AP Politics and runup to 2014 General elections

[RamaY]

Those castes are certainly NOT the reason for the split. Split reasons clearly lie with INC and BJP and their screwed up policies.

Exactly.

RamaY is unnecessarily bringing in his caste prejudices and his dislike/condescension of these castes into the discussion where as the real cause is obviously the greed/opportunism/bungling of all political parties at both central and state level and their pandering of the poisonous creature KCR at different points in time; add to that the correct/incorrect belief of the Telangana people that they are losing out to non-T people.

Request you to read my post. I don't dislike any caste. I am just hoping that the current phase of krishi/Sudra consciousness continues. The society needs it.

[devesh]

Those castes are certainly NOT the reason for the split. Split reasons clearly lie with INC and BJP and their screwed up policies.

when delusion takes hold, you need a quick pill to restore sanity. I doubt there is one in this case though. such a rosy picture of the AP elites is naivete.

these guys have persisted with their petty caste rivalries for a solid 1000 years. it takes an enormous amount of personal/petty vengeance and constant fuel of retributive thinking to hold on to those rivalries for a such a long period of time, at the cost of anything and everything.

I wouldn't be so quick to give them a clean chit.

and just to entertain his pet-peave on BJP, he decides to compare to INC. great, this is the same BJP, which once had an 18% vote share in Telangana, but gave up the separate state b/c of coalition dharma due to TDP alliance. but of course, BJP is to blame, even though it is the TDP and Naidu who have consistently taken every opportunity to throw shit on BJP for the past 10 years.

utter nonsense...

[SaiK]

wouldn't T's cheif be arrested for inciting violence? now the employes are onto bricks and bats.

[ShyamSP]

ShyamSP:

Aren't you doing the BJP a disservice by lumping them together with the Congress in this matter?

The BJP, as a matter of principle, has always supported smaller states, for administrative convenience. But, to my knowledge, they have not engaged in any 'machinations' that you accuse them of.

When the demand for 3 new states gained momentum during NDA rule, then Home Minister L K Advani clearly said that the BJP will create the new states only after the concerned state assemblies have passed the resolution for division, and they kept their promise.

In case of Telangana, the BJP has supported the demand for Telangana, but they have not supported creating it by an administrative decision by the Central Govt. In any case, the BJP has had minimal presence in AP. They are not the ones who could have mobilized street agitations in support of Telangana. The agitations for Telangana have been led by local parties. The BJP may eventually benefit from it, but it is not their ‘machinations’ that have caused this situation. The honor of keeping Telangana fires burning does not belong to BJP.

Lumping the BJP with the Congress in this matter, is similar to the argument by the Khalistanis – “because a Hindu-led Congress screwed us, so all Hindus are our enemies”.

The way I see it, in the Telangana case, 2 Telugu (T and non-T) cats fought each other and asked the Congress monkey to mediate, and the monkey ate the roti. Now the cats are blaming everybody in the jungle but themselves for losing their roti.

If BJP's principle is small states, they don't need to support Telangana they can support other 3-4 small states from AP that can provide more administrative convenience and much more geographically natural. They failed that test indicating they also wanted to play for their own politics. Small states, admin convenience, etc are just smoke-screens for the politics and simply just uppity statements.

If they don't like the INC way, why not just oppose and ask them to do in right way. They can issue statements and discuss in parliament. They never did. BJP instead is going "Bring it on", "we'll vote in 24 hours"

They were caught in statue-breaking all Telugu historical figures. Yeah right they are not part of machinations. If they didn't want to keep fire burning, they simply should have kept their mouth hut or opposed INC or asked for procedural and scientific/SRC-based division. Instead loud-mouthed lady used to come to Hyderabad and spurt some loud statements and go.

Looking from Telugu viewpoint INC and BJP both are central parties that are parties to the whole mess. Regional party TDP only joined or may be forced to join the orgy at the end to protect their own party. At this point in time, no party is sacrosanct.

[RamaY]

A_bharat,

Just watched the the 'vote for democracy' program that is aired on Monday in Andhra Jyothy tv channel. You might like it.

Unlike shouting competition debates, that debate is calm and gives good insights.

