Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
TRS completes grand sweep, TD loses all deposits, Congress in 4 seats
(Courtesy : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/trs-completes-grand-sweep-td-loses-all-deposits-congress-4-seats-413)
It was a landslide victory for the Telangana Rashtra Samiti candidates in 11 out of 12 Assembly constituencies that went for by-polls in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on July 27. The 12th seat, Nizamabad-Urban, went to the TRS' ally, the BJP.
By early morning on Saturday when the results were announced at the end of a lengthy counting process that began on Friday, some of the TRS victors set new records in the state's electoral history.
For the first time in its political history, the Telugu Desam had to forfeit deposits in all the 12 Assembly segments while ruling Congress met with the same fate in four constituencies.
In Siddipet in Medak district, T. Harish Rao, nephew of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, set a new record by winning the by-election with a margin of 95,858 votes against his Congress rival Srinivas Goud. The Congress as well as the TDP, which stood third here, lost the deposits.
Harish Rao won from Siddipet for fourth consecutive time. his victory margin is said to be by far the largest margin ever recorded in the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Interestingly, the Medak district administration, led by collector S. Suresh Kumar, also set a record by completing the counting process in just over 90 minutes.
TRS candidate Gaddam Aravinda Reddy retained his Mancherial seat in Adilabad district with a record margin of 78,047 votes as against 13,827 he got in 2009.
Reddy's victory margin is the second largest after Harish Rao's in the bypolls. The Congress lost its deposit in Mancherial as well.
Koppula Easwar, another notable TRS candidate, improved his victory margin from modest 1,484 votes in 2009 to a staggering 58,891 to bag the Dharmapuri seat in Karimnagar district.
TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao's son K. Taraka Rama Rao secured a handsome margin of 44,642 votes in the by-election from Sircilla.
It is a sweet victory for Rama Rao this time in more ways than one as he scraped through with a margin of just 173 votes against the TRS rebel candidate K.K. Mahender Reddy in his first electoral battle in 2009.
Mahender Reddy was the Congress' official nominee this time but lost his deposit following the bitter defeat.
TRS' Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar saw his victory margin in Warangal West constituency swell ten-fold from 6,684 last year to 67,524 this time.
Similarly, the victory margins of E. Rajender and K. Vidyasagar Rao have more than tripled in Huzurabad and Korutla Assembly segments as compared to the 2009 general elections.
Rajender secured a majority of 55,360 votes this time compared to 15,035 while Vidyasagar Rao got 56,525 now as against 15,545 in 2009.
The Vemulawada (Karimnagar district) TRS nominee Chennamaneni Ramesh too put up an impressive show, romping home with a margin of 50,451 votes this time.
As the TD candidate in 2009, Ramesh had managed to get a majority of only 1,821 votes. Upon quitting his MLA seat on the statehood issue in February this year, Ramesh walked out of the TD and joined the TRS.
An intervention by the High Court, by-election to this seat was conducted along with other segments, paved the way for Ramesh's re-election.
In Chennur (SC) in Adilabad district, TRS candidate N. Odelu won by a margin of 44,284 votes — almost four times higher than the margin (11,549) he secured in 2009.
The TRS nominee Kaveti Sammaiah too doubled his margin from 7,414 in 2009 to 15,229 now. He beat Congress' ex-MP Indrakaran Reddy who aspired to become a Cabinet minister by winning the by-election.
Another TRS candidate. E. Ravinder Reddy, was, however, not so fortunate as he could improve his victory margin only by a few hundred votes this time. Compared to the 36,859-vote margin he got in 2009, Rajender managed to take it up only to 37,535 in this time.
The results of the five constituencies came late, as ballot papers were used for polling as a number of candidates exceeded the maximum limit of 64 for an EVM.
For Y. Lakshminarayana, the lone BJP winner in the by-elections who trounced Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas in Nizamabad Urban, it was an improvement of only 966 votes in the victory margin. In 2009, Lakshminarayana won by a margin of 11,015 votes and this time by 11,981 votes.
The by-polls were necessitated as the sitting MLAs - 10 from TRS and one each from TD and BJP - had quit their post in support of separate Telangana demand.
Telangana by-poll results trigger rumblings in Congress, TDP
The crushing defeat of the ruling Congress party and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the Telangana by-elections has triggered rumblings within the two parties over the Telangana statehood issue.
Leaders of the Congress from Telangana blamed their counterparts in other regions of Andhra Pradesh for the loss, while TDP leaders from Telangana advised those opposing separate statehood to reconsider their stand.
Both Congress and TDP drew a blank in the by-elections to 12 assembly seats caused by the resignations over the Telangana issue.
TDP lost the lone seat it was holding while Congress candidates, including party’s state unit chief D. Srinivas had to bite the dust.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who is from outside Telangana, said he respects the people’s verdict. Party general secretary and state incharge M. Veerappa Moily said in New Delhi that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won due to “local factors”.
Congress leaders from Telangana lashed out at party leaders belonging to Andhra and Rayalaseema regions for opposing the demand for a separate Telangana state.
Senior Congress leader from Telangana and former minister G. Venkatswamy blamed leaders from Andhra for the party’s defeat.
Another leader from the region T. Jeevan Reddy termed the poll results an “eye opener” for those opposing the separate Telangana demand.
Congress legislator Shankar Rao said he was happy over the election results as people, through their verdict, paid tributes to 600 “martyrs” of the Telangana movement. He said the results had increased the responsibility of the Congress party to carve out a separate Telangana.
TDP’s senior leader in Telangana N. Janardhan Reddy wanted his party leaders from other regions to reconsider their opposition to a separate state.
It may be recalled that strong protests by Congress and TDP leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions had forced the central government to go back on its announcement last year to start the process for formation of Telangana state.
TRS scores historic victory in Telangana by-polls
(Courtesy : http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/trs-scores-historic-victory-in-telangana-by-polls_100404783.html)
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which won all 11 seats it contested in the Telangana by-elections, made history with its massive victory margins.
Riding on the popular Telangana sentiment, the party not only retained all 10 seats it won in the 2009 elections but also wrested one from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which won all 11 seats it contested in the Telangana by-elections, made history with its massive victory margins.
Riding on the popular Telangana sentiment, the party not only retained all 10 seats it won in the 2009 elections but also wrested one from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
TRS had not fielded its candidate in Nizamabad Urban where BJP’s A. Lakshminarayana once again defeated state Congress chief D. Srinivas.
Its candidates, who won last elections with a few hundreds votes, retained the seats by a bumper majority. The victory margin in most of the constituencies was anywhere between 60,000 to 95,000.
Political pundits say a candidate polling 70 to 85 percent of votes in assembly elections is unprecedented. The TRS performance reminds one of the massive victory of the Telangana Praja Samiti (TPS) in the 1971 Lok Sabha elections.
Fighting on the similar slogan, TPS had bagged 10 out of 14 seats it contested in Telangana. But even the TPS had polled 50 to 65 percent of votes.
The performance of TRS this time has been so strong that the ruling Congress finished a poor second while TDP candidates lost security deposit as they failed to get the minimum of one-sixth of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies.
TRS leader T. Harish Rao registered a record victory with a margin of 95,858 votes in Siddipet, polling 82 percent of votes. His nearest rival of the Congress could get only 12,921. Both Congress and TDP forfeited their deposits.
The second highest margin of victory for TRS was in Huzurabad where its former leader in assembly E. Rajender retained the seat with a majority of 79,227 votes. The margin was 78,047 in Manchiryal constituency.
Since ballot papers were used for Tuesday’s polling in five constituencies, the results were announced after Friday midnight.
TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao’s son K. Tarakarama Rao, who won last election with a margin of 171 in Sircilla, this time defeated his rival by 67,997 votes.
In Warangal West, D. Vinaybhaskar was re-elected with a majority of 67,809 votes. Former minister and Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir was defeated in Yellareddy by TRS candidate A. Ravinder Reddy by 37,535 votes.
TRS also retained Korutla seat with a victory margin of 56,525 votes.
The Congress could put up some face-saving performance only in Nizamabad where the BJP candidate’s victory margin was only 11,981 votes. It also gave a good fight to TRS in Sirpur.
In its worst ever performance, TDP lost security deposits in all constituencies.
The by-elections were necessitated by the resignation of all 10 legislators of the TRS and one each of the BJP and the TDP on the issue of a separate Telangana state in February.
