In a debate conducted under the banner of ‘Top Story’ by a television channel, which prolonged much beyond its scheduled time of conclusion, KCR spoke elaborately and coolly dwelling at length on several issues.
Though united Andhra activist Adari Kishore, who joined the dialogue from Visakhapatnam, none of the participants countered KCR’s arguments very effectively. Jandhyala Ravi Shankar, legal cell convener of the Congress, tried to put up some opposition, but KCR dominated the show owing to his stature and oratorical and conversational skill.
He has the gift of the gab to keep his opponents hear hims in rapt attention to what he says.
When every other channel was seeking to know why KCR was maintaining a stoic silence when the activity on Telangana reached a feverish pitch, the TRS boss came on a phone line and spoke to a TV channel at length. He even offered to participate in a 10-hour or 12-hour-long debate with leaders opposing Telangana.
Breaking his flow of eloquence, a call from Congress MLA from Anaparthi Assembly constituency in East Godavari district apparently caught KCR like sitting duck. At least, it appears so in hindsight, though KCR sounded very convincing instantly during the debate.
Sesha Reddy, who won over KCR instantly by politely addressing the senior politico as ‘Anna’ (elder brother), was indeed successful in ensnaring KCR in a trap.
Reddy said that the way a majority of people of Telangana were strongly desirous of the formation of a separate State, a large number of residents of Hyderabad did not want to be part of a separate Telangana. Responding to this, KCR said he was ready for the conduct of a referendum on this issue among the residents of Hyderabad.
He countered the argument of Sesha Reddy that Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen was against Hyderabad becoming part of a separate Telangana and said: “MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi offered three options — 1. His party wants the State to stay as it is and it is opposed to separation, 2. Separation of the State of Telangana with Hyderabad as its headquarters.” After reiterating the second point twice, KCR made amends and added that the MIM wanted a Rayala-Telangana with Hyderabad as its headquarters. KCR suggested that the last point was the second option given by the MIM.
It is at this juncture, the champion of Telangana said that he was ready for a referendum to elicit the majority opinion of the residents of Hyderabad. Whether KCR was aware that the scales would tilt in favour his viewpoint or would go against it is not known. But what’s intriguing is what was that with what confidence did he fly off the handle to blurt of this offer, which will likely trigger a major debate in the State, beginning Friday.
His diaphanous offer exposed too many angles for the observers to deduce their own conclusions.
With 27 Assembly constituencies in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation agglomeration area and the adjoining constituencies and the latest demand by T Jayaprakash Reddy to have Sangareddy also merged with separate State of Hyderabad in keeping with the demand of City ministers Danam Nagender and Mukesh Goud, the issue of referendum, which is surreptitiously kick-started by KCR,would surely provide the necessary breather to the Congress and the TDP from the most unexpected quarter – KCR.
The political gristmills will begin churning once again. The protagonists and opponents will have ample time to cross words. Has he inadvertently provided fodder for the Congress, which is desperately waiting for an opportunity to procrastinate the issue, to bide time on the pretext of fixing the terms of reference for the plebiscite on Hyderabad?
Making a complete ‘U’ turn and becoming wary of the consequences in the event of any provocative or hate speech in the ight of recent happenings (read Akbaruddin’s issue), KCR fervently and repeatedly appealed to Andhra “intellectuals, students and learned politicians” to gracefully let the separation of Telangana happen sans any hurdles.
“We have to live together. Geographically, we will be neighbours. We have been united emotionally as two States and we can continue the same relation. In fact, there was Telangana before it was merged with Andhra in 1956. Even before the formation of Andhra in 1953, Telangana state existed,” he said.
However, he apparently did not go into the finer detail that it was Hyderabad State that existed and that parts like Bellary, Gulbarga, Bidar and a few other districts of Karnataka were either with Andhra or Hyderabad as the case might be, for want of time and precision.
Adari Kishore, who participated in the debate, said people of Andhra would not mind if KCR became the Chief Minister of a united Andhra Pradesh and drew up plans to mete out justice to all regions.
However, the pivot of Telangana struggle conceded that even if he were made the Chief Minister of a united Andhra Pradesh, he would not be in a position to do justice to the people of Telangana. He spoke at length about:
1. The “injustice” done to the Telangana region since Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy’s period as the Chief Minister
2. The violation of ‘gentleman’s agreement’, the Centre nullifying the verdict of the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court through an amendment in the wake of Jai Andhra movement
3. Proposed resignation of Seemaandhra ministers and the retaliatory resignations by Telangana ministers
4. On sharing of river waters, availability of water that’s going waste into the sea, his opposition to Polavaram as it would not do any justice to Andhra region also
5. The 610 GO, repatriation of 20,000-odd Andhra employees,who were recruited ignoring the Mulki, by Kasu Brahmananda Reddy and 60,000-odd employees by NTR — who both were leaders of Andhra region
6. The harassment of Telangana and Andhra engineers by Rayalaseema people in the wake of building NTR’s pet project — Telugu Ganga
7. Long history and glory of Hyderabad being the second biggest and well-developed City even before the country became independent and how it was relegated to fifth position eventually, especially after the formation of Andhra Pradesh.
KCR derided the idea of conferring the status of Union Territory on Hyderabad. Acknowledging the contribution of Andhra leaders too for the growth of Telangana, he said: “I am not denying the contribution of Andhra leaders in Telangana.” But he wanted the leaders to cooperate as things came to that pass. However, he could not conceal his diffidence when he said: “It is said that the Centre would give Telangana. Let us see what happens.” This is an un-KCR-like statement, for he usually asserts anything.
No comments:
Post a Comment