Sri Aurobindho

"...
Yet thine own self a little understand,
Unhappy country, and be wise at length." - Sri. Aurobindho.

Oh my dear country! why are you so unhappy? What ails you so deep and why are you rotting inside and suffering so much?

Awake, my dear country, awake. Awake to your own potential and awake to your own strength. Look inside you. Ages and ages of glory that was your past, awake to that.  Understand your own self, and see the effulgent inner light that shines forth in its pristine glory.  Let the flood gates open to illuminate the flowery path ahead. 

Shed the cloak of darkness and you shall find brilliant light that you are. You will find peace and will be eternally blissful, forever.

Awake, my dear country, awake to light within you!

Mid Path?

As most of the netizens probably are born much after the independence, it might help to recount what happened during independence. When British were running India, there were three types of territories within what is today known as Indian sub-continent. A) Areas fully controlled and ruled by British empire -- called british India B) Those that were independent entities but the British had the suzerainty over them - called princely states and C) The areas ruled by non-British countries such as Portuguese, Dutch etc...

When the English left India, they had transferred the control over British India fully to Indian/Pakistan governments but gave three options to the so called independent kingdoms or princely states as they were popularly called then I) to accede to India or II) to accede to Pakistan or III) to remain independent. Sardar Vallabhai Patel took the humongous task of integrating the 550+ princely states that were existing as independent nations within the boundary of today's India, through many different means such as allurement, coercion, and even by military action. Although many of them were small states ruled by chieftains and small time kings, some were really large such as Bhopal, Baroda, Jaisalmar, Mysore, Hyderabad etc...but in the end most states acceded to India. Three states need to be mentioned here though...Kashmir - a Muslim majority country ruled by a Hindu king, Junagadh in present day Gujarat and Hyderabad - both Hindu majority countries but ruled by muslim kings. We know the history of Kashmir, but many of us don't know that both Junagadh and Hyderabad wanted to cede to Pakistan, or remain independent. Junagadh king was thrown out by his own people and Hyderabad was annexed into Indian union through a limited army operation by Indian forces. This is where the first seeds of separatist sentiments developed in Telangana region. After the military operation, Hyderabad state was part of Indian union and the first ever general elections to the parliament and all the constituent states were held in 1952. And then came the states reorganisation and creation of states based on linguistics in 1956, combining and/or splitting in various ways many earlier states of Madras, Bombay, Travancore, Mysore, Hyderabad etc...portions of erstwhile Hyderabad state were merged with Karnataka, portions with Maharashtra and the remaining 10 districts - known today as the Telangana region, with Andhra Pradesh. (Even before states reorganisation committee came into existence, Andhra Pradesh was formed by splitting Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra districts from the then madras presidency in 1952).

If the fact that they were ruled by a different entity at the time of independence be the reason for creating separate state today, I am sure we will have to create 550+ states again. This is a dangerous trend. If earlier boundaries of kingdoms need to be redrawn today, where will we stop? Should we tear apart then the southern states to Kirshna Devaraya's Vijayanagara, Chera, Chola, Pandaya, Hoysala, Kakatheeya, Pallava, Chalukya boundaries? It just doesn't make sense. But, hey sense is the last thing you would expect from today’s politicians.

The current situation is very precarious for almost all political parties. TRS is clear on its stand. They want to establish themselves as unquestionable champions of Telangana and don’t care two hoots for the rest of Andhra Pradesh. Kirankumar Reddy is taking a pugilistic stance against his own party high command and the central government. Jaganmoham Reddy is screaming from rooftops that he will be satisfied with nothing less than a unified Andhra. All government employees unions are vociferous in their demand to keep the state united. But, what is essentially missing from this view point is that, united Andhra is possible, if and only if both parties agree to stay united. You cannot certainly force unity on one section of the populace that does not want to stay together come what may. It can certainly be argued that the minds of the people in Telangana area are totally poisoned and their hearts are filled with hatred and violence, fanned by self-centered politicians and vested interest groups over many years. But, that is besides the point. We are where we are, and we need only to look forward. This popular view taken by general public in Seema-andhra and the above mentioned political and employee groups’ is almost naive. It is clear to most of them that Andhra Pradesh may not stay united after 2014 assembly elections. If they keep quiet or agree for the division, in such a case, they have nothing to gain and everything to lose. So they take their stand clearly knowing what is up for grabs and what is at stake. It's like this: if you support the division, you can do politics only in Telangana, and if you oppose it, you can do politics only in residuary Andhra Pradesh. Given this ground reality, it is not difficult to figure why these political parties take such a stand.