Record win for Harish Rao
(Courtesy : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Record-win-for-Harish-Rao/articleshow/6239112.cms)
He did not speak much. But his humungous vote margin said it all. Tenneeru Harish Rao, who recorded a massive victory of 95,858 votes, flashed the victory sign at Siddipet with a smug expression on his face while supporters around him raised slogans of "Jai ho Telangana."
As his supporters shouted slogans of "Telangana ki addu voste, addamga narikestham (Nobody dare cross our path to Telangana)" and savoured his stupendous victory, Harish Rao just walked away. For starters, Harish has dethroned late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's record win of 68,681 votes from Pulivendula in 2009 polls by overtaking it by nearly 30,000 votes. He himself stood a close second behind YSR with 64,667 vote majority in 2009.
While he polled 1,08,779 votes, his nearest Congress rival T Srinivas Goud received 11,610 votes. TDP's Babu Mohan was thrashed as he got a paltry 5,258 votes.
Revelling in the victory, Harish said TRS stood out as the true representative of Telangana cause. "With this win, we will take the T-vadam (sentiment) forward," he said. He said the Congress line that it would onlydeliver the separate state had no takers. "The Congress must introspect as people are fed up with its false promises," he observed.
A close aide of the firebrand leader, who is perceived as a threat to the likes of TRS chief KCR's son K Tarakarama Rao, said the upsurge of people's emotions had triggered the results in favour of TRS. "Whether it's a doctor, government official, tailor or weaver, they all voted for our Harish anna and T-cause. This victory signals the dawn of a new world," he claimed.
Analysts said the way Harish rallied the party and called on the families of those who died or committed suicide for T-cause was worth mentioning. "Even settlers in villages and towns voted for TRS as they perceive Telangana as their home. The sentiment has percolated among every strata of society," TRS leader Rajaiah Yadav told TOI.
Sources said the coming local body polls would certainly add to the consolidation of TRS in the region as the party used it as a launchpad to make inroads in the region eight years ago. And Harish sure has his task cut out.
He did not speak much. But his humungous vote margin said it all. Tenneeru Harish Rao, who recorded a massive victory of 95,858 votes, flashed the victory sign at Siddipet with a smug expression on his face while supporters around him raised slogans of "Jai ho Telangana."
As his supporters shouted slogans of "Telangana ki addu voste, addamga narikestham (Nobody dare cross our path to Telangana)" and savoured his stupendous victory, Harish Rao just walked away. For starters, Harish has dethroned late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's record win of 68,681 votes from Pulivendula in 2009 polls by overtaking it by nearly 30,000 votes. He himself stood a close second behind YSR with 64,667 vote majority in 2009.
While he polled 1,08,779 votes, his nearest Congress rival T Srinivas Goud received 11,610 votes. TDP's Babu Mohan was thrashed as he got a paltry 5,258 votes.
Revelling in the victory, Harish said TRS stood out as the true representative of Telangana cause. "With this win, we will take the T-vadam (sentiment) forward," he said. He said the Congress line that it would onlydeliver the separate state had no takers. "The Congress must introspect as people are fed up with its false promises," he observed.
A close aide of the firebrand leader, who is perceived as a threat to the likes of TRS chief KCR's son K Tarakarama Rao, said the upsurge of people's emotions had triggered the results in favour of TRS. "Whether it's a doctor, government official, tailor or weaver, they all voted for our Harish anna and T-cause. This victory signals the dawn of a new world," he claimed.
Analysts said the way Harish rallied the party and called on the families of those who died or committed suicide for T-cause was worth mentioning. "Even settlers in villages and towns voted for TRS as they perceive Telangana as their home. The sentiment has percolated among every strata of society," TRS leader Rajaiah Yadav told TOI.
Sources said the coming local body polls would certainly add to the consolidation of TRS in the region as the party used it as a launchpad to make inroads in the region eight years ago. And Harish sure has his task cut out.
TRS win a referendum on separate state
(Courtesy : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/TRS-win-a-referendum-on-separate-state-KCR/articleshow/6239116.cms)
Calling the sweeping victory of TRS candidates in the by elections as a victory of Telangana martyrs who died during the agitation for separate T state and four crore Telangana people, the TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao said that the party dedicates its victory to all those people who supported them in the byelections and thanked the JAC for playing a key role in the victory of the party candidates.
At a press conference on Friday evening, Rao said that the party leaders should not feel elated by the victory. It has put greater responsibility on them. The victory was a step forward in the direction of achieving a separate state, he said.
Referring to the defeat of Congress and TDP candidates, he said it was a slap on their face. They lost their deposits despite spending Rs 200 crore, he said. Rao also criticised TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu of indulging in 'screw driver' politics. KCR said he would now focus attention on strengthening the party organisation. Rao said the Centre should call for the Srikrishna committee report immediately and bifurcate the state respecting the verdict of the people before December 31. "It is nothing but a referendum. If they fail they will heavy price in future." Talking of the party's support to BJP in Nizamabad urban, he said it was a special case but in future we will fight all election on our own, he added.
He said the Telangana JAC, which has a strong presence in the region, played an active role in the victory of the TRS by mobilising the government employees, lawyers associations, minorities and student organisations to rally for the separate state cause and vote for the TRS on polling day.
The JAC fulfilled its promise of taking the responsibility of victory of MLAs who had resigned in February in protest against the constitution of Srikrishna Committee to study the contentious Telangana issue.
The joint action committee organised massive awareness programmes like bus yatras, padayatras and village-level meetings to educate people about the importance of ensuring the victory of MLAs who had resigned. In fact it is the victory of the JAC more than the TRS, claim JAC leaders.
More than 20 lakh students, 3 lakh government employees and one lakh advocates actively participated in the campaign during the bypolls, JAC official spokesperson Vittal told TOI. "JAC played a crucial role in the election by galvanising all telangana forces from grass root level.
Another JAC leader said that all out efforts were made in three assembly constituencies - Dharmapuri, Ellareddy and Sirpur from where TRS MLAs contested as there was strong anti feelings against the candidates as they allegedly ignored the people and failed to respond to their local problems and pleas since they got elected in 2009.
The JAC organised continuous meetings with local community leaders and telangana supporters and explained to them about the necessity to vote for them in view of the special circumstances.
Calling the sweeping victory of TRS candidates in the by elections as a victory of Telangana martyrs who died during the agitation for separate T state and four crore Telangana people, the TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao said that the party dedicates its victory to all those people who supported them in the byelections and thanked the JAC for playing a key role in the victory of the party candidates.
At a press conference on Friday evening, Rao said that the party leaders should not feel elated by the victory. It has put greater responsibility on them. The victory was a step forward in the direction of achieving a separate state, he said.
Referring to the defeat of Congress and TDP candidates, he said it was a slap on their face. They lost their deposits despite spending Rs 200 crore, he said. Rao also criticised TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu of indulging in 'screw driver' politics. KCR said he would now focus attention on strengthening the party organisation. Rao said the Centre should call for the Srikrishna committee report immediately and bifurcate the state respecting the verdict of the people before December 31. "It is nothing but a referendum. If they fail they will heavy price in future." Talking of the party's support to BJP in Nizamabad urban, he said it was a special case but in future we will fight all election on our own, he added.
He said the Telangana JAC, which has a strong presence in the region, played an active role in the victory of the TRS by mobilising the government employees, lawyers associations, minorities and student organisations to rally for the separate state cause and vote for the TRS on polling day.
The JAC fulfilled its promise of taking the responsibility of victory of MLAs who had resigned in February in protest against the constitution of Srikrishna Committee to study the contentious Telangana issue.
The joint action committee organised massive awareness programmes like bus yatras, padayatras and village-level meetings to educate people about the importance of ensuring the victory of MLAs who had resigned. In fact it is the victory of the JAC more than the TRS, claim JAC leaders.
More than 20 lakh students, 3 lakh government employees and one lakh advocates actively participated in the campaign during the bypolls, JAC official spokesperson Vittal told TOI. "JAC played a crucial role in the election by galvanising all telangana forces from grass root level.
Another JAC leader said that all out efforts were made in three assembly constituencies - Dharmapuri, Ellareddy and Sirpur from where TRS MLAs contested as there was strong anti feelings against the candidates as they allegedly ignored the people and failed to respond to their local problems and pleas since they got elected in 2009.
The JAC organised continuous meetings with local community leaders and telangana supporters and explained to them about the necessity to vote for them in view of the special circumstances.
