Hyderabad, July 08: Hyderabad’s MP Assaduddin Owaisi is a much sought-after man by protagonists of united Andhra. Owaisi may be not able to stem the Telangana movement but can help to keep Hyderabad away from Telangana. When the Telangana elected reps put in their papers, Owaisi along with the MLAs of his party, MIM, kept away. He also called on the CM to assure that his party was against Telangana.
At the same time, AICC observer Ghulam Nabi Azad is believed to the have told Congressmen handing in their resignations that no call on Telangana was possible without consulting Muslims. As much as 35% of Hyderabad’s population comprises Muslims, and the MIM has a vice-like grip on the community in the old city with seven MLAs .
“The MIM disfavours Telangana, but the larger Muslim sentiment in the city is in favour of a separate state,” says Zaheer Ali Khan, managing editor of Urdu paper, Siasat. Muslim professionals concur. “We are a higher percent of population of Telangana than in Andhra. Thus Muslims will have a louder voice in Telangana,” said a Muslim lawyer. “MIM may win elections but is not the vox populi. Organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami Hind have held rallies for Telangana in Hyderabad,” says K T Rama Rao, TRS leader. But Owaisi’s standard argument has been that BJP will become a factor and Hindutva forces will raise their head. Muslims would also react, and a communal situation will prevail perpetually, Owaisi said.
Analysts, however, say that Owaisi’s line has also to do with fact this family is into the realty, education and hospital businesses. “He is concerned about brand Hyderabad in the business sense,” said an analyst. Former Union home secretary Gopal Pillai said that Hyderabad was always considered a part of Telangana and there was never any thinking about granting it a special status.
Making common cause with Owaisi are two Congress MLAs – Danam Nagendar and Mukesh Goud – who want an separate status for Hyderabad outside Telangana. This is also the viewpoint of the sizeable number of settlers from Andhra who have made their home in Hyderabad. Many of them, here for two generations, know no other place as home. This includes the CM Kiran Reddy.
In fact the popular belief is that minus Hyderabad, the pro Andhra lobby will not stridently oppose Telangana. But TRS will have nothing of this. Reason: Hyderabad other than being located at the centre of Telangana is also the only big city. Importantly, the majority of the population is also from neighbouring Telangana districts. Hyderabad’s economic sinews are, however, controlled by those from Andhra. They are apprehensive about their future in Hyderabad in a separate Telangana. It would, therefore, seem that a special status for Hyderabad within Telangana is the solution to the T tango. A union territory status for the city is ruled out because Hyderabad just can’t go out of the control of Telugus.
A proposal for Hong Kong-like solution for Hyderabad is being talked about. After the British left Hong Kong, the Chinese converted it into a special administrative region. Hyderabad could be given the same status with its own city government. Telanganites will be happy because Hyderabad would be with them, the Andhraites too would feel happy because their interest would be protected. An ideal solution?
–Agencies