One political party that seems to have some amount of balancing act going and trying to survive in both regions is the TDP headed by Chandra Babu Naidu. From the beginning he kept his policy as ambiguous as possible, with broad strokes and no details. He is still playing his cards close to his chest and has so far been able to keep people from both regions guessing. He is demanding 'sama nyayam' - i.e equal justice. He is neither saying divide Andhra Pradesh nor keep it united. The formula for sama-nyayam or what it means, is not elucidated anywhere by anyone of his party members or himself. All the other political players want him to either side with Separatists or Samaikyandhraites, so that his turf becomes clearer and it would be easy to take him on. But Chandra Babu is looking to keep his party rooted both in Telangana and the rest of Andhra Pradesh. Interestingly Chandra Babu Naidu has done a master stroke in taking his fast to Delhi. For the entire national media has gotten the gist of what's going on in Andhra Pradesh. And most importantly he has put some fear in the hearts of Congress men that BJP may not just let the bill pass, if it comes to that. That's a brilliant strategy.

It must also be noted that TDP is the party that was created for Telugu people and the address of Hyderabad, in the independent India, is clearly known only after Telugu Desam supremo N.T.Rama Rao assumed the office of chief minister in 1983. Until then, Hyderabad was not in the reckoning for anything, except for dusty streets around Charminar, ruins of Golkonda fort and the once famous Salarjung museum. During NTRs time and then during Chandra Babu Naidu’s regime, Hyderabad became one of the fastest developing cities in India, surpassing Bangalore and even Chennai on many fronts. It became a default destination for high-tech IT companies world over. That changed the shapes and fortunes of Andhra Pradesh and concentrated most of the state’s wealth in one or two districts around Hyderabad. State of the art international airport, beautiful Hussein Sagar tank, educational institutions reflecting international standards, manufacturing hubs, fabrications units -- just about everything was developed around Hyderabad. Telangana proponents saw in this a great opportunity to have the cake and eat it as well and the opponents their entire future dreamt and staked around one area, just going burst in thin air. That's where we are today. Doomed if you move ahead, and doomed if you don't.

Divided or unified Andhra? -  is the question that needs to be answered immediately. Either answer will disappoint a big section of people, so, I say "yes" to both. Division it is - 10 districts including Hyderabad, for anything less will be unacceptable to people of Telangana and I also say "unified Andhra", for anything less is unacceptable to Seema-andhra people.

I am sure you are wondering how is that going to be possible. No one can have the cake and eat it too. But here is my humble suggestion on how this could be made possible. Let there be a resolution in the assembly agreeing to carve out a state of Telangana with 10 districts including Hyderabad, with the following conditions...

I. State of Andhra Pradesh will be united and function as is only for the next 10 years (the same time frame proposed to keep Hyderabad as joint capital).

II. In the year 2024 Telangana and the rest of Andhra Pradesh will have separate assembly elections and will exist as two separate states.

III. With immediate effect the creation and construction of a new capital city around Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali area (i believe this to be the best location for the new capital) or any other suitable area and complete it within 10 years and ready to occupy in 2024 as the capital for residual Andhra Pradesh.

IV. Build power projects in Telangana region to make it self-sufficient in power by 2024

V.  Work out amicable water sharing formula without impacting farmers in either region.

VI. Whatever money required to build the new capital city and the infrastructure required for the same will be borne by the united Andhra Pradesh government and/or can be funded by central government, world bank or other international organisations, and the debts that may be outstanding in the beginning of year 2024 will be proportionately divided per capita between Telangana and the rest of Andhra Pradesh.

VII.   A special central cabinet ministry be setup to govern and oversee the above activities, although the planning and execution of the same be fully rested with state government or a committee.

VIII. There should be readiness on both groups of people to exchange few taluks or mandals across border districts, based on practical and/or administrative considerations. (Particularly where water ways or canals can create unnecessary hurdles)

IX.   Address all issues and concerns related to the government employees. 

These I feel could ease the pain of this rather difficult separation that could have well been avoided had the powers that be operated in a manner more conducive to India’s growth, development and well-being.

