Ex-minister and influential politician of Rayalseema, J.C. Diwakar Reddy is behind this move for the merger of both the regions. “The people of Rayalseema would prefer to go with Telangana rather than Andhra if the state is divided. This I can say for sure. I am constantly getting the feedback from people in Rayalseema. Most MPs and MLAs from the region are agreeable to this” he said.

Till now Diwaker Reddy appeared to be more in favor of a United Andhra. Even Rayalseema region veteran leader and ex-home minister as well as TDP MP M.V. Mysoora Reddy also expressed similar views. “People I have spoken are in favor of merging Rayalseema with Telangana. The idea is still nascent. Let’s see how it progresses. But we cannot turn away from this new reality.”

One may recall that both these leaders along with late CM Y.S.Rajashekar Reddy had launched a movement for a separate Rayalseema state in 1980s They had undertaken a padayatra to highlight the region’s backwardness and has also demanded for a larger share of Krishna waters.

Commenting on his shift in stand Diwaker Reddy said,” Things are not the same. We do not know the Congress high command final stand on T. In a situation like this, the people of Rayalseema have been forced to think about the future.”

Incase the merger does not work out, then Diwakar has suggested a separate Rayalseema.” Rayalseema going with Andhra is not feasible.” He is of the view that both Rayalseema as well as Telangana have common history. Both regions happen to be part of Nizam state. The Nizams had given up Kurnool, Anantpur, Kadapa as well as Chittor along with Bellary which is now in the Karnataka region to the British. He felt that people of both the regions were culturally connected. “For the past 60 years, they have been tied down by backwardness.”

An establishment near IDBI in SR Nagar received a “notice” from the local police, instructing the owner to have safety net protecting his building and also take necessary safety precautions. Commercial establishments such as SR Nagar, Banjara Hills, Tarnaka as well as Punjagutta were targets of Telangana agitators who protested after the arrest of TRS leader K. Chandrashekar Rao on last November.

Several rioters had also damaged properties after the airing of the story that the Ambani brothers could be involved in YSR’s death. Several buildings of Reliance have been damaged.

Public transport such as buses were damaged as well as some private vehicles. Glass facades of buildings such as Chermas in Ameerpet, Hyderabad Central in Punjagutta as well as digital showroom of Reliance, in Banjara Hills apart from many other commercial complexes. Stones were thrown at these buildings and buses and other vehicles were set on fire.

The police has informed these establishments to take necessary measures. Several establishments have set up safety nets such as City center in Banjara Hills, the office of Aircell in Begumpet, Gowri Plaza near Rasoolpura, Mody Hyundai showroom in Bowenpally, as well as Nishan showroom located on road number 12,Banjara Hills as well as several commercial complexes. The deputy commissioner of police, Central Zone, P. Hari Kumar said that more buildings will have a glass façades fixed up. Even multiplex Imax will also so follow suit.

The violence lasted for nearly 2 hours and buildings that were damaged were Central Facilities Building as well as OU Academic Staff College. The TRS MLA E.Rajender as well as gunman suffered injuries which were minor in nature.

The students had set ablaze about three police vehicle- a van and 2 trucks. One of the damaged vehicle was carrying food for the policemen who were on duty in the campus. The police of course resorted to lathicharge. Many of the injured students were shifted to hospitals located nearby. The police made use of water cannons, fired several tear gas shells as well as rubber bullets in order to control the students who happen to be getting violent every minute.

The disturbance took place when about 600 students who were led by the OU Joint Action Committee (JAC) as well as JAC of various political parties tried to lead a rally at about 10.30 am meant to carry the dead body of Venugopla Reddy belonging to Arts College to Gunpark, which is the Telangana martyrs memorial located in front of the state Assembly. For about 45 minutes the students found it difficult to cross the cordon created by the police. The students became violent when they were prevented by the police to proceed further at the Ladies hostel of the university.

These feelings were conveyed by Congress delegation from Telangana region to the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, which included MLAs and MPs. The leaders said that the Governor of Andhra Pradesh ESL Narasimhan appears to have conveyed this view to Chidambaram in the report he submitted on the law and order situation in Andhra Pradesh to the Union Home Minister on December 4th. Commenting on this M. Jagannathan said,” There is no Maoist presence in the Telangana movement. In fact, the recent bandh call given by the Maoists in the region was an utter flop. The Telangana movement is a peopled one. Any attempt to discredit it by attaching the Maoist tag is unfortunate and unacceptable.”

