the Million March incident, State police refused to give permission to TRS to hold their formation day public meeting in Parade grounds in Hyderabad. In spite of the personal request to Union defence minister A K Antony by KCR, the defence ministry turned down the request as the party could not get police clearance.
Telangana political parties and organizations vowed to intensity the movement in May which was in suspended last 2 months due to students examinations. TRS party also threatened to include a 'boycott' of the academic year at all levels in the entire Telangana region. Students of the Osmania University also had their summer vacation cancelled to conduct classes during the summer vacation and make up for the loss caused to academic activities due to Telangana agitation on the campus till March this year. A series of violent incidents on the campus had forced the university administration to postpone several exams. Congress party's leadership also reportedly said they will take decision on Telangana after assembly elections concluding on May 10.
The state government sanctioned Rs 75 lakh for repair and re-installation of statues on Tank Bund, demolished during the Million March programme. Along with installation of the 16 statues, another new statue of social activist from Telangana, Komaram Bheem, would also be installed.
After the State Assembly Elections, it was reported that the Congress will wait till 2013 to announce a decision on Telangana issue. Sources also reported that the Central government has decided against creation of Telangana state and will instead announce a Political & Economic package to the region including Deputy CM post for a leader from the region & also granting national status to the Pranahitha Chevella project. Any attempt at agreeing for the separate T demand was felt will make things difficult for Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal as a similar demand for Gorkhaland in that state can intensify into a big agitation.
Both TJAC & the Telangana Congress leaders set fresh deadlines to renew their agitation. While the TJAC threatened another Million March and bandhs starting June 10, the Congress MPs have decided to wait till June 25 and resign if separate statehood is not achieved by then.After this deadline, instead of resigning from their positions, they set another deadline till July 5 after which they vowed to launch an indefinite hunger strike.
As a solution to the Telangana problem, Congress has implemented a clause in the Gentlemen Agreement by appointing Damodar Raja Narasimha a Dailt leader from the Telangana region as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
In a unique form of protest, people from all walks of life came together on Hyderabad's roads on June 19 on a call given by Telangana JAC for 'vanta vaarpu' or a cook-and-eat agitation to demand a separate Telangana state. While various groups made arrangements on a massive scale for cooking food on roads, families set up small kitchens with gas stoves.
Resignations of almost all Telangana representatives
On July 4, 2011 as many as 81 of 119 Telangana MLAs in the state, 12 out of 15 Telangana ministers in state, 13 out of 17 Telangana MPs in Lok Sabha, 1 Rajyasabha MP(Congress), 20 MLCs resigned protesting delay in the formation of Telangana. Resigned included 42 out of 50 ruling Congress party's MLAs from Telangana, 9 out of 12 ruling Congress party MPs in Lok Sabha from Telangana. JAC did not ask for the resignations of 12 Telangana MLAs who resigned in February 2010 on this issue and got re-elected in bye-elections in July 2010.
3 MPs (2 from Congress) elected from the greater Hyderabad region(Hyderabad district and most of Ranga Reddy district) have not yet responded to JAC's call for resignations. 10 out of 14 congress MLAs from Greater Hyderabad region resigned. 13 out of 25 MLAs from greater Hyderabad region resigned. 1MP and 7MLAs belongs to MIM who elected from Hyderabad region did not resign.
On July 5, MLAs from TRS(11), BJP(2), CPI(4), Congress(2) resigned took the total of Telangna MLAs resigned to 100 out of 118(1 vacant). Except 18 MLAs; MIM(7), Congress(9) (including two ministers, Deputy speaker and Deputy CM) CPM(1), Lok Satta(1); the rest of the Telangana MLAs have resigned in support of Telangana state formation. Asaduddin Owaisi, president of MIM also met the Chief Minister to reiterate their stand that his party prefers a united state citing Muslim interest & safety. He also said, if Telangana state is formed, Hyderabad should be part of Telangana. Zaheer Ali Khan, managing editor of Urdu paper, Siasat, says "The MIM disfavours Telangana, but the larger Muslim sentiment in the city is in favour of a separate state,".
As part of the 2 day bandh declared by the JAC in Telangana region, agitators stopped IT professionals from attending work in some instances. The Telangana Advocates Joint Action Committee (TAJAC) threatened that people who do not support separate statehood of Telangana will not be permitted to stay in Hyderabad. The panchayati raj minister, Mr K. Jana Reddy, also warned the Congress central leadership that if it doesn’t take any decision on the state bifurcation issue soon, the state will face a law and order problem, including largescale violence in both the regions which will continue for many more years to come.
The South Central Railway suffered Rs. 50 crores loss due to rail roko campaign launched by the TRS & JAC.. The high court also issued notices to KCR & Prof. Kodandaram in this regard.. There were a total of 8 bandhs in 27 working days between June 13 and July 14.
On July 11, 200 Telangana students started indefenite hunger strike protesting the delay in Telangana state formation. 120 of them ended the strike after 2days and the rest after 4days due to ill health and on the request of Telangana JAC. Though the original plan was to make 10,000 students sit on hunger strike, less than 150 turned up and only 50 managed to remain till evening. Even the initial rush was accounted to "visitors" and not those who were willing to sit on the fast.