TRS set for clean sweep in by-elections
(Courtesy : http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/article541829.ece)
Riding high on a strong regional sentiment, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), and its lone electoral ally, the BJP, headed for a clean sweep of all the 12 seats in the Assembly by-elections on Friday and inflicted crushing defeats on the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Results were officially declared in seven constituencies but, going by their surging majorities, TRS candidates are firmly on course to win the remaining five.
The BJP won the only seat it contested when Y. Lakshminarayana, justified his ‘giant-killer' sobriquet by defeating for the second consecutive time APCC president D. Srinivas from Nizamabad Urban by a comfortable margin of 11,983 votes. TDP candidate A. Narsa Reddy was routed polling just 1,793 votes.
Till late in the night, the election authorities could declare the results of only those seats where electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used. Counting in the rest was a painstaking process as the Election Commission was forced to use newspaper-sized ballot papers after the TRS fielded dozens of candidates as independents to express its opposition to EVMs.
Voters comprehensively rejected the TDP which failed to poll even one-sixth of the valid votes needed to retain the security deposit in at least seven constituencies whereas the Congress candidates lost their deposits in two places. Both parties tried to draw solace by saying that TRS candidates had merely retained the Assembly seats they won in May 2009. These MLAs had resigned in February this year to protest against the terms of reference of the Justice Srikrishna Committee constituted to hold consultations on the situation in Andhra Pradesh.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu did not campaign in the by-elections, the latter on the plea that he was preoccupied with the more important issue of opposing the ‘illegal' Babli project built by Maharashtra. In contrast, TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao steadfastly focussed on electioneering without allowing himself to be distracted by the Babli row even though it threatens to adversely affect five districts in Telangana.
Telangana by-election results send out a warning to Congress
(Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article542490.ece)
For the Congress, its problems in what is its strongest State, Andhra Pradesh, are only growing. On Friday, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) swept the by-elections in the State's Telangana region, winning 11 of the 12 constituencies that were being contested, thereby strengthening the case for a separate Telangana and reminding the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre of the assurance that it had given on the issue, and then backtracked on.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh and Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily was very guarded in his response to the results of the by-elections, where the Congress has fared poorly: “These are the people who volunteered to resign [on the Telangana issue]. The people wave chosen to vote for them,” he told The Hindu, adding, “We put up a good fight.” Asked whether the results did not put pressure on the Central government to push for the creation of a separate Telangana State, Mr. Moily said, “The matter is before the Srikrishna Commission. Let the report come.”
But a senior party functionary admitted that these results “had strengthened the case for a separate Telangana” and that from now on, “there would be greater pressure on the Centre” to act on the assurance made by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on December 9, 2009, when he had publicly declared the Centre's support for a new State. “We will now have to think of a new strategy,” he said.
What is worrying the Congress here, party sources said, was the fact that these results are a confirmation of the fact that it has lost the “goodwill” it had won in Telangana after the December 9 announcement: at that time, TRS supporters had celebrated the occasion, holding aloft Congress president Sonia Gandhi's portrait. The first signs of this loss of goodwill came when the Congress did a rethink on the issue, after the rest of the State exploded with party MP and former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajsekhara Reddy's son, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, leading those opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh. In a bid to check the violence across the State, the Centre quickly set up the Srikrishna Commission to “examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate Telangana State as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of united Andhra Pradesh,” and asked it to submit its recommendations by December 31, 2010.
Congress MP Madhu Goud Yashki, whose constituency falls in the Telangana region, pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lakshminarayana had retained the twelfth seat, defeating Congress State unit president D. Srinivas in Nizamabad urban segment, with the help of the TRS. “The TRS is our naturally ally,” Mr. Yashki said, adding, “and we need to reach out to them – we can't afford a BJP-TRS tie-up in Telangana.” Currently, the Congress holds 56 of the 119 assembly segments and 12 of the17 Lok Sabha seats in the Telangana region.
So, while the Congress was not holding any of the seats that went to the polls on July 27, the results are a reminder of how much the party stands to lose if it does not get its Telangana strategy right before the next elections. The by-elections for 12 Assembly seats were called after 10 TRS MLAs and one MLA each of the Opposition BJP and the regional Telugu Desam Party resigned to register their demand for a separate State of Telangana earlier this year.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
The New York Times on Telangana Suicides
(Courtesy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/world/asia/31india.html)
HYDERABAD, India — Sai Kumar Meegada, a 20-year-old straight-A chemical engineering student at a prestigious university here, came home from breakfast one morning early this month, slipped a length of clothesline around his neck, tied it to the ceiling fan in his dorm room and hanged himself.
"For the people of Telangana, this is my final salute," said a note he left, referring to the decades-old struggle to create a separate region in Andhra Pradesh, a large state in southern India. "My final and last request is take my body to the legislative assembly. Goodbye."
With that, Mr. Meegada became one of a surprising number of people — many of them young and educated, with bright futures awaiting them — to have committed suicide over the battle to carve out India's 29th state. Some estimates have attributed more than 200 suicides to the cause.
But these politically motivated deaths are just one aspect of a troubling trend. Suicide has become something of a phenomenon in India, especially in the south, which now has one of the highest suicide rates in the world — a fact that has both puzzled and alarmed public health experts.
Suicides by indebted farmers are frequently reported in the news media and pointed to as a sign that India has forgotten its rural poor. But according to Indian government statistics, bankruptcy or poverty provoke less than 5 percent of Indian suicides. A family conflict, a broken love affair or an illness is a more likely spur.
Then there are politics. The number of ideologically motivated suicides in India doubled between 2006 and 2008, the last year for which statistics were available, according to the government. While the overall number remains small, mental health experts say these deaths illustrate the increasing stress on young people in a nation where, elections notwithstanding, the masses often feel powerless.
"Young people see this as a way to give meaning to what seem like meaningless lives," said Sudhir Kakar, a prominent psychoanalyst and novelist who has written extensively about mental health in India. "It is a way to become a hero, to take a stand."
Suicide is generally considered taboo in Hinduism, the religion of most Indians, because it disrupts the cycle of reincarnation that is central to the soul's progress, Mr. Kakar said.
But the willingness to die for a cause, as exemplified by Gandhi's epic fasts during the struggle for independence, is seen as noble and worthy. Ancient warriors in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India, would commit suicide if their commander was killed, Mr. Kakar said. And the practice of sati, or widow burning, although outlawed, remains a potent symbol of wifely devotion.
In modern, democratic India, however, such drastic measures seem like a bizarre and troubling throwback that has shattered many families.
The political causes that spur multiple suicides can seem remarkably provincial. When Andhra Pradesh's popular chief minister, Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, died in a helicopter crash last year, the news media reported suicides by dozens of his supporters, though such reports are difficult to verify.
Other suicide epidemics have had nothing to do with politics. When a gangster kidnapped the Indian actor Rajkumar, one of the biggest stars of Kannada-language films, in 2000, it was reported that dozens of his fans had committed suicide out of despair for their hero's safety.
The fight for statehood for Telangana, an inland region that sees itself as marginalized by coastal elites, gained attention when a fast brought the movement's leader, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, to the brink of death in December.
Since then, confusing political brawling has left the region's statehood hopes in limbo, but dozens of young people besides Mr. Meegada, the engineering student, have succumbed to the emotional pull of the issue.
M. Sunil Kumar was a 25-year-old reporter at a local newspaper in the provincial town of Warangal. His older brother Anil had dropped out of high school to run the family's mutton shop when their father died so that Sunil could go to college.
Mr. Kumar apparently became obsessed with the statehood movement, attending every meeting of the local activist group. One day in early March, the family went to a distant temple, but Mr. Kumar stayed behind. His mother discovered him hanging from a beam, one of her shawls around his neck.
"I am sacrificing my life for Telangana, to wake up our leaders," he wrote in a suicide note.
But his family has also sacrificed, losing not only a son but also their biggest breadwinner. "I lost my son because of Telangana," his mother, Swarupa, wailed. "Don't burn your mother's womb," she shouted, imploring other statehood supporters not to commit suicide.
Nevertheless, local political leaders have exploited Mr. Kumar's death. Outside the family's two-room house hangs a banner with Mr. Kumar's photograph superimposed over his suicide note. "Those who commit suicide for Telangana, we salute you," the text on the poster says. "Wake up people and fight for Telangana."
Political leaders of the movement said that they tried to discourage young people from committing suicide. "We tell them, don't die for Telangana, live and fight for Telangana," Mr. Rao said.
