Press Note on Telangana Statehood
(Issued end of Dec. 2009 by JNU Forum for Telangana and National Forum for Telangana)
It is none other than the class interests of ruling political parties of the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, which have prevailed on the central government to backtrack its decision over separate Statehood for Telangana. On the contrary, to its statement on 9th December, (initiate the process to create Telangana State) the central government made a very confusing statement, satisfying the ruling class of Andhra and Rayalaseema on 23rd December. The Home Minister announced that “the opinions of all the concerned forces will be taken into consideration.” Not a single word was mentioned about the formation of Telangana. And it even does not clearly state whether opinion will be considered to form Telangana State, or to continue with the united Andhra Pradesh. This particular statement led to celebrations in Andhra and Rayalaseema, and once again the people of Telangana felt betrayed.
Aftermath of 9th December: Subsequent to the Centre’s declaration to initiate the process of creating Telangana, there is hue and cry from both Andhra and Rayalaseema. Dramatic sequences of incidences took place in Andhra Pradesh state politics. Elected representatives across the mainstream political parties in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions submitted their resignations from 10th of December. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker has not yet accepted their resignations even after these many days! Congress and TDP leaders are provoking the people in both these regions against the demand for Telangana. The CPI(M) has joined the bandwagon of united Andhra Pradesh and is signing the chorus. The Andhra ruling class, which has huge interest in lands grabbed under the name of SEZs in and around Hyderabad, has already started using various means to pressurize the Congress high command. Private anti-social forces were deployed by some party leaders to disturb the normal course of life in these two regions.
State government repression on Telangana students: Students across the region are actively taking part in the movement. Telangana universities became the nerve centres of struggle. To curtail the movement the State government had filed several false cases against the student activists under sections 437, 438, 153. Several students were booked under non bailable cases. When the Home Minister gave his first statement on 9th December, he categorically mentioned that “we request the Andhra Pradesh State government to withdraw the cases against all student activists.” Till now cases have not been lifted, on the contrary student activist who were granted bail were also arrested on the other false cases even before they left the premises of the police station. The State Home Minister refused to lift the cases on the pretext that she has not received any communication from the Centre. Universities became the real battle grounds and the state deployed huge forces in all Telangana universities. Section 144 was imposed across the region.
When there is a threat to the interest of the ruling class: When there is a potential threat to their own interest the ruling class across the parties will come together. The series of events in Andhra proved this. Interesting combinations, such as Nannapaneni Rajakumari (TDP MLC), holding the hand of Gangan Bhavani, (President, Mahila Congress); Paritala Suneetha, (TDP, MLA) was seen extending solidarity with Lagadapati Rajagopal, (Congress MP). She otherwise accuses the same Congress of killing Paritala Ravi. In another instance, Chandrababu Naidu is weeping over Chief Minister Rosaih that he was not been taken into confidence by the Congress high command before it announced the decision on Telangana. Spokesperson of TDP, Revanth Reddy emphasizing the separate Statehood, stated that “the present movement for Telangana State is the movement taken by the people themselves and they made the leaders follow them. On the contrary, in Andhra region it is only leaders taking initiative for united Andhra movement and the people are following the movement.” On the other side, Chandra Babu is insisting on United Andhra Pradesh, and some of his elected representatives sat for an indefinite hunger strike and continued peace rallies, bus rallies for a united Andhra Pradesh. The BJP is supporting smaller states with its own logic where the welfare of the common people does not figure in their agenda and it made no statement over the injustice that the people of Telangana have been facing for 60 long years by the Andhra ruling class. We need not mention the parliamentary left where the CPM has joined the bandwagon for united Andhra Pradesh struggle, whereas the CPI is playing a dual role in different regions. Never before in Andhra’s history are the ruling class’s selfish motives so nakedly seen as now. In this entire political circus, none actually bothered to address the aspirations of the Telangana people. When Maoists were called for peace talks by the YSR government, they raised the issue of illegal land grab by certain political leaders. Immediately the peace talks were called off and, as a consequence, all of us know very well the number of lives lost in fake encounters.
Class dimensions of the opposition to the cause of Telangana: Now the class dimensions of opposing separate Statehood to Telangana are clearly visible. In one word: this is the war between upper class power coalitions of Andhra-Rayalaseema and the poor, marginalized and deprived people of Telangana. The ruling class across the spectrum of political parties came together to launch a war against the democratic aspirations of the people of Telangana. The huge land interest in the name of SEZs and real estate business, of Lagadapati Rajagopal (MP from Vijayawada constituency) and several other similar forces, led to the fabrication of ‘movements’ in these two regions against the democratic aspirations of Telangana people.