On July 13 and 14, resigned Telangana Congress representatives(MPs, MLAs, MLCs) were on hunger strike due to their party's central leadership's silence on Telangana issue even after their resignations.
On July 20, 30-year-old Yadi Reddy was found dead 100 yards from Parliament House in Delhi. An eight-page suicide note says the young driver from greater Hyderabad region of Telangana was upset over the government not creating a new state for his homeland. He goes to Delhi all the way from Hyderabad just to commit suicide. Suicide letter addresses Prime minister and ruling Congress party president.Telangana JAC called for road blockade on July 21 though out Telangana in memory of him. Telangana representatives, including those from ruling party, requested the in-charge of state owned guest house in Delhi, AP Bhavan, to house the deadbody so that the they can pay last respects to Telangana martyr, but it was denied. The officer wrote a letter to Delhi police that Yadi Reddy's body should not be allowed in AP Bhavan and instead should be directly sent to the cremation ground after post-mortem. Protesting against the "lack of respect" shown for "Telangana Martyr", TRS leaders including MLAs and former MPs got violent in the AP Bhavan in Delhi. Harish Rao & KTR also assaulted a government officer. This led to protests from Dailt leaders who condemned the attack on a Dailt officer by Harish Rao.The officer who was slapped says that Mr Rao later apologised to him; he also said he wrote the letter under instructions from higher officials. Amid tight security, the body was airlifted from Delhi to Hyderabad and was moved to his native village after arresting scores of Telangana supporters who want to bring the body in procession to Telangana martyr's memorial.Telangana JAC called for Telangana shutdown on July 22 to protest the insult to Telangana Martyr. The bandh call drew mixed response from people with about 80% buses running in the Greater Hyderabad region. There was also an attack on the farmhouse of a TDP MLA. At least 12 RTC buses worth `8 crore were damaged in the city and around 638 persons were taken into preventive custody and 41 cases were booked under Section 151 of CrPc. Four cases were registered against agitators for attacks on private and government properties.
The speaker of the AP assembly on July 23 summarily rejected the resignations of all 101 MLAs citing that they were made in an emotionally surcharged atmosphere. The T Congress leaders then set another deadline till July 31 to continue with their agitations. All Telangana MPs who earlier submitted their resignations and were boycotting the parliament session also decided to attend the parliament monsoon session citing Sonia Gandhi's ill health.
KCR also remarked in his speech that he would rather die consuming poison than facing the humilation if separate state is not created.. This statement was criticized by many leaders suggesting that this will provoke youth to commit suicides.
In a protest seeking deletion of 14(f) section from presidential order, TRS youth wing leaders tore pages of the state song in government text books and made a bonfire of them.
On August 5, Leader of opposition in Parliament, Sushma Swaraj, in her 30 minute long speach, talked about Telangana movement in last 55years, criticized the government for the delay in the formation of Telangana and criticized the Sri Krishna committee report saying it done injustice to the people of Telangana. She read the suicide letter of Yadi Reddy who committed suicide on July 20 near Parliament protesting the delay in the formation of Telangana.
On September 8,2011 a World record breaking number of Postcards were sent by the youth and students of Ramagundam - Godavarikhani Town Area to the Prime Minister of India, Dr.Manmohan Singh demanding immediate formation of Telangana State with Hyderabad as its capital. A total of 15095 postcards were sent in 12 different languages creating a new World record of sending most number of postcards on a single day from a single location in an event organized by the members of FCI YUWA - Fertilizer City Youth Welfare Association.
All People's strike
ON September 12, 2011, a day before Sakala Janula Samme(All people's strike), TRS organized a public meeting in Karimnagar which was attended by Telangana JAC leaders, BJP and New Democracy party leaders. Over million people attended the meeting. Starting September 13, as part of 'strike by all section of people' supporting Telangana statehood, government exployees through out Telangana stayed out of work affecting government offices through out the region. Lawyers started boycotting courts. Strike by 60,000 coal miners of Singareni Collieries(SCCL Ltd.) threatened power supplies through out South India unless they end the strike soon. Employee unions said they will not stop the strike until the formation of Telangana state. On September 14 and 15, all the 450 movie Theaters in Telangana were closed at the call given by Telangana film chamber. Starting September 16, government teachers joined the strike. Private school managements declared one day holday in support of the strike. On September 19, state road transport corporation employees and state electricity board employees in Telangana joined the indefinite strike. On a call given by JAC, road blockades on national highways throughout Telangana disrupted transport services. Transport services further paralyzed in Telangana due to rail blockade by JAC and due to the strike of auto rikshaw union on September 24 and 25.]Virtually all sections of people joined this strike. On September 30, as the strike enter 18th day, even while Congress central leadership meeting several Telangana congress leaders, JAC called a bundh in Hyderabad city.
Books on Telangana movement
- Telangana the struggle and betrayal: My Autobiography by K V Ranga Reddy[6]
- Battleground Telangana: Chronicle of an Agitation by Kingshuk Nag
- Telangana: The State of Affairs by M. Bharath Bhushan and N. Venugopal