But other leaders seem less wary about celebrating suicide for the cause. "They are real heroes," said Peddi Sudarshan Reddy, a member of the governing council of the main pro-statehood party. "But we are not glorifying that heroism."
Glory is perhaps what Karunakar, 20, a lower-caste eighth-grade dropout, was looking for when he doused himself in kerosene and set himself alight in January.
He instantly became an icon in his village. A poster of him in a tough, Bollywood-style pose of defiance hangs in the village square, next to a small temple to the monkey god Hanuman. In life, he was unheralded: a day laborer who grew up in a part of town notorious for prostitution. In death, he was a hero.
"He was all the time talking of Telangana, Telangana, Telangana," said his 70-year-old grandfather, Musku Hanumanthu. "I tried to persuade him not to get too involved. But he used to say, 'I will sacrifice everything for Telangana.' "
He survived for three days in the hospital, expressing no regrets despite the pain of his burns, his grandfather said.
"Even in the hospital he kept saying, 'Long live Telangana,' " Mr. Hanumanthu said.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
River Water Politics in Drought-Prone Telangana
Abstract:
Godavari and Krishna are two perennial rivers of peninsular India which traverse Telangana. And yet the region is in the grip of perennial drought. The deteriorating situation has prompted the emergence of a unique people's movement in the region.
Singapore Telangana Friends Letter to "Sri Krishna Committee" and Letter to "All Telangana Politicians"
Dear All,
Letter sent to "Sri Krishna Committee" http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B18k9TEIT0AVNGQwZDY3YWEtYjI2OS00N2ZhLTgwNjUtYmMyNGNhZDViNTNm&hl=en
Letter sent to "All Telangana Politicians" http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B18k9TEIT0AVNzI0MGYxNDItNWZmMy00ZjM1LTg1NTItMDBlYmNiZTVjZDAz&hl=en
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Appealing to u All : STF request for email id's of your network (only list of Telangana friends email id)
Hi,
Please send us the list of email ids of your network (only Telangana people id's) to singaporetelanganafriends@gmail.com
we Singapore Telanagana Friends(STF) is a Non-Profitable group created to provide a platform for Telanagana NRI's in Singapore to share their views and work towards the development of Telangana.
Purpose for requesting email id's: we are composing 4 - 5 drafts of Letter to "Sri krishna Committee" which you all can be send email or post by individual.
we Singapore friends collecting email id's and forwarding letters to every one, so by this activity, at least we can make a difference by sending mail in mass by representing our demand of Telangana.
We sincerely seek your support in this activity.
Note: Email ids secrecy would be maintained and will be used only for the communication on activities and sharing info on Telangana development
Thanking you all,
Jai Telangana.
Regards
Singapore Telangana Friends
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
AP Govt scoring a self-goal?
The Andhra Pradesh Government found itself in a cleft stick on its claim before the Supreme Court about the presence of Maoists on the Osmania University campus, which had become an epicenter of the ongoing movement for a separate Telangana.
Having come under flak for the deployment of paramilitary forces on the campus, both in the High Court as well as the apex court, the government sought to justify its action citing infiltration of Maoists but was caught in a quandary with the Supreme Court seeking evidence of the same.There was more than one reason for the government’s weak defence, a) none other than Tirupati Rao, Vice-Chancellor of the Osmania University, had himself denied Maoist presence on the campus; b) The Maoist-sponsored Telangana bandh on January 2 was an utter failure while similar calls by the students and political parties evoked total response; c) extremist violence in 2008 and 2009 had been the least in the state since the emergence of the CPI–ML and the Maoist group itself had admitted having lost its base in Telangana; d) in the past three months, neither had there been any evidence of the arrest of any Maoist nor any student had been caught with any weapon; e) on various occasions, the state government had claimed that the Maoist presence in the state, Telangana in particular, was negligible and, in fact, Delhi had started citing Andhra Pradesh as a model for other states in checking Naxal activity.The government, it appears, was preparing to highlight the statements issued by some Maoist leaders in support of Telangana as a pointer to their active participation in the movement but whether it will cut ice with the judiciary remains to be seen.The matter will come up for hearing on Friday. In fact, a section of the police officers were of the view that the government was playing with fire by using unwarranted force on students taking out peaceful rallies on the campus, creating further unrest among a section that was already frustrated for a variety of reasons.In the long run, this approach might prove counter-productive too, one of them reasoned.He is not off the mark.This was precisely what had happened in the late 60s when the then government crushed the separate Telangana movement with brute force, a process which saw the death of more than 300 students in firing or lathicharge. The frustration caused by the deaths resulted in substantial recruitment into the Naxalite movement and a majority of the current top ranking Maoist leaders are those who joined it in the early and mid 70s.While a majority were from the upper classes then, the students, who are bearing the brunt of the police force now, are mostly from the backward classes and the Dalits clamouring for a rightful share in the socio-economic structure.SC rejects AP’s proof on Maoists in Osmania
(Courtesy : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/sc-rejects-ap%E2%80%99s-proof-maoists-osmania-737)
The secret evidence about the “presence” of Maoists in the Osmania University did not impress the Supreme Court much when it was presented before a division Bench here on Friday. After rejecting the claims, the apex court sought an explanation from the state government why Greyhounds, the anti-naxal elite force, was deployed on the campus.
The case was heard by a Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly. Justice Singhvi said, “There are certain inputs that there are some sympathisers (of Maoists). Mere sympathy with X,Y,Z or some other persons will not make them criminals?”
Taking strong exception to the deployment of Greyhounds to deal with the agitation by the pro-Telangana students, Justice Singhvi asked the state government counsel, Mr Mukul Rohtagi, “If you say Greyhounds are deployed in this situation, will you deploy them when there is a political agitation?”
“The students were holding meetings there and expressing their views on an issue, you can’t prevent anyone from expressing their views,” the apex court observed.
The state’s lawyer acknowledged that the deployment of Greyhounds was not a wise decision and said the elite force had already been withdrawn.
But the court was not satisfied with a mere assurance by the state’s counsel and directed it to file an affidavit explaining the reasons why the anti-naxal force was at all sent inside the university.
Posting further hearing in the case to March 19, the court directed the government to submit its affidavit by March 9 and directed the three-member panel comprising home secretary, the Hyderabad police commissioner and the OU VC, to submit a status report on the situation in “sealed cover” by March 12.
The court, however, said that the state would be free to deploy its police force in the campus as per the requirement to maintain the law and order and ensure smooth conduct the exams.
Panel to examine paramilitary presence on Osmania campus
(Courtesy : http://sify.com/news/Panel-to-examine-paramilitary-presence-on-Osmania-campus-news-National-kc0s4dfdhgi.html )
The Supreme Court Friday asked the Andhra Pradesh government to form a high-level three-member panel to examine if paramilitary forces needed to be deployed on the Onsmania University campus, dubbed as the hotbed for the movement for separate Telangana.
A bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice A.K. Ganguly said the panel headed by state home secretary would comprise the Osmania University vice chancellor and Hyderabad police commissioner.
'The committee will take steps in next ten days to restore peace in the university,' said the bench adding 'if any deployment of forces is required in university or surrounding area, it should be done in the consultation with the committee'.
The bench, however, said that 'the state government will be free to deploy civil police to ensure law and order in the university campus'.
The bench was hearing a lawsuit by the state government challenging the state's high court order to it to pull out paramilitary forces from the university campus. The high court order was suspended earlier by the apex court.
With the state government failing in categorically telling the court if the Osmania University students' stir for a separate state was infiltrated by Maoists, the apex court quizzed the state government on its rationale for deploying the elite anti-Maoist force 'Greyhounds' in the university campus.
The bench sought to know if such anti-Maoist forces had ever been deployed to quell public rallies or meetings organised by various political parties.
Upholding the students' democratic right to hold public meeting and express their views on any issue, the bench said: 'The Students were holding a meeting. They were expressing their views on an issue. You cannot prevent them from expressing their views.'
While granting liberty to the students to hold meetings and rallies inside the campus, the bench said such meeting should be convened only after due permission from competent authorities. The bench, however, asked the authorities to ensure that no outsider attend such meetings.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Will conclude consultations by July: Telangana panel
(Courtesy : http://www.zeenews.com/news606618.html)
The Srikrishna Committee on Telangana issue has said it would wrap up consultations with key stakeholders by July this year and asked the Joint Action Council (JAC), spearheading the agitation for a separate state, not to boycott it.
