Hyderabad, December 24: The five-member Justice Srikrishna Committee in all probability might adopt a tight-rope policy on the contentious issue of Telangana and thus avoid making a categorical suggestion for the formation of a separate state.
This could be construed from various political statements that have been emanating from different quarters and also from the brisk administrative measures being taken to face the post December 31 situation even as the committee is busy finalizing its report to be submitted on Friday next.
If one reads between the lines the views being expressed in political as well as official circles, the Sri Krishna Committee might reveal in its findings the deep-rooted sentiments of the people for a separate Telangana state mainly because of the continuing backwardness of the region due to utter negligence by successive governments. Thus the committee might suggest the imperative need for wiping out this regional imbalance with a “special package” for speedy and all round development of Telangana by providing adequate and additional financial assistance.
Another important aspect that might be focused in the committee’s findings is with regard to the status of Hyderabad, the state capital which has become a bone of contention between the protagonists of separate Telangana and Seemandhra activists. Being a cosmopolitan city with people from different parts of the state having settled here and contributed to its vast growth in all fields besides those coming various parts of the country equally responsible for its rapid strides, there was also a vociferous demand for either declaring Hyderabad as a union territory or if need be carve out a separate Greater Hyderabad State.
Therefore the status of Hyderabad might come in handy for the Sri Krishna Committee for using it as a spanner in wheel to recommend the bifurcation of the state.
One cannot ignore the fact that the TRS, which is spearheading the separate Telangana state agitation, seem to be wary of the fact that the Sri Krishna Committee might be only performing a balancing act on the issue of separate statehood for Telangana. The apprehensions of the TRS in this aspect could be gauged from the call given party Chief Mr. K. Chandrasekhar Rao to boycott the budget session of the State Legislature which is scheduled to be held during February next.
It is pertinent to note here the unprecedented arrangements being made by the police to beef up security arrangements to face any eventuality after the receipt of the report of Sri Krishna Committee. This in itself is a clear indication about the things that are in store for the people in the matter of law and order in the state. Already additional central forces have been sought for deployment in sensitive areas in the Telangana region. Besides the hidden warnings of the Chief Minister and the Director General of Police for dealing with an iron hand to maintain peace and tranquility amply speaks of the fact that the state is virtually sitting on powder keg.
As if this was not enough the prevailing volatile political situation what with the Opposition parties up in arms against the state government over the farmers issue and the former Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy’s moves to poach MLAs to his side after getting a massive response to his 48-hour deeksha in Vijayawada recently are all sending ominous signal to the very survival of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.
Thus amidst growing uncertainty and fear among the people about the repercussions after the Sri Krishna Committee report and raging political unrest pushing the state government to the wall have triggered off speculations about an impeding President’s Rule in the state. Will this be the new year gift to the people? The coking days will only tell.
——–NSS