The recent political developments about Telanga in my home state Andhra Pradesh left me amused and ashamed. It is not just for me but for many. Am tempted to include the so called 'educated class' too but I just can't as for some 'unknown weird' reason most of the student unions of colleges/universities were involved in this tamasha.
The basic fundamental issue for the demand of a separate Telanga state is because this region (except Hyderabad) was neglected in other words it is under developed by all the successive govt's that ruled AP till date. This is not a rocket science to understand as even a school going kid knows this universally acknowledge fact. So to avoid this problem what the govt, for that matter any govt is supposed to do. Simple - Develop the region. Give the region importance. Problem solved!!!
This reminds me of a classic case (when I was living in India - B'lore). In the year 2005, 'Belgaum' city in Karnataka sort of started to become a political tamasha. Maharashtra govt want to take away this city from Karnataka and for that matter majority people living in the city wants to go with Maharashtra as it was long neglected by the home state Karnataka. The then Chief Minister Kumaraswamy nipped this long standing issue in the bud. How? Simple. He gave long due - 'importance & development' to this city. What he did that solved the problem? He and his ministers started to concentrate on Belgaum by building a second state assemble there among other things. So that the winter assembly sessions happen there every year. End Result - City is immensely developed by all means and problem is solved. Now nobody talks about it any more. It was amazing to such a long standing issue getting resolved with an amazing strategy.
But whether this kind of thing ever happen in AP is a big question mark? KSR played his cards right by getting this issue out of the bag by cashing on a 'weak' CM after YSR demise. He also did his job to perfection of raking up the issue at the right time. In the process he intelligently involving all the student union along the way which further paralyzed the life in the state.
What other leaders did to stop this issue? Nothing. Absolutely Nothing. Unfortunately at this crucial juncture, I believe Chandra Babu Naidu instead of trying to solve the issue is looking for an opportunity to lead AP again (as he never had a chance when YSR was leading the state). So he is keeping quite not mincing a word about the issue, which is a huge disappointment and unfortunate for this opposition leader. The newly formed Praja Rajyam leader Chiranjeevi is another disappointment. Simply because he doesn't have a clue as what is happening around him. First he supported Telangana cause while contesting the elections. Now (after the elections) he changed his earlier stand and started gunning for 'united' Andhra. He looked stupid (@least to me) as in the meeting with the Home Minister recently in Delhi he highlighted the cause of cinema shootings and interruptions to movies in theaters by all the recent galata in the state rather than talking about the hardships faced by a common man. When all these things are happening and when the state is badly effected by the so called Dharnas/Bandhs, the 86 year old AP governor ND Tiwari is involved in a 'Sex' scandal. At this time, I could hear Chandra Babu Naidu load and clear gunning for his resignation. Wah! What can I say?
Ok now what the center can do to diffuse this situation. Again the answer is simple. It is not too late. Give the 'Telengana region' a 'special status'. Allocate funds to develop the region with immediate effect. Have a timeline of 1 year to see the developments and check on them regularly. This should surely send some positive signals and if this happens there is every possibility that the issue will never ever appear again. But it needs only one thing a POLITICAL WILL nothing else.
My 2 cents!!!
- Aaryan