V K Duggal, member-secretary of the five-member Committee, who arrived here Tuesday night to put in place the necessary infrastructure for starting its work, said, "We will get enough material to give a balanced report".
Faced with JAC's decision to boycott the Committee in protest against its Terms of Reference (ToR), Duggal hoped that responses would be forthcoming once the intent of the panel is understood.
"The proof of the pudding is in its eating. I am 100 percent sure that when the people see the intention, even those who are boycotting...Once they see the purpose, I have no doubt we will get enough material to give a balanced report," he said.
Asked how the Committee would take the views of those who are boycotting, Duggal said, "The voices will be counted as good response has already come.
"We have received 50 memoranda so far since February 20 when the public notice was issued. It is your option. I cannot force you. Once the intent of the Committee is known, the responses will be forthcoming," he said.
A fresh public notice could also be issued, with the approval of the Chairman of the Committee, Justice B N Srikrishna, for seeking responses, he said.
The Srikrishna Committee on Telangana issue has said it would wrap up consultations with key stakeholders by July this year and asked the Joint Action Council (JAC), spearheading the agitation for a separate state, not to boycott it.
V K Duggal, member-secretary of the five-member Committee, who arrived here Tuesday night to put in place the necessary infrastructure for starting its work, said, "We will get enough material to give a balanced report".
Faced with JAC's decision to boycott the Committee in protest against its Terms of Reference (ToR), Duggal hoped that responses would be forthcoming once the intent of the panel is understood.
"The proof of the pudding is in its eating. I am 100 percent sure that when the people see the intention, even those who are boycotting...Once they see the purpose, I have no doubt we will get enough material to give a balanced report," he said.
Asked how the Committee would take the views of those who are boycotting, Duggal said, "The voices will be counted as good response has already come.
"We have received 50 memoranda so far since February 20 when the public notice was issued. It is your option. I cannot force you. Once the intent of the Committee is known, the responses will be forthcoming," he said.
A fresh public notice could also be issued, with the approval of the Chairman of the Committee, Justice B N Srikrishna, for seeking responses, he said.
Advocates lead T movement
(Courtesy : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/karimnagar/advocates-lead-t-movement-538)
Professionals, particularly lawyers, are taking the initiative in the ongoing separate Telangana movement.
Professionals, particularly lawyers, are taking the initiative in the ongoing separate Telangana movement.
Bar associations in the district are leading the agitation. For the last two months, advocates in Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Armoor, Yellareddy and Bodhan towns have been playing an active role in the separate Telangana movement. Seniors and lady advocates are also active.
On Monday, around 100 advocates from the district participated in a protest at Parliament. On par with the political joint action committee (JAC), advocates have also been organising several agitations for separate statehood.
The Nizamabad Bar Association conducted Satyanarayana vratham, and special prayers by Muslim advocates, seeking immediate carving out of a new state.
Advocates declared that they would extend free legal aid to Telangana agitators, and also extended moral support to students of the Telangana University (TU).
They are also in touch with the students JAC of Telangana University.
Speaking to this newspaper, senior advocate Takkar Hanmanth Reddy said that being intellectuals, advocates were extending their solidarity to the separate Telangana state movement.
He admitted that because of their involvement in the Telangana movement, court transactions had been affected.
Meanwhile, Kamareddy Bar Association members boycotted court on Monday and staged a rasta roko at Nizamsagar (Kistaiah) chowrasta.
Due to this, vehicular traffic on the Nizamabad-Hyderabad and Sircilla-Yellareddy routes was disrupted. The advocates raised slogans against the Congress government and demanded introduction of a separate Telangana bill in Parliament. Police reached the Nizamsagar crossroads and convinced the agitating advocates to call off the rasta roko.
Parties told to reveal their T-stand
(Courtesy : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/parties-told-reveal-their-t-stand-264)
The political parties adopting dual standards or maintaining silence over the Telangana issue will soon have to reveal their stand on the issue.
The political parties adopting dual standards or maintaining silence over the Telangana issue will soon have to reveal their stand on the issue.
The Justice B.N. Srikrishna committee member secretary, Mr V.K. Duggal, said here on Wednesday that the eight recognised political parties in the state have been asked to submit their views to the committee by March 22.
When it was brought to his notice that leaders within a political party were found expressing divergent views, Mr Duggal said that was the reason why the designated presidents of the political parties have been asked to submit the view on the party’s behalf.
This means the Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr D. Srinivas, and the Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen chief, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi, will have to make their stands known.
While the Congress and the TD continue their dual approach, leaving it to leaders of respective regions to agitate for or against Telangana, the MIM has not revealed its opinions. Later in the day, Mr Duggal called on the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, at the legislative assembly.
OU JAC to ignore Srikrishna panel, appeals against T-suicide
Hours before arrival of Justice Srikrishna Committee member-Secretary V K Duggal on a preliminary rendezvous, the Joint Action Committee of the
Instead, they decided to enlarge its ''peaceful movement'' beyond the university campus to take it into the remotest
The OU JAC, at its meeting in front of the
At the political level, the OU JAC announced that it would work right from the villages in the Telangana region and mount pressure on those Telangana legislators, who had not submitted their resignations so far.
Even while discounting reports that OU JAC would convert into a political party on the lines of Navnirman Samithi in Gujarat and All Assam Students Union (AASU) in
Telangana JAC sans Congress not weak, says Kodandaram
(Courtesy : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/telangana-jac-sans-congress-not-weak-says-kodandaram/583914/0)
The Joint Action Committee (JAC), spearheading the separate Telangana agitation, on Wednesday said the exit of the the ruling Congress has not weakened its movement.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC), spearheading the separate Telangana agitation, on Wednesday said the exit of the the ruling Congress has not weakened its movement.
"Non-party forums have been playing a leading role in the movement. Congress leaders were confined to lobbying in Delhi. It helped to some extent. But the absence of Congress would not make much of a difference as far as the movement is concerned," JAC Convener C Kodandaram said here.
He said the Telangana agitation was initiated by non-party forums in 1996 and the movement got a push with the formation of TRS in 2001 and parties like BJP supporting it.
"The non-party forums were revived after 2004 and they are playing a creative and major role," he said.
The exit of the Congress from the JAC, he said, would give a clear direction to the pro-Telangana agitation and actually help strengthen the movement with other parties and non-party forums playing an effective role, he said. Kodandaram said the JAC decided to boycott the Srikrishna committee as it cannot rely on it, as a political decision has to be taken on the demand for Telangana.
Don't boycott us, Telangana panel tells JAC
(Courtesy : http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/feb/24/dont-boycott-us-telangana-panel-tells-jac.htm)
The Srikrishna Committee on the Telangana issue has said it would wrap up consultations with key stakeholders by July this year and urged the Joint Action Council, which is spearheading the agitation for a separate state, not to boycott it.
V K Duggal, member-secretary of the five-member Committee, who arrived in Hyderabad on Tuesday night to put in place the necessary infrastructure to start its work, said, "We will get enough material to give a balanced report".
Faced with the JAC's decision to boycott the Committee to protest against its Terms of Reference, Duggal hoped that responses would be forthcoming once the intent of the panel is understood.
"The proof of the pudding is in its eating. I am 100 per cent sure that when the people see the intention, even those who are boycotting (will support it). Once they see the purpose, I have no doubt we will get enough material to give a balanced report," he said.
Asked how the Committee would take the views of those who have boycotted it, Duggal said, "The voices will be counted as good response has already come. We have received 50 memoranda so far since February 20, when the public notice was issued. It is your option. I cannot force you. Once the intent of the Committee is known, the responses will be forthcoming," he said.
A fresh public notice could also be issued, with the approval of the Chairman of the Committee Justice B N Srikrishna, for seeking responses, he said.
The Committee will start holding consultations with various groups and political parties from the middle of March in Hyderabad and other places in the state on the issue of the creation of a separate Telangana state. The panel has asked the Andhra Pradesh government to make available infrastructure and other facilities for holding meetings in the state.
"These things have to be done before we start the consultation process in the middle of March. We will be holding consultations with all sections of people," he said.
Duggal said the Committee needs interpreters, stenographers, recorders, conference rooms and other facilities for carrying out its work in the state.
"The Committee also needs a place for holding consultations and meeting delegations from various organisations on the issue. All these issues have to be solved before the process begins," he said.
Duggal met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah in Hyderabad on Wednesday and discussed issues related to the five-member Committee's work. Sources in the Chief Minister's Office described the meeting as a 'courtesy' as Duggal was visiting the state for the first time since the constitution of the Committee.
