The Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, in his statement after accepting the Sri Krishna Commission Report today on the future of Telangana, stated the Central Government will work towards arriving at a solution that will bring satisfaction, happiness and prosperity to all. Reading between the lines, the Home Minster has in principle accepted the demand for Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital and stated that his Government will set the process in motion for the creation of Telangana. For it is a fact that only in their own state will the 4.5 crore people of Telangana be satisfied, happy and hope for prosperity. Any other solution will leave the 4.5 crore people of Telangana, dejected and unhappy and sow the seeds of confrontation and rebellion in the psyche of an emotionally charged region.
The Central Government, has called for a meeting of all political parties in Andhra Pradesh, on January 6, 2011 to discuss the report and build consensus for the future course of action. Though this sounds laudable, history makes us skeptical of the outcome of this meeting. We all know what happened after the all party meet on January 5, 2010 in New Delhi last year. The TRS almost went into reverse gear, and would have laid low for the next 3 years and the General Elections in 2014, when it would have again raised the issue to garner seats. It was the unrelenting pressure of the student community and the common Telangana man and woman who had to resort to taking the extreme step of self immolation before the Government relented and set up the Sri Krishna Commission. Let us keep our fingers crossed and hope the mistakes of history are not repeated again, and the all party meet, ends all speculation and comes up with a concrete plan of action.
The way forward as we see it, is a five point action plan for the Government to embrace. First, set in motion the process of creating Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital. Two, let the Rayalseema and Andhra regions decide whether they want to be together or have separate states and if they prefer to separate trifurcate AP into Telangana, Andhra and Rayalseema. Thirdly, announce a development package for Telangana which has been grossly neglected and for the other state/s to develop a capital in either Vijaywada/Vishakapatnam/Tirupati as they see fit. Fourthly, set up a bifurcation/trifurcation committee to work out the modalities of repatriation of employees working in the Government sector to their respective regions, and for the sharing of river waters and other disputes arising out of the division. Fifthly, set up a transition Government comprising of equal representation from all three regions to ensure a fair and peaceful division and birth of new states.
Though this may be unpalatable to a few vested interests, it is the only solution that can bring about satisfaction, happiness and prosperity for all concerned. Hope, this time the sense of Justice and fair play pervades over greed and covetousness. And the people of Telangana finally get the due rewards which have been denied to them for the last six decades of India’s independence.
by
Neera Kishore
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