Also to note is that it no longer makes sense for the employee unions to say, we don't want to align with political parties. Ultimately, no matter what happens, it's the political parties that need to plan or implement a solution in a democracy. It may be okay to say, we will not join your agitation, for we don't want to get your colours painted on us, but if they want to come join us in our struggle we should be willing to accommodate them, and give them some minimal restrictions like, they should not castigate other parties and they shouldn't be talking about party politics etc....For it is essential to keep the communication channels open with all of them at all the times. By doing so, who knows, we may actually have Kirankumar Reddy, Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandra Babu Naidu on the same dais with Ashok Babu one day.

Plundering Politicians

Living in what i have considered a rather remote part of Andhra Pradesh - Nagalapuram Mandal, i have been keenly watching this Telangana Political drama play out over the last decade but more closely the past few years. Certainly i have been intrigued by the absolute unabashed pursuit of political gain by the powers that be. I have been ruminating over this for a considerable amount of time and some questions that keep coming back to haunt me arise from the lame reasoning provided. The questions are - what is development? If Telangana has been consciously shunned and is undeveloped then is the rest of Andhra developed? I want to share my perceptions on this - as a citizen of this country without any political affiliations or compulsions.

As i see it, the tangle is getting more complicated with each passing day. The latest twist to the tale arising out of the "all party meeting" called by the Central Government. What is weird about this latest call is that the central government wants all the parties to send them a letter indicating their stance before they come for a meeting. This to me appears to be cheap politicking -- certainly with Digvijay Singh kind of people being there even before the PM or HM sees the letter i am sure the press would have a copy. And then the whole thing will be reduced to a Tamasha by the some sections of the media. The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh is riddled with many issues and stumbling blocks, and the prevailing atmosphere in both regions of the state is not conducive for such a communication between political entities. Since they would be more keen on the vote bank rather than the real issues. Political representatives of all parties concerned and eminent individuals representing both regions must first set aside their narrow political motives and discuss the issues facing Andhra threadbare and within closed doors before letting it all go public. Knee jerk reactions or merely posturing for the gallery is not going to bring about much needed serious understanding of the situation and sensible, long-lasting solutions to the issues facing all of Andhra today.

Like i said right at the start, i am still clueless on the reasons for this bifurcation. The initial reasons clearly ascribed serious motive to destroy Telangana by the erstwhile politicians. With the agitators for a separate Telangana claiming that they were willfully cheated by the rest of Andhra and were neglected on purpose. This in itself seems to be a blatant conspiracy theory. However given that the politicians of the Telangana region over time saw it beneficial for their political aspirations, this idea only found a way to get more deeply ingrained in the minds of people in this belt. I truly believe that if only these people could visit the rest of Andhra they can see for themselves the reality and truth. Anyway much water has flown under the bridge and one cannot expect a time machine to go back. And the reality is that now irrespective of their age whether 8 years or 80 years the people of Telangana have been so riled up by the politicians they really seems to believe this dysfunctional story. I really wonder whether there can be such large scale apathy towards a region willfully implemented by "all" chief ministers and of "all" political parties so consistently. 

The more i watch the politicians of India today i am at a loss for words. There is also a strong inclination to believe that they no longer care for real facts or even look into them based on their consistent yelling and screaming behaviour. Many a times they appear more dramatic and cause more pandemonium than make sense or sound reasonable. The shouting TV matches with the loudest, most vociferous and violent ones subduing the sober, saner voices is a clear sample. The part that most worries me is that no serious debate has occurred in the state assembly or public forums on this issue.

The central Government appointed Shri.SriKrishna committee headed by a single judge Shri.SriKrisha was expected to get to the bottom of this muddle and submit a report. He has spent many months touring the entire state, meeting a host of eminent individuals from across the spectrum and had finally submitted a report to the Government. This report has so far not been discussed at length in any public forum by the concerned authorities. 

I understand that the crux of the matter is that this report completely demolishes the myth that Telangana was willfully ignored and also the myth that it is the most backward of all regions and all other political propaganda in its entirety. Not only that, Shri.Srikrishna goes on to add that there are infact regions in other parts of Andhra, which are more backward and underdeveloped . 

I am sure this must have been quite unexpected for the Separatist Telangana politicians. They started crying wolf and based their division request on "Atma gouravam" and their "Mano bhavam". This "Mano bhavam" to begin with was brought about by spreading lies and infusing hatred and separatist feelings in the hearts of Telangana people, now the request is that since we have already made up our minds, our sentiments must be respected and so the division must happen....essentially " tear & throw the srikrishna report in the dustbin" - in popular parlance. 