Corporate interest in claims for Hyderabad: As per the study of Professor Ganta Chakrapani, Hyderabad city has been expanded from 2197 sq.kms to 6852 sq.kms over a period of time. The city was expanded engulfing the cultivable lands of farmers in Telangana districts leaving them no livelihood option. The city jurisdiction was extended to 54 mandals in Telangana and several areas in Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medak, Mahaboobnagar and Nalgonda were included. Hyderabad has emerged as the capital for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in India. Out of 513 SEZs formally approved by the Government, 73 are in Andhra Pradesh, and 66 of these are located in and around Hyderabad City. There is no other city in the world, which accommodates such a huge number of SEZs. Lagadapati Rajagopal, MP from Vijayawada constituency, acquired hundreds of acres of land at throwaway prices for his 5500 crores worth 121 multi-storey apartments and towers Lanco project. He even occupied Wakf lands of Muslims in Hyderabad. Once again, thanks to the efficiency of judicial system, he won the case filed against his occupation of Wakf lands in the Supreme Court. The notorious Satyam Computers has its own story of grabbing lands under the SEZ act. Even the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA) was scrapped in order to bring more land into the hands of capitalist forces. This clearly explains why integrationists are emerging only from the Andhra region, and why there is no single soul from among the common people of Telangana, who stands in favour of united Andhra Pradesh. These are the same forces who wanted Hyderabad to be declared as a union territory.
The feudal and big capitalist forces are not ready to visualize a situation of not having control over the rich natural resources of Telangana such as water, coal mines, forests, granite quarries, and vast cultivable lands. Decades of exploitation pushed this region to underdevelopment, whereas the Andhra region flourished at the cost of the blood and sweat of Telangana people and their resources. It is a class struggle between mainstream political lobby of Andhra and Rayalaseema on the one side and people of Telangana on the other side. At this historical juncture the common people of Andhra also should recognize that these capitalist and feudal forces of Andhra are not only enemies to the people of Telangana, but also they are enemies to the common people of Andhra and Rayalaseema too. In fact, they are our common enemies and the battle is to be fought together against these forces.
Aftermath of 23rd statement of Centre: Now once again Telangana took up the struggle path. The people voluntarily came to the streets expressing their dissent to the Centre’s betrayal. State government deployed forces in universities turning them into battle grounds. As we all are aware generations after generations, people of Telangana spilled their blood for the cause of separate Statehood. And people are aware it is class which is operating underneath the so-called united Andhra Pradesh sentiment. After the Centre’s decision on 9th December elected representatives from Andhra and Rayalaseema resigned from their Legislative assembly and Parliament memberships. However, they have decided to withdraw in view of the 23rd decision. More than commitments to the cause of Telangana, elected representatives of this region are forced to resign as a face saving act in view of mass resignations in Andhra after 9th December’s announcement. Elected representatives of Telangana across the political parties have resigned from their Assembly and Parliament memberships as a response to 23rd December’s announcement of Centre.
Political Parties and their naked roles: All the mainstream political parties and their opportunistic stands were never so exposed in the political history of Andhra Pradesh. Political parties such as Congress, TDP, CPM, CPI, PRP, Loksatta were shedding crocodile tears over the under development of Telangana in the context of the recent movement for separate Statehood. Prior to the Centre’s decision on the 9th December, some parties even stated that they will support the resolution for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in the State assembly. However, immediately after the 9th December announcement, these opportunistic political parties took a u-turn and refused to support the people of Telangana. The so-called struggles in these two regions were sponsored by ruling parties in Andhra and Rayalaseema. The keen observation of the ground situation explains its class character, and class interest of the Andhra-Rayalaseema ruling class, which is acting against the people of Telangana. The central government which was forced to concede to the demand of separate Telangana by the latest wave of militant mass agitations has once again gone back on its promise in the pretext of ‘building consensuses.’
Struggle will continue: In this context, we the students from JNU Forum for Telangana, and National Forum for Telangana completely aware that class and class interests of the ruling class of Andhra and Rayalaseema is alone acting against the historical, mass, democratic, just demand of people of Telangana. The battle of the poor and marginalized people of Telangana is continuing against the ruling class of Andhra and Rayalaseema. At the same time, the people of Telangana are also being vigilant about future Telangana state. It is not only about achieving Telangana as a territorial entity, but also achieving a democratic Telangana, free of social, cultural, economic, political exploitation. People are aware that achieving Telangana is not about one Reddy, or Choudhary, or Rao replacing the other. It is about utilizing the vast resources of Telangana for the benefit of the grass root people of Telangana.
In the process of articulating their cause, the people of Telangana are being equally vigilant towards the ruling class of Telangana and watching all the parties and their moves keenly. The people who fought against ruthless feudal oppression, the people who are continuing to fight all the mainstream political parties, will definitely continue the spirit to even question the other ruling elite before and after the formation of Telangana State.
We demand:
Ø Immediate withdrawal of all the forces deployed in the universities of KU and OU (Kakatiya University, Osmania University).
Ø Present A.P. government should withdraw all the cases against students involved in the movement.
Ø Centre has to declare the time framework to create the Telangana state.
Ø Student JAC should be taken into consideration in further consultation process both by political parties and the State government.
(The press conference was addressed by Prof. G.N. Saibaba, DU; Prof. Krishan Devarao, Head, Department of Law, IGNOU; Krishna Prasad, Forum for Inclusive Growth; S. Naresh Reddy, JNU Forum for Telangana.)