New Delhi, December 12: A constable at the Andhra Bhavan, Sudhakar (name changed on request), who comes from Telangana, seeks refuge in its famous kitchen. It is his only getaway from the playful, yet incessant, ragging of his colleagues who come from ‘other’ parts of Andhra Pradesh.
As the country fervently debates the need for a separate Telangana state, Sudhakar’s life remains unchanged — except that he is teased occasionally by his colleagues.
“Yes, I would like to see a separate state. Anybody belonging to the region would have the same desire,” says Sudhakar, who comes from Hyderabad, amid loud protests from his friends.
S S Kumar, a businessman originally from Vijayawada, says there is no need for a separate Telangana state. “A separate state will not bring about any real change in the lives of people,” Kumar says. “What is important is for people to remain united.”
He says people belonging to Telengana “suffer from problems that can be seen everywhere”.
Even as tempers flare in public, the staff at the workers’ quarters remain distinctly unaffected. The only arguments are about who makes more karaam (spicy) food, and who makes dishes better. “People of Telangana have always used chilli with more ease than those from other parts of the state,” says a worker from Karimnagar, who does not wish to be named.
Those against the split of Andhra Pradesh speak of how their food has intermingled, leaving no difference in eating habits. To prove his point, Bhaskar Reddy, from Krishna district, says, “Earlier, people from Telangana never made sambhar — it was always Paapu Chaaru for them. But now, even people from Karimnagar come to eat sambhar at the Bhavan, even if they do not make it back home.”
Away from the kitchen talk, Ghanendra Bhardwaj, media coordinator for the All India Congress Committee, says, “While the party is in favour of a separate state, the matter lies in the hands of Soniaji, the core committee, and the people.”
But Nageshwar Rao, who cuts vegetables in the kitchen, says, “How does it matter? Work goes on. As long as we make good food, people are happy.”
—–Agencies