This Mano bhavam - or the finer-sentiments of the people, was fuelled by every politician worth his/ her salt over the last 10 to 12 years. First it was the pure selfish interests of KCR and his wanting to prove a point and create space for himself and his family in the political arena, after he was miffed with Chandra Babu Naidu for not giving him a ministerial berth. It was followed by the then opposition leader YS Rajashekar Reddy in 2004, wanting to dethrone TDP and reinstate congress back to power after a gap of two terms, aligned with TRS - floated by KCR promising a separate telangana. Five years later it was Chandra Babu Naidu's turn to join the bandwagon and align with TRS, in his desperate bid to recapture power and then after YSR died in a copter crash, it was Jagan reddy's turn to accept the sentiments of the telangana and accept the division if telangana people so desired it. So every party, including the communists have taken one stand or the other based on their political alignments. The fact of the matter is none of these politicians ever thought, that this division will really happen. They all believed, that nobody will be foolish enough to  venture into such a mess. But all of them underestimated the ways of the congress party and their unabashedly shameless lusty zeal for power.

And then, out of the blue, when most politicians were gearing up for elections both in state and center, just 6 months-away, at a time when it was least expected, came the CWC resolution, announcing the 10 northen districts including Hyderabad to be part of Telangana and the rest to remain as Andhra Pradesh. This announcement sent shock waves to almost the entire spectrum of people of Rayalaseema and coastal districts. Almost for about 24 hours, nobody knew how to react to this. The arrogance and audacity with which the congress party's central leadership had taken this decision is appalling to me. As if it is just a cake that they are cutting with complete disregard to the welfare of the people of one of the most prosperous and influential states in independent India. The party that was ruling for the last 10 years both at the center and the state suddenly found this opportune moment to react. So was commissioning the Shri.Srikrishna committee just a joke?

It is at this time, when the common people, didn't know what to do or how to express their voice, and were looking for somebody to show some leadership, that the government employees unions stepped in...although, their initial reaction was to protect the employees interests, within hours, they seem to have realised, it is larger than themselves, larger than their jobs, larger than their families... It is about every section of the society and their aspirations and their burning hearts. This struggle by AP government employees unions was so hugely successful because the common people, students, shop keepers, even rickshaw pullers, people from every walk of life, found their sentiments reflected and represented in the Samaikya Andhra struggle that Shri.Ashoka Babu and other leaders of the employees unions waged. The success despite minimum to nil coverage in national media. 

In the history of independent India, such a large scale struggle, for such a long period, with no political class leading from the front, is unheard of. Lakhs and lakhs of people poured out on the streets all over Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra right from Kakinada to Kalahasti from Vijayanagaram to Chandragiri. The entire state just stood still for 70 days. Nothing moved, except digvijaya singing his diatribes and sushil Kumar shinde continuing his barrage of careless statements. I wonder what it takes to be so arrogant and completely out of tune with reality. They refused to even acknowledge that there is a struggle going on in Andhra Pradesh and they refused to even listen to any of the agitating members. Instead, they were issuing veiled threats about invoking tesmaa and esmaa and asking the employees unions on how long they can continue to strike and that it will not make any difference to their decision. The unions have stood their ground, sacrificed their salaries, sacrificed their own and their family interests, for the welfare of the state. If not for those unions, in my view, telangana would have been formed and done with by now. If the process is getting delayed, or there is even a possibility of it being re-looked at, it is because of the AP Goverment employees unions. Whether the final outcome is Samaikya Andhrapradesh or Samanyayam, the credit will only go to the unions. We, as a state, owe this one to them. 

Similar to the unexpected and totally taken-by-surprise fashion of the Telangana separation announcement the angry outbursts of the Seemandhra people and the gritty struggle they have been putting up has also taken the fiddling neros at the Center by surprise. However true to their metal be it whatever the issue, they yell the loudest or they turn the media attention elsewhere or they simply wish it away - the congress government is making a gross mistake here. The struggle is only burgeoning day by day - a struggle that was violence free. (Until the political class stepped in with a cabinet note further incensing the people)

So, where are the political parties today, what are their strategies. And is there a solution to this tangle...will write soon...