"Duggal had a one-on-one interaction with the chief minister in the latter's chambers in the Council," a senior official in the CMO said.
The Srikrishna Committee on the Telangana issue has said it would wrap up consultations with key stakeholders by July this year and urged the Joint Action Council, which is spearheading the agitation for a separate state, not to boycott it.
V K Duggal, member-secretary of the five-member Committee, who arrived in Hyderabad on Tuesday night to put in place the necessary infrastructure to start its work, said, "We will get enough material to give a balanced report".
Faced with the JAC's decision to boycott the Committee to protest against its Terms of Reference, Duggal hoped that responses would be forthcoming once the intent of the panel is understood.
"The proof of the pudding is in its eating. I am 100 per cent sure that when the people see the intention, even those who are boycotting (will support it). Once they see the purpose, I have no doubt we will get enough material to give a balanced report," he said.
Asked how the Committee would take the views of those who have boycotted it, Duggal said, "The voices will be counted as good response has already come. We have received 50 memoranda so far since February 20, when the public notice was issued. It is your option. I cannot force you. Once the intent of the Committee is known, the responses will be forthcoming," he said.
A fresh public notice could also be issued, with the approval of the Chairman of the Committee Justice B N Srikrishna, for seeking responses, he said.
The Committee will start holding consultations with various groups and political parties from the middle of March in Hyderabad and other places in the state on the issue of the creation of a separate Telangana state. The panel has asked the Andhra Pradesh government to make available infrastructure and other facilities for holding meetings in the state.
"These things have to be done before we start the consultation process in the middle of March. We will be holding consultations with all sections of people," he said.
Duggal said the Committee needs interpreters, stenographers, recorders, conference rooms and other facilities for carrying out its work in the state.
"The Committee also needs a place for holding consultations and meeting delegations from various organisations on the issue. All these issues have to be solved before the process begins," he said.
Duggal met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah in Hyderabad on Wednesday and discussed issues related to the five-member Committee's work. Sources in the Chief Minister's Office described the meeting as a 'courtesy' as Duggal was visiting the state for the first time since the constitution of the Committee.
"Duggal had a one-on-one interaction with the chief minister in the latter's chambers in the Council," a senior official in the CMO said.
More protests for separate Telangana state in India
(Courtesy : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8515689.stm)
More protests have broken out in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in support of the proposal to create a separate state called Telangana.
At least 20 people were injured as angry students clashed with police in the state capital, Hyderabad.
In December, Indian authorities said Telangana would be carved out of the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh, but later said more talks were needed.
The state has seen weeks of violent protests for and against the proposals.
Police used batons and fired tear gas shells to break up a demonstration by students at Osmania university on Monday morning. It was the second day of clashes between police and students at the university campus.
No consensus
Meanwhile, the state assembly speaker has accepted the resignations of 11 pro-Telangana opposition legislators who resigned on Sunday.
More resignations are due on Monday.
The legislators are protesting against the Indian government's decision to set up a committee to look into demands for the formation of Telangana state.
The government announced the formation of the committee, headed by an ex-chief justice of the Supreme Court, earlier this month.
The protesting legislators are calling for the immediate creation of Telangana.
In January, a meeting of different political parties to discuss the issue failed to arrive at a consensus.
The leaders of the political parties who attended the meeting called for calm in Andhra Pradesh and agreed to hold further talks.
Correspondents say there are deep divisions within political parties over the Telangana issue.
The final decision to create a new state lies with the Indian parliament, but the sharply divided state assembly must pass a resolution approving its creation.
More protests have broken out in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in support of the proposal to create a separate state called Telangana.
At least 20 people were injured as angry students clashed with police in the state capital, Hyderabad.
In December, Indian authorities said Telangana would be carved out of the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh, but later said more talks were needed.
The state has seen weeks of violent protests for and against the proposals.
Police used batons and fired tear gas shells to break up a demonstration by students at Osmania university on Monday morning. It was the second day of clashes between police and students at the university campus.
No consensus
Meanwhile, the state assembly speaker has accepted the resignations of 11 pro-Telangana opposition legislators who resigned on Sunday.
More resignations are due on Monday.
The legislators are protesting against the Indian government's decision to set up a committee to look into demands for the formation of Telangana state.
The government announced the formation of the committee, headed by an ex-chief justice of the Supreme Court, earlier this month.
The protesting legislators are calling for the immediate creation of Telangana.
In January, a meeting of different political parties to discuss the issue failed to arrive at a consensus.
The leaders of the political parties who attended the meeting called for calm in Andhra Pradesh and agreed to hold further talks.
Correspondents say there are deep divisions within political parties over the Telangana issue.
The final decision to create a new state lies with the Indian parliament, but the sharply divided state assembly must pass a resolution approving its creation.
Amar, Javadekar join pro-Telangana stir; slam Centre
(Courtesy : http://www.ptinews.com/news/530528_Amar--Javadekar-join-pro-Telangana-stir--slam-Centre)
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar and expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today shared the stage for the cause of Telangana statehood and accused the UPA government of not heeding to the demand of the people.
The two addressed a rally by pro-Telangana advocates from Andhra Pradesh here. Singh was seen joining Javadekar when the latter raised the "Jai-Jai Telangana" slogan from the dais.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley could not turn up.
Singh, who demanded carving out Poorvanchal, Harit Pradesh and Bundelkhand from Uttar Pradesh, said smaller states were necessary for a faster pace of development.
"When I was the General Secretary of SP, I could not openly support the demand for Telangana in Parliament as the party was against smaller states.
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar and expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today shared the stage for the cause of Telangana statehood and accused the UPA government of not heeding to the demand of the people.
The two addressed a rally by pro-Telangana advocates from Andhra Pradesh here. Singh was seen joining Javadekar when the latter raised the "Jai-Jai Telangana" slogan from the dais.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley could not turn up.
Singh, who demanded carving out Poorvanchal, Harit Pradesh and Bundelkhand from Uttar Pradesh, said smaller states were necessary for a faster pace of development.
"When I was the General Secretary of SP, I could not openly support the demand for Telangana in Parliament as the party was against smaller states.
India state protester dies after setting himself ablaze
(Courtesy : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8527605.stm)
An Indian teenager has died of his injuries after setting himself on fire during protests for a new southern state of Telangana.
S Yadaiah, 19, set himself ablaze on Saturday in the city of Hyderabad.
The unemployed orphan died of his injuries in hospital on Sunday. A note he is reported to have left said the proposed state would mean more jobs.
Andhra Pradesh, from which Telangana would be carved, has seen weeks of protests for and against the new state.
Campaigners say Telangana's economic development has been neglected in favour of the richer and more powerful Andhra region - and that a new state is the only solution
Divisions
Reports say Mr Yadaiah doused himself with petrol from a bottle kept in his bag, and lit a match while watching a procession of university students.
"The suicide note in his bag shows that he was frustrated due to lack of proper employment," police official Srinivasa Rao was quoted as saying by The Indian Express newspaper.
"He wrote that a separate Telangana state would ensure jobs for hundreds of youths like him and that he was immolating himself in protest against the delay in formation of the new state."
In December, India's government said that Telangana would be carved out of the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh, but later said more talks were needed.
The government has decided to set up a committee to look into demands for the formation of Telangana state.
Correspondents say there are deep divisions within political parties over the Telangana issue.
The final decision to create a new state lies with the Indian parliament, but the sharply divided state assembly must pass a resolution approving its creation.
An Indian teenager has died of his injuries after setting himself on fire during protests for a new southern state of Telangana.
S Yadaiah, 19, set himself ablaze on Saturday in the city of Hyderabad.
The unemployed orphan died of his injuries in hospital on Sunday. A note he is reported to have left said the proposed state would mean more jobs.
Andhra Pradesh, from which Telangana would be carved, has seen weeks of protests for and against the new state.
Campaigners say Telangana's economic development has been neglected in favour of the richer and more powerful Andhra region - and that a new state is the only solution
Divisions
Reports say Mr Yadaiah doused himself with petrol from a bottle kept in his bag, and lit a match while watching a procession of university students.
"The suicide note in his bag shows that he was frustrated due to lack of proper employment," police official Srinivasa Rao was quoted as saying by The Indian Express newspaper.
"He wrote that a separate Telangana state would ensure jobs for hundreds of youths like him and that he was immolating himself in protest against the delay in formation of the new state."