[Rony]

Brinkmanship on Telangana

The dangerous consequences of a weak Centre are coming home to roost. The 29th state of the country — Telangana — is on the anvil and the architect and chief protagonist whose actions moved the dream closer to reality is already making provocative statements that put the much-hoped for peace in fresh jeopardy.

There is no mistaking the fact that it was K Chandrashekar Rao, the frail and deceptively helpless-looking president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi who precipitated things to such an extent that the Centre was forced to concede the demand for Telangana’s statehood. But that Rao’s political gambit has caused a deep divide between the people of Telangana on the one hand and those of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema is today a harsh reality.

His latest statement while addressing the Telangana Employees Association in Hyderabad that all employees born in Andhra or Rayalaseema but working in Hyderabad would have to leave once Telangana is created is downright outrageous and would heighten the already acute feeling of insecurity among people in the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Any government worth its salt must call Rao to account for such a statement to drive it home that this is a free country where everyone is at liberty to move about and work wherever he wishes to.

But such provocative statements have been made in the past by the Shiv Sena bigwigs in Maharashtra against South Indians, then by Raj Thackeray against the Biharis in Mumbai and now again by Nitesh Rane, the son of former chief minister Narayan Rane, against Mumbai’s Gujaratis without any action being taken against them, and Rao would be no exception. He knows only too well that such statements more often than not bring electoral dividends.

Chandrashekar Rao waxed eloquent before the employees: “They (those not from Telangana) have no other option. If Andhra has to start working, all Andhra employees will have to go back. We are not saying ‘bhago, bhago,’ we are only saying that those who have cornered our jobs illegally and wrongly should go back.”

That is a terrible note to start the process of bifurcation on and Rao will have only himself to blame if he has already poured fuel on the rising embers of hatred. Evidently, he believes that the more polarised the society in Andhra Pradesh becomes, the better it would be for his electoral prospects in Telangana. But he has to be stopped in his tracks.

Ironically, the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh has come with a whopping 175 of the 294 legislators in the state from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema opposed to it at heart though Congressmen are known only to sulk and not to do anything that would jeopardise their association with the party.

Barring seven legislators who have submitted their resignations to the Assembly Speaker, the others from the region are waiting and watching which way the wind will blow. By toying with the idea of including two non-Telangana districts in the proposed state, the Congress is up to its tricks to make Telangana a strong entity because it suits it to do so.

Significantly, 68 per cent of the catchment area of River Krishna and 69 per cent of the catchment area of the Godavari falls in the Telangana region. So far Telangana got only 32 per cent share of the Krishna waters.

Now, the rest of Andhra will have to contend with the demand of Telangana protagonists for a 70 per cent share. Not only will this cause grave tension between the two sides but there would also be huge repercussions for the economy of the region.

Likewise, the Telangana region accounts for 20 per cent of the country’s coal deposits. The power generated through Singareni collieries feeds the entire south. Any move of the new state to reduce power to the neighbouring states will lead to inter-state tension.

If provocative statements continue to vitiate the atmosphere in the state, there is a clear prospect of tension and violent clashes between the two sides.

The decision to grant statehood to Telangana was not motivated by a sudden change of heart. Instead, the decision was fuelled by a sense of expediency with the impending general elections in mind. Facing the prospect of a total rout in what has been its traditional stronghold, the Congress thought it would at least salvage some ground in the Telangana region though it would continue to face disastrous prospects in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. It was indeed a desperate situation for the Congress in a state where it had won a whopping 33 of the 42 seats at stake in the 2009 elections.

The challenges ahead are daunting but it is at least some consolation that the period of uncertainty that the Congress thrust upon the state is now over. When finance minister P Chidambaram announced on the midnight of December 9, 2009, that Telangana was a decision that the UPA government had already taken, there was a huge backlash in the rest of Andhra Pradesh. The unrest that followed put the clock back and a decision that should have come then has come after nearly three and a half years with the spectre of general elections hanging overhead.

The threat that Naxalism poses to the region will also have to be tackled with wisdom lest it gets out of hand. The Naxalites will do everything to spread disaffection between the people of Telangana and the rest of Andhra so that they can destabilise the entire region. Consequently, demagogues and irresponsible leaders would have to be reined in.

All in all, there is statesmanship of the highest order required to meet the challenges ahead. But the record of the central and state governments to come out strong from the ordeal of fire is far from reassuring.

