The question of granting Statehood to Telangana has now become only a matter of time and the sense that this column gets is that this is inevitable now. It is therefore a question of not if but when. There is the obvious weighing of options and the pros and cons of taking a decision to give or not to give Telangana. The reality on the ground is that there seems hardly any options left for the Congress led UPA government. Either let the status-quo prevail or the other thing is to quickly announce the granting of Statehood. The middle path option seems unviable at this juncture despite what the Srikrishna Commission report had suggested. The fact of the matter is also that both the major political parties including the Congress and BJP have already given support for a separate Telangana State. If this is the case, then why hesitate, especially for the Congress, when your mind is already made up. There is genuine concern that the present Congress led UPA government is dilly dallying on this important issue despite giving several assurances in the past. People in the region of Telangana are therefore obviously feeling cheated.
It may be mentioned that the first UPA government in its common minimum programme had given its support for a separate Telangana State. It is another matter that the Congress failed to abide by its commitment leading the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) to resign from the first UPA government at the Centre. In order to buy time they formed a committee under Pranab Mukherjee to study the demand for Statehood. Then all of a sudden, following an 11-day hunger strike by TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao and massive street protests across the region, the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram made a categorical statement that the process of state formation had begun. “The process of forming the state of Telangana will be initiated. An appropriate resolution will be moved in the state assembly,” said the statement read out by Chidambaram on the night of Dec 9, 2009. Then doing another turnaround the UPA government went back on its assurance once again and brought more time to form the Srikrishna committee. It is now almost six months since the committee submitted its report. According to the latest, the government is still in ‘consultation mode’ with P. Chidambaram telling the media that the Centre was yet to take a ‘final view on Telangana”.
After having listened to assurances, it is not surprising at all that cutting across party lines, people’s representatives (MPs and MLAs) from the region have decided to resign en-mass. What should also be taken into serious consideration is that there is a single voice emerging from the region for the one common goal of a Telangana State. The Centre cannot ignore this aspect of a people’s movement and the aspiration to live together under a single entity. As the TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao put it in proper perspective, the Prime Minister should “take immediate steps for formation of separate statehood”. “You have to implement the promise you made. The patience of Telangana people should not be tested any further”. As mentioned in the beginning the formation of separate Telangana is “unstoppable” andinevitable now as even the political leadership of the region has now come under one roof, united in purpose.
It may be mentioned that the first UPA government in its common minimum programme had given its support for a separate Telangana State. It is another matter that the Congress failed to abide by its commitment leading the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) to resign from the first UPA government at the Centre. In order to buy time they formed a committee under Pranab Mukherjee to study the demand for Statehood. Then all of a sudden, following an 11-day hunger strike by TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao and massive street protests across the region, the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram made a categorical statement that the process of state formation had begun. “The process of forming the state of Telangana will be initiated. An appropriate resolution will be moved in the state assembly,” said the statement read out by Chidambaram on the night of Dec 9, 2009. Then doing another turnaround the UPA government went back on its assurance once again and brought more time to form the Srikrishna committee. It is now almost six months since the committee submitted its report. According to the latest, the government is still in ‘consultation mode’ with P. Chidambaram telling the media that the Centre was yet to take a ‘final view on Telangana”.
After having listened to assurances, it is not surprising at all that cutting across party lines, people’s representatives (MPs and MLAs) from the region have decided to resign en-mass. What should also be taken into serious consideration is that there is a single voice emerging from the region for the one common goal of a Telangana State. The Centre cannot ignore this aspect of a people’s movement and the aspiration to live together under a single entity. As the TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao put it in proper perspective, the Prime Minister should “take immediate steps for formation of separate statehood”. “You have to implement the promise you made. The patience of Telangana people should not be tested any further”. As mentioned in the beginning the formation of separate Telangana is “unstoppable” andinevitable now as even the political leadership of the region has now come under one roof, united in purpose.
