24. (SOCIAL-24) REALIZATION DREAMS OF TELANGANA.

         Telangana came in to existence as the 29th state of India today. People all over Telangana are celebrating the realization of the decades long dream.. For the first time out side Hindi and Bengali speaking areas-two states speaking same language have been created. History will analyze why did this Telugu state break down? What are the lessons for the future? The creation of Telangana has ended a nearly 50 years of long struggle for separate state. Chandrasekhar Rao who led the movement for a separate state of Telangana since 2001,has taken oath as new Chief Minister of the state.

       In 1956 Congress government in Center decided to merge Andhra which was carved out of Madras state with the Telugu speaking areas of the dominion of the deposed Nizam state of Hyderabad. Congress was then facing a tough Electoral trouble with Communists. Due to negligence of Land reforms, irrigation projects, Countryside development and Rural empowerment the people of Telangana believed that they would be better off as a separate state. The people of Telangana were against merger and feared about job losses. Education levels and Developments are high in Andhra.  There were cultural differences too. 

      The Telangana struggle has been a long battle. A separate state movement was intensified under the leadership Marri Channa Reddy in 1969. There was widespread violence and over 369 protesters killed in police firing and lathi charge. In general elections TPS a Political party for Separate Telangana under the leadership of Channa Reddy  swept the entire Lokasabha seats excluding Khammam evidencing the ambition of the Telangana people for separate state.. However the movement could not last long as Marri Channa Reddy merged his political party with Congress and was eventually made chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana movement back stabbed and evaporated. BJP promised for statehood to Telangana in 1998 stating "One vote Two states" but neglected it later. A group of Congress MLAs submitted a memorandum to the party president Sonia Gandhi in 2000 demanding to separate statehood to the region. The Central Govt through Chidambaram declared the statehood of Telangana in Dec 2009 but later went back.

     A separate movement was again started in the year 2001 by the next generation leader Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao and other social and cultural organizations. Students, Employees, Writers, Artists, Lawyers and Doctors etc battled for Telangana in various methods since 15 years. Above 1000 youngsters especially from weaker sections sacrificed their lives for separate state of Telangana.

    Congress central leadership taken a decision on separate statehood for Telangana and passed a bill taking special active role to pass the Bill in the Parliament. Bill was passed , but the Congress failed to reap its political fruits.

      Hope the new state of Telangana will fulfill the dreams and hopes of the youth and all sections of people in Telangana. Hope Sri Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao will succeed.

                    ----PENDYALA VASUDEVARAO.