The fledgling state of Telangana is taking baby steps, and they are in the wrong direction. If it’s well-wishers don’t correct that wrong direction, then it will grow into a misguided adult. All those who have struggled for several decades for a separate State, not only by protesting on the roads but by writing in the media, researching, and publishing books on the injustice suffered by the people of Telangana in the five-plus decades after integration with Andhra State are now wondering if now ‘their’ government has turned against all that they fought for.
For the past three days, the students, led by Osmania University students have been protesting on the streets. Ironically, the response to their demands by the government has been no different from the earlier Andhra-led governments to the legitimate demands of the Telangana people. Two ministers, Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and Education Minister G Jagdish Reddy refused to even hear the students; the police beat them up with sticks to disperse them, injuring several of them; the security staff of the ministers roughed up the protesters. The saddest part is that, one of the prominent voices of the Telangana struggle, Harish Rao is even said to have used Telugu abuse words against the students prompting the students to demand registering a case against him. The ministers did not have the time or inclination to hear out the students. Evidently, power has gone to their heads. This is the classic instance of kicking away the ladder after using it for climbing. ‘Use and throw’ is going to be the philosophy of the TRS government? This is a serious ethical lapse of the government.
On July 20, perhaps the first physical confrontation in the new State took place between angry student protesters and the Telangana government. In an ugly manifestation of the state power, students were prevented from presenting a memorandum to the ministers at a function that the ministers were attending. The students were physically prevented, dragged away and even beaten with sticks. To top it all, Harish Rao was heard using abuse words against the students. This provoked the students to burn his effigy on the campus of Osmania University, a throw back to the times when they burnt the effigies of the Seema-Andhra ‘oppressor’. The irony cannot be missed. It didn’t take long for the new rulers to take on the colours of their oppressors.
So why are the youth of Telangana, the very same youth, especially the students, who were in the forefront of the struggle for a separate state, angry with their government? They are protesting against the injustice that is embedded in the recent announcement of the government that it would ‘regularise’ the services of about 70,000 contract employees who are working in as many as 70 departments of the state government and also in the state-supported universities and colleges.
The genesis of the issue lies in the concept of ‘outsourcing’ started by former AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu inspired by the anti-worker World Bank’s policies. The people who did the outsourced work later were put under contract. Now, if Telangana government has its way, they will become permanent with their services regularised. There are issues of justice involved apart from outright violation of the norms of not just this government but of employment anywhere. Almost all appointments to these contract posts were based on political recommendations, on the basis of caste and of course, on the basis of relationship/friendship/kinship.
There were no tests conducted for the applicants; no interviews were held; no roster system applied; no reservation was implemented, either with regard to caste or gender or religious minorities. This was totally violated in the contract employment. The worst thing about this is that unqualified people were recruited in some departments: those who had no engineering qualifications were appointed as engineers!
Several people were recruited for projects in departments such as electricity, irrigation, police, agriculture, education. The projects came to an end but not their employment. They were continued irrespective of their need. Similarly, in the case of universities, ‘academic consultants’ who were appointed to teach, are being continued even though there is no ‘work load’, that is there is no work for them. In almost all departments more people than required were recruited as they were cheap labour. They were continued even when there was no need. And no decision-maker will bell the cat of removing those not needed: once in, never out. That is the stupidity of our system, the illogic of it, the inefficiency of it, the corruption of it. Corruption because the contract employees would do all the work while the permanent ones could take it easy. Hence, the development of vested interests in their continuance even if there is no work load, even when the project for which they were employed came to an end.
The entire process was illegal: there was no proper method of selection, qualifications were waived, favours handed out to kith and kin, family and friends, efficiency was compromised and injustice embedded. That injustice is now being sought to be made permanent. This is like one constructing a building in violation of norms, the regulators overlooking it for reasons of their self interest and later regularising it. In short, a wrongdoing is overlooked. In this instance, an injustice is being perpetrated by those having power. A bad precedent is being set by a fledgling state at the cost of justice, efficiency, norms and propriety.
It is nobody’s case that the contract employees should be summarily dismissed. They too should get consideration since they too have served. Let them get weightage for their service while they are being considered for selection. But let there be fair play in recruitment; there are youngsters with more qualifications; youngsters with better qualifications. Let there be justice; let there be reservation; let the women and minorities get their share.
Like all government appointments, the posts should be notified, applications scrutinised, interviews held and the best person selected; weightage should be given to the contract employees according to their experience; all those without the necessary qualifications should be weeded out irrespective of their experience.
The TRS government promised one lakh government jobs and the youth who made the state of Telangana had huge expectations. They had hopes. But now their hopes are being dashed to the ground. They feel let down. We cannot let them down.
Today, human resources are the most important resource for the fledgling state of Telangana. Let us not compromise, let us not play with our future, let us not set a bad precedent. We need good traditions, honest practices and a just system of governance at all levels.
By Prof P L Vishweshwer Rao*