It is a pity indeed that Hyderabad, which was a city that had made it big in information technology and biotechnology, could suffer a body blow if questions continue to be raised about its future.

[Murugan]

Hyderabad Bandh call by muslim org/s on 11th Aug

[ramana]

Kakkaji, Ian Talbot, former British Indian Army, ICS, Collector of Punjab and an Oxford scholar in his book "India and Pakistan" writes that Andhra Pradesh is a crucible of Indian politics and what gets tried out there is applied to India. He wrote that in 1960.
You are getting a bird's eye view and you want to shut the eyes?

[SaiK]

Hyderabad Bandh call by muslim org/s on 11th Aug

would only make things easier with lower noise level ... and those who don't participate are in support then.

[RamaY]

Hyderabad Bandh call by muslim org/s on 11th Aug

would only make things easier with lower noise level ... and those who don't participate are in support then.

I think NM should thank Owaisi for giving 'forced' holiday for muslim brotherin after Ramzan fast and allow them to come to his meeting or watch on TV.

[Kakkaji]

Kakkaji, Ian Talbot, former British Indian Army, ICS, Collector of Punjab and an Oxford scholar in his book "India and Pakistan" writes that Andhra Pradesh is a crucible of Indian politics and what gets tried out there is applied to India. He wrote that in 1960.
You are getting a bird's eye view and you want to shut the eyes?

Ramanaji:

By all means, have a discussion but why all this blue-on-blue?

In the end, the T and SA folks have to live next door to each other, so what is all this name-calling achieving?

As for Ian Talbot's quote, there used to be a saying that "What Bengal thinks today, the rest of India will think tomorrow". That saying has become untrue over the last 50 years.

Times change. Every state has its own dynamics now. INC is a master of politics, and it will play politics everywhere to its own advantage, whenever it sees an opening. In this case, the opening was given to INC by Telugu politicians in AP, on both sides.

The tone of discussion on this thread is going, I am afraid, in the direction where soon someone from the aggrieved side will call for secession from India, to protest against 'machinations' by evil India against poor Telugus.

I have no dog in the T vs SA fight, but I feel sad when Indians fight other Indians.

[vera_k]

Similarly, for the most part bulk of Indians are united around the concept of (a) Ancient culture/tradition/religion (b)or the Modern entity India.

Actually, for most of the country, the only concept and entity that unites is Congress. This is why people aren't able to resolve their differences locally, and expect the Congress to act as a mediator.

[SaiK]

free (packaged ticket) hyderabadi biryani should make them scurry in listen-mode onlee to modi.

[ramana]

Kakkaji, I too get the heebie-jeebies but we need to let the talk go on to see where it is going? And what is needed to quiet the angst. Most of the members are highly educated and give petri dish view of things as they are.

Forty years ago I was quite attached but not now. Iguess time makes it distant.

[RamaY]

Similarly, for the most part bulk of Indians are united around the concept of (a) Ancient culture/tradition/religion (b)or the Modern entity India.

Actually, for most of the country, the only concept and entity that unites is Congress. This is why people aren't able to resolve their differences locally, and expect the Congress to act as a mediator.

+108.

Wonderful point. This mindset was created very very carefully using state media propaganda. Watch movies from 1940-60s and newsreels then you will see this propaganda very clearly.

But the good side is that if done properly, one can make Congress responsible for all failures of independent India.

[ramana]

RamaY, Try to read back issues of Hindu on the current morass. There is one article where 'leaders' from Rayalseema approach Sonia Gnadhi in a servile manner to give them some more districts and create a new state. For them "sarkar is maa baap and INC is Sarkar

[Rony]

For investors, Hyderabad now pariah

The decision on Hyderabad's fate has had investors scurrying for the exit, thanks to the anti-Seema-Andhra sentiment prevalent in Telangana.

With around 75% of its investments coming from the Seema-Andhra region or its people, this does not bode well for the city, a pharma and IT hub.

"Naturally, I am worried about putting my money here. If something undesirable happens tomorrow, I would be at a total loss," said SV Krishna Prasad from Vijaywada, CEO of Cito Healthcare, a drug marketing firm.

For three years, people like Prasad have had their plans on