In December, India's government said that Telangana would be carved out of the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh, but later said more talks were needed.
The government has decided to set up a committee to look into demands for the formation of Telangana state.
Correspondents say there are deep divisions within political parties over the Telangana issue.
The final decision to create a new state lies with the Indian parliament, but the sharply divided state assembly must pass a resolution approving its creation.
Pro-Telangana protests reach Delhi
(Courtesy : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pro-Telangana-protests-reach-Delhi/articleshow/5603610.cms)
Hundreds of lawyers from Telangana staged a protest rally Monday in the national capital demanding statehood for the region and tried to enter the parliament annexe, police said.
Holding placards with messages such as "Lathi, goli khayenge, Telanagana le jaayenge" (we will suffer baton and bullets but will take Telangana) and shouting "Jai Telangana", men and women dressed in their black and white lawyers' attiregathered at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital and voiced their demands.
The protest was timed to coincide with the opening day of the budget session of parliament.
The agitating lawyers demanded that a bill for formation of a separate Telangana state should be moved in parliament at the earliest.
They tried to march to parliament but were stopped by police who were present in large numbers. Police used water cannons to disperse the protestors.
However, a group of nearly 150 lawyers slipped away and managed to reach near the parliament annexe. They tried to forcibly enter the place, but were stopped by the security personnel.
"The situation is under control and no one has been allowed to enter (the parliament annexe). Extra police force has been called," a senior police officer said.
The Telangana region comprises nine districts of Andhra Pradesh, including the state capital Hyderabad. The separate statehood to Telangana is vehemently opposed by the two other regions of the state - Rayalseema and Andhra.
Hundreds of lawyers from Telangana staged a protest rally Monday in the national capital demanding statehood for the region and tried to enter the parliament annexe, police said.
Holding placards with messages such as "Lathi, goli khayenge, Telanagana le jaayenge" (we will suffer baton and bullets but will take Telangana) and shouting "Jai Telangana", men and women dressed in their black and white lawyers' attiregathered at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital and voiced their demands.
The protest was timed to coincide with the opening day of the budget session of parliament.
The agitating lawyers demanded that a bill for formation of a separate Telangana state should be moved in parliament at the earliest.
They tried to march to parliament but were stopped by police who were present in large numbers. Police used water cannons to disperse the protestors.
However, a group of nearly 150 lawyers slipped away and managed to reach near the parliament annexe. They tried to forcibly enter the place, but were stopped by the security personnel.
"The situation is under control and no one has been allowed to enter (the parliament annexe). Extra police force has been called," a senior police officer said.
The Telangana region comprises nine districts of Andhra Pradesh, including the state capital Hyderabad. The separate statehood to Telangana is vehemently opposed by the two other regions of the state - Rayalseema and Andhra.
OU VC denies Maoist presence on campus
(Coutesy : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/ou-vc-denies-maoist-presence-campus-364)
The Osmania University vice-chancellor Prof. Tirupathi Rao on Sunday said there are no Maoists on the university campus and the allegation that Maoists have infiltrated the campus under cover of the Telangana movement is “baseless”. Prof Rao was speaking to reporters at OU.
His statement contradicts the submission made by the state government this week in the Supreme Court that there is “sufficient evidence” that Maoists have infiltrated the campus and are taking shelter there.
The government also informed the apex court that Maoists have significantly infiltrated the pro-Telangana movement and are posing as agitators.
When reporters pointed out the government’s stand, Prof. Rao said, “I don’t know why the home ministry has given such a report to the government. We have no information about the presence of Maoists on the campus or about them taking shelter in the student hostels. Not a single such instance has come to our notice till now.”
Prof. Rao also wants the executive council of the university to be informed before police forces are deployed on campus.
“It’s not that we don’t require the police to control violence on the campus. If the need arises, we will definitely seek their help. However, the police department should inform the university about such deployment in advance,” he said.
He also urged students not to disrupt academics and exams through agitations.
“It’s not just the question of 10,000 students who are pursuing studies on the campus. It’s about the future of nearly 50,000 students who are studying in the university-affiliated colleges. If the exams are postponed because of tension on the campus, all the other students will have to suffer for no fault of theirs,” he said.
He warned that if there is, a “zero year”, students will have to face the consequences when they apply for further studies or jobs.
The Osmania University vice-chancellor Prof. Tirupathi Rao on Sunday said there are no Maoists on the university campus and the allegation that Maoists have infiltrated the campus under cover of the Telangana movement is “baseless”. Prof Rao was speaking to reporters at OU.
His statement contradicts the submission made by the state government this week in the Supreme Court that there is “sufficient evidence” that Maoists have infiltrated the campus and are taking shelter there.
The government also informed the apex court that Maoists have significantly infiltrated the pro-Telangana movement and are posing as agitators.
When reporters pointed out the government’s stand, Prof. Rao said, “I don’t know why the home ministry has given such a report to the government. We have no information about the presence of Maoists on the campus or about them taking shelter in the student hostels. Not a single such instance has come to our notice till now.”
Prof. Rao also wants the executive council of the university to be informed before police forces are deployed on campus.
“It’s not that we don’t require the police to control violence on the campus. If the need arises, we will definitely seek their help. However, the police department should inform the university about such deployment in advance,” he said.
He also urged students not to disrupt academics and exams through agitations.
“It’s not just the question of 10,000 students who are pursuing studies on the campus. It’s about the future of nearly 50,000 students who are studying in the university-affiliated colleges. If the exams are postponed because of tension on the campus, all the other students will have to suffer for no fault of theirs,” he said.
He warned that if there is, a “zero year”, students will have to face the consequences when they apply for further studies or jobs.
T lawyers break Delhi cop cordon
(Courtesy : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/t-lawyers-break-delhi-cop-cordon-577)
Hundreds of lawyers belonging to the Telangana Joint Action Committee assembled at Jantar Mantar in the national capital and demanded that the Bill a separate state be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session.
They were joined by the BJP leader, Mr Prakash Javadekar, and the expelled Samajwadi Party leader, Mr Amar Singh.
Later in the day, the lawyers hoodwinked the police and reached within 100 metres of the Parliament building before being arrested near the Parliament annexe. For almost 90 minutes, the protestors blocked the traffic in the area.
The lawyers later gheraoed the Union minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, and demanded that he resign for Telangana statehood.
After their protest in the Parliament premises, the Telangana Congress MPs including Mr Ponnam Prabhakar, Mr G. Vivekanand and Mr Madhu Goud Yashki said they met the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and briefed him on the political situation.
“The PM said it is a serious situation and the government is working for a solution. He also expressed concern over the deaths of people during the agitation,” Mr Yaskhi said. The party spokesperson, Mr Abhishek Singhvi, said although the Congress considered the demand for a separate Telangana an important issue, there was no need for the President’s address to the joint session of Parliament to comment on each and every issue. “But that does not mean that the issue is off the table,” he said.
Hundreds of lawyers belonging to the Telangana Joint Action Committee assembled at Jantar Mantar in the national capital and demanded that the Bill a separate state be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session.
They were joined by the BJP leader, Mr Prakash Javadekar, and the expelled Samajwadi Party leader, Mr Amar Singh.
Later in the day, the lawyers hoodwinked the police and reached within 100 metres of the Parliament building before being arrested near the Parliament annexe. For almost 90 minutes, the protestors blocked the traffic in the area.
The lawyers later gheraoed the Union minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, and demanded that he resign for Telangana statehood.
After their protest in the Parliament premises, the Telangana Congress MPs including Mr Ponnam Prabhakar, Mr G. Vivekanand and Mr Madhu Goud Yashki said they met the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and briefed him on the political situation.
“The PM said it is a serious situation and the government is working for a solution. He also expressed concern over the deaths of people during the agitation,” Mr Yaskhi said. The party spokesperson, Mr Abhishek Singhvi, said although the Congress considered the demand for a separate Telangana an important issue, there was no need for the President’s address to the joint session of Parliament to comment on each and every issue. “But that does not mean that the issue is off the table,” he said.
Exams can wait, Osmania students see future in passing Telangana test
(Courtesy : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/exams-can-wait-osmania-students-see-future-in-passing-telangana-test/583108/0)
For the sixth time in two months Osmania University (OU) postponed its exams this week due to the pro-Telangana student agitation and the volatile situation on the campus. But the students do not seem to be too bothered. The Telangana issue rages on and they are all consumed by passion. The university administration, though grappling to maintain academic schedules, feels it is in keeping with the character of OU that its students are at the forefront of a major issue like the demand for formation of a new state.