The Telangana JAC held a meeting at the Constitution Club in New Delhi and condemned the “smear campaign” of the Governor. The Telangana leaders claimed that the late Chief minister, Y.S.Rajashekar Reddy had very effectively finished off the menace of the Maoists with in the state.

Commnet
The Telangana agitation has now and then come to fore. It is felt among a section of state leaders, that this part of the state had been neglected and that the Telangana people were overlooked in Government appointments. As one is aware the Telangana region had for several number of years been under Nizam rule and the Mughals had also made forays into this region. Aurangzeb came up to Golconda area and then retreated. The language and culture of the Telangana does vary from that of the Rayalseema and Coastal Andhra. Earlier also students had protested for separate statehood, but they could not achieve their goal. Now again they took to the streets for the same cause. The Osmania University Campus here in Hyderabad played a pivotal role in Telangana students’ gatherings to seek a statehood for their region.

In the coming few days the Center will decide upon its future course of action. In Hyderabad much restraint is being maintained by all parties to maintain law and order. Students of Osmania University have decided to sit for their examination this year so that the university does not declare it a zero year.

This feeling of unhappiness expressed by the state political leaders was conveyed to the Union home minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram who was met by various leaders of respective parties individually. The people of Andhra Pradesh are obviously faced with suspense as to what would be the final outcome.

The state is of course experiencing rare peaceful conditions after so much tension, whereby pro-united Andhra groups and pro-Telangana groups protested and agitated. Several properties were destroyed. The residents felt very insecure and threatened.

The Telangana Joint Action Committee led by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrashekar Rao organised an emergency meeting in New Delhi and decided that peaceful agitations for carving Telangana would continue till the Center decides on statehood for the Telangana people.

Mr. M. Kondandaram, convenor of JAC said, “The JAC also decided to hold meeting of all elected representative from the region in the next 3 or 4 days, and if no positive decision is announced by the Center by then, we will force a constitutional crisis in the state my making sure that resignations of all 119 Telanagana MLAs,17 MPs and the MLCs are accepted.”

Although, Chandrashekar Rao informed the media that he was happy with the outcome of the eight party meeting held with P.Chidambaram at New Delhi, yet sources revealed that was actually quite unhappy the way the Center handled the whole affair. Chidambaram requested KCR to withdraw all agitations as now there was time-bound way of dealing with the situation had begun; but KCR felt that the agitations cannot be stopped as the Center has not made any commitments .on the issue. Chidambaram asked KCR to ensure that the agitations were peaceful.

The problem faced by the UPA Government is the unhappiness expressed by the state leaders belonging to the Congress as well as TDP about the manner the Center has handled the issue. The leaders of the Andhra TDP opposed the decision of the Center to set up a committee on Telangana. Says TDP Andhra leader and politbureau member Y. Ramakrishnudu, “If the Center appoints a committee, then it should look into the demands of statehood made in 12 other states including Tamil Nadu.”

The Central Government had to intervene and a meeting was held on January 5th consisting of all regional parties as well as national parties in Delhi. No consensus on the issue was reached and it was more of a deadlock. The political parties, numbering around eight stuck to their respective stands and did not yield a bit. Naturally, the Central Government could not decide upon whether to form Telangana or not.

The Union home minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram informed the media that the parties happen to be divided on the issue and that none of the parties were opposed to further consultations with stake holders and other groups.

Chidambaram said,” should such consultations become necessary, they were keen that it should be concluded within a reasonable time-frame. I will take their views to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other cabinet colleagues and come up with decision or statement from the government,” Chidambaram said he of course did not specify any time-frame for the announcing the decision. Later at night, Chidambaram met the Prime Minister and submitted a report concerning the meeting.

Chidambaram made it quite clear the issue was quite far from being resolved. Commenting on the law and order situation in the state, Chidambaram said, there must be a halt to agitations and bandhs. Law and order must be maintained. Children must go to schools and colleges. People must be able to be allowed to carry on their normal day-to-day activities. Government must be able to focus on development and the welfare of the people,” he told the parties.

The home minister also said that the Maoist will take advantage of the situation,” I wish to caution all political parties that there are forces waiting in the wings who ridicule the parliamentary form of democracy and who would be happy if we collectively fail to find answers to the issues that concern us, and we should not give any room for these forces to gain strength or credence.”

It is hoped that further consultations on the issue will be held under peaceful conditions and all the respective parties would be able to decide upon future course of action.