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| Telangana to become the 29th state |
| Press Trust of India / Hyderabad Dec 10, 2009, 12:34 IST |
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The decision to carve out a separate state of Telangana, which will take the total number of states in the Union to 29, comes at the end of a 40-year-old struggle for a distinct identity.
This comes after a gap of nine years when three new states were carved out. Jharkhand split from Bihar on November 15, 2000 to become the 28th state while Uttarakhand split from UP on November 9 and Chattisgarh was created on November one the same year.
Andhra Pradesh has 23 districts, including the state capital Hyderabad, in three regions – coastal Andhra (nine), Rayalaseema (four) and Telangana (ten).
Since its inception in 2001, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has been fighting for creation of a separate Telangana state. Telangana region now accounts for 119 of the 294 seats in the Assembly and 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha members.
Telangana region comprises Hyderabad, Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Warangal, Rangareddy, Nalgonda, Khammam and Mahbubnagar.
The demand for a separate state began in 1969 but the Congress then, had stoutly opposed any move for additional linguistic states.
Disillusioned by it, firebrand Congress leader M Channa Reddy broke away and formed the Telangana Praja Samithi (Telangan Popular Association) in 1969.
The first movement of a separate Telangana state met with a gory end in 1971. As a counter, the "Jai Andhra" agitation was taken up in 1972-73.
BJP tried to spearhead the movement in 1998 but failed to keep its promise as coalition partner Telugu Desam Party opposed the move.
In 2004, Congress forged a pre-poll alliance with TRS while promising to work for a separate Telangana. When TRS did not see it fructifying, it withdrew support two years later. Last year, TDP announced its support for Telangana.
The Centre's nod came after TRS Chief K Chandrashekhar Rao went on an indefinite fast-unto-death which he broke after 11 days yesterday amid heightened tensions in the state.
The Centre's decision may fuel demands for separate "Andhra", separate "Rayalaseema" and even a separate "north-coastal Andhra".
Topping it all is the demand for making (Greater) Hyderabad a Union Territory. The TRS has made it clear that Hyderabad has to be part of Telangana.
Another demand is the creation of "Greater Rayalaseema".Rayalaseema region comprises four districts: Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool and Chittoor.It accounts for 52 of the Assembly seats and 8 MPs.
Leaders of this region have now raised a demand for including Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore and Prakasam districts in Rayalaseema, thereby making it a "Greater" state.
SPS Nellore and Prakasam districts are now part of coastal Andhra, that stretches up to Srikakulam bordering Orissa, along the Bay of Bengal coast.
People of north-coastal Andhra – which consists of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts – are demanding that the three districts be formed into a separate state in the event of bifurcating AP.PTI cation, coastal Andhra will be left with only four districts – Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari. Now coastal Andhra has 123 MLAs and 17 MPs.
Since Hyderabad is well-developed, has a cosmopolitan character and a "greater" stature with a population touching nearly a crore, the general demand is for converting it into a Union Territory like Chandigarh.
Interestingly, people of Rayalaseema or coastal Andhra are strong proponents of an integrated Andhra Pradesh.
"Our demands are only subject to the formation of Telangana state.Otherwise, we are for a unified AP," they assert.
Political observers feel that the demand for Rayalaseema, north-coastal Andhra or Andhra state is only to "dilute" the Telangana demand.
Even the demand for UT status for Hyderabad is also a similar ploy, they point out.
It is mostly the Congress leaders who are trying to champion the cause of Rayalaseema, Andhra or north-coastal Andhra.
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