The Centre seems to be opting for ‘tough’ measures to thwart the Telangana Political JAC-sponsored “Hyderabad March” on September 30 than pronouncing a decision either way on the State bifurcation.
Indications to this effect were evident from the Centre first summoning Governor ESL Narasimhan and now Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to Delhi. The Governor, who met the Union Home Minister and later several other senior ministers looking after the State affairs, had been told to advise the State administration from time to time to deal with the situation arising out of the threats being held out by the separate statehood activists. Though the Governor was reluctant to let the media know what really transpired between him and the Union Home Minister, it is gathered that on hearing the ground reports of the region, the former had assured of all assistance from the Centre to maintain peace and tranquility in the State capital as well in the region at all costs.
What does it mean? It means, the Centre was willing to deal with the September 30 March called by the TJAC Convener Prof. Kodandaram, which doesn’t have the endorsement of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) headed by K Chandrasekhara Rao. That the Centre would like to take maximum advantage of the open reported ‘rift’ between the TRS and its erstwhile frontal organization TJAC to maximum extent.
As part of the ‘game plan’, the Congress high command on one hand kept TRS leader K Chandrasekhara Rao guessing over his proposed meeting with none other than Sonia Gandhi and on the other chalked out fool-proof strategies by sending additional forces to deal with the possible break down in law and order situation. That too, on the eve of International Bio-diversity Meet beginning from October 1 in State capital which will be attended by delegates from as many 80-plus countries.
High placed sources admit that the Congress-led UPA is in no hurry to take a decision either way to further fuel the situation. “We have been assured that the party high command takes no decision which will hurt our feelings,” a senior Seemandhra leader confessed to your news agency on condition of anonymity. However, he agreed that at one point of time, the party command wanted to consider the demand fearing that its political fortunes in other too regions of the State are bad with the YSRCP consolidating its position in the recent by-elections. Based on that understanding, the rumors started spreading from New Delhi that the party high command was in favor of taking a decision in favor of Telangana statehood. But, it had to backtrack quickly for two reasons — threat of party men from Seemandhra joining the YSRCP en masse and the other the AIMIM was reluctant to accept the State bifurcation of the format that the TRS wanted to.
It may mentioned here that AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asadduin Owaisi made it clear that they would only oppose only Telangana as separate State, but wanted Rayala Telangana, which includes two districts – Kurnool and Anantapur – of Rayalaseema. Otherwise, the AIMIM wanted Hyderabad as a separate State along with formation of Telangana with other districts.
Therefore, the Congress could not move forward though it wanted to giving hopes for T-State aspirants of realization of their dream sooner than later. Precisely with that hope, TRS Chief Chandrasekhara Rao chose to disassociate with the TJAC consisting of government employees Unions and also some students outfits to call for an agitation in the form of ‘Chalo Hyderabad” or ‘Hyderabad March’ on September 30.
But, now he (KCR) is in a fix. What will he do if the Centre refuses to pronounce its decision either way on State bifurcation? Will he fly back to Hyderabad to join hands with TJAC to strengthen the movement causing serious law and order problem? Shrewd Congress leadership indeed pushed him into a piquant situation. He, in fact, had promised his supporters that he would return to the State capital with a firm commitment (announcement of T-state) from the Centre.
Ironically, there is none, including those whom the TRS leader met, including Vayalar Ravi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Veerappa Moily, besides others, were all busy handling ‘neck-deep’ problems following the fresh Economic Reforms announced by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, which include hike in diesel price and FDI in retail sector. Both these decisions announced by the Congress-led UPA government in New Delhi put the entire country on ‘frying pan’ with all Opposition parties joining hands and making the Bharath bandh last week a great success. Unrelenting Dr Manmohan Singh government even wanted to risk its very survival to fight the Opposition on its decisions claimed to have taken to put the country’s economy back on rails, indeed pushed the T-issue in the background. (NSS)