The nerve-centre of the ongoing agitation, OU, established in 1918, has always been in the thick of action whether it is the Telangana movement, Left-ideology or politics. In January 1969, when there were general protests against the withdrawal of certain special benefits provided by the Centre to Telangana, OU students took the lead and started a massive agitation that spread across the region like wildfire. The intensity of the agitation was such that it enveloped government employees from Telangana, teachers, lecturers and professors of colleges and universities in the region, elected representatives and political leaders, who en masse joined the students. At least 360 students were killed in police firing and violence that occurred during that agitation.
Founded by the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, OU happens to be the first modern university of the country with Urdu as the medium of teaching. Famous for its Management, Engineering and Technology faculties, OU has over a dozen faculties.
Since November 29, 2009, the situation on the campus has become explosive. What started off as a protest against the arrest of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, before he started his fast unto death, has snowballed into a major agitation. Almost every day, demonstrations, police baton charges, stone-pelting occur here and students brave rubber bullets and tear-gas shells. So far, four students have immolated themselves allegedly for the Telangana cause, two have succumbed. More than 120 students have landed in hospital with injuries during police action. In several instances, especially a day or two before exams were scheduled to start, students incited violence by provoking the police and paramilitary forces by pelting them with stones.
On February 14 evening, students tried to attack a CRPF tent which resulted in the police firing teragas shells and rubber bullets. The OU postponed MBA and MCA exams that were to begin on February 15. There was violence again on February 15 evening resulting in postponing of exams that were to be held the next day.
Leading the agitation is a group of students from the Arts stream, supported by hundreds of hostel boarders and students of other faculties. The OU and its affiliated colleges have at least three lakh students. Nagam Kumaraswamy, head of the Students’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) which is spearheading the agitation on the campus, says the agitation will continue till the Telangana goal is achieved. “This agitation cuts across all political, caste and religious lines. It will only intensify because of the delaying tactics of the Centre. But we will not give up. Students are willing to put their careers at stake for the sake of Telangana because it is not only about a separate state but also our identity and pride,” Kumaraswamy, a Political Science student, says. “Students of OU have this time converted the movement, which till now was a movement among the intellectuals and upper class, into a full-blown agitation involving all classes. The students’ involvement has forced all political parties to sit up and take notice and pledge their support.”
Unlike in the past, due to the students the agitation has penetrated into other districts of Telangana region where small JACs have been formed which keep organising dharnas or relay hunger strikes to keep the issue alive.
The unity among students over the agitation is such that even final year students, whose fate hangs in the balance due to the frequent postponement of exams and semesters being behind schedule, also take part, aware that they might lose job opportunities if an academic year is wasted or delayed. Most students feel that if they have a separate state they will get jobs and economic equality. “All of us believe that people from Andhra and Rayalaseema region have taken away our job opportunities. They have cornered all the plum posts, have come to Hyderabad and prospered in business using our resources. It is time we reclaim all that,” says Praveen Reddy, head of the TRS student wing
“The agitation is going on irrespective of the split within political parties. MLAs and MPs of Telangana region of all parties are divided over the issue but it does not affect the students,” adds Praveen Reddy.
With several lecturers and professors sympathetic to the Telangana cause, the OU administration is making all efforts to ease the academic pressure on the students. Prof B S Rao, who heads the newly formed students-teachers coordination committee, says the OU has made arrangements for students to attend classes of the next semester even if exams are not held for the previous semester.
“It is an institutional mechanism to deal with the agitation and its impact on academics. By coordinating with student leaders we are making sure that classes are not affected much and those students who want to attend can do so. As exams are getting postponed frequently we have decided to hold one exam per week. This takes pressure off the students as they don’t have to prepare for all the exams at one go when the situation in the campus is not conducive. It is the students’ wish and OU cannot say whether the students can protest or not on the campus,” Prof Rao says. “On our part, lecturers and professors of the coordination committee meet students and counsel them how the agitation may affect their studies and careers and what they should do. It is an emotional issue for the students; on the one hand they don’t want to give up the agitation on the other, they know it may affect their careers.”
For the sixth time in two months Osmania University (OU) postponed its exams this week due to the pro-Telangana student agitation and the volatile situation on the campus. But the students do not seem to be too bothered. The Telangana issue rages on and they are all consumed by passion. The university administration, though grappling to maintain academic schedules, feels it is in keeping with the character of OU that its students are at the forefront of a major issue like the demand for formation of a new state.
The nerve-centre of the ongoing agitation, OU, established in 1918, has always been in the thick of action whether it is the Telangana movement, Left-ideology or politics. In January 1969, when there were general protests against the withdrawal of certain special benefits provided by the Centre to Telangana, OU students took the lead and started a massive agitation that spread across the region like wildfire. The intensity of the agitation was such that it enveloped government employees from Telangana, teachers, lecturers and professors of colleges and universities in the region, elected representatives and political leaders, who en masse joined the students. At least 360 students were killed in police firing and violence that occurred during that agitation.
Founded by the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, OU happens to be the first modern university of the country with Urdu as the medium of teaching. Famous for its Management, Engineering and Technology faculties, OU has over a dozen faculties.
Since November 29, 2009, the situation on the campus has become explosive. What started off as a protest against the arrest of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, before he started his fast unto death, has snowballed into a major agitation. Almost every day, demonstrations, police baton charges, stone-pelting occur here and students brave rubber bullets and tear-gas shells. So far, four students have immolated themselves allegedly for the Telangana cause, two have succumbed. More than 120 students have landed in hospital with injuries during police action. In several instances, especially a day or two before exams were scheduled to start, students incited violence by provoking the police and paramilitary forces by pelting them with stones.
On February 14 evening, students tried to attack a CRPF tent which resulted in the police firing teragas shells and rubber bullets. The OU postponed MBA and MCA exams that were to begin on February 15. There was violence again on February 15 evening resulting in postponing of exams that were to be held the next day.
Leading the agitation is a group of students from the Arts stream, supported by hundreds of hostel boarders and students of other faculties. The OU and its affiliated colleges have at least three lakh students. Nagam Kumaraswamy, head of the Students’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) which is spearheading the agitation on the campus, says the agitation will continue till the Telangana goal is achieved. “This agitation cuts across all political, caste and religious lines. It will only intensify because of the delaying tactics of the Centre. But we will not give up. Students are willing to put their careers at stake for the sake of Telangana because it is not only about a separate state but also our identity and pride,” Kumaraswamy, a Political Science student, says. “Students of OU have this time converted the movement, which till now was a movement among the intellectuals and upper class, into a full-blown agitation involving all classes. The students’ involvement has forced all political parties to sit up and take notice and pledge their support.”
Unlike in the past, due to the students the agitation has penetrated into other districts of Telangana region where small JACs have been formed which keep organising dharnas or relay hunger strikes to keep the issue alive.
The unity among students over the agitation is such that even final year students, whose fate hangs in the balance due to the frequent postponement of exams and semesters being behind schedule, also take part, aware that they might lose job opportunities if an academic year is wasted or delayed. Most students feel that if they have a separate state they will get jobs and economic equality. “All of us believe that people from Andhra and Rayalaseema region have taken away our job opportunities. They have cornered all the plum posts, have come to Hyderabad and prospered in business using our resources. It is time we reclaim all that,” says Praveen Reddy, head of the TRS student wing
“The agitation is going on irrespective of the split within political parties. MLAs and MPs of Telangana region of all parties are divided over the issue but it does not affect the students,” adds Praveen Reddy.
With several lecturers and professors sympathetic to the Telangana cause, the OU administration is making all efforts to ease the academic pressure on the students. Prof B S Rao, who heads the newly formed students-teachers coordination committee, says the OU has made arrangements for students to attend classes of the next semester even if exams are not held for the previous semester.
“It is an institutional mechanism to deal with the agitation and its impact on academics. By coordinating with student leaders we are making sure that classes are not affected much and those students who want to attend can do so. As exams are getting postponed frequently we have decided to hold one exam per week. This takes pressure off the students as they don’t have to prepare for all the exams at one go when the situation in the campus is not conducive. It is the students’ wish and OU cannot say whether the students can protest or not on the campus,” Prof Rao says. “On our part, lecturers and professors of the coordination committee meet students and counsel them how the agitation may affect their studies and careers and what they should do. It is an emotional issue for the students; on the one hand they don’t want to give up the agitation on the other, they know it may affect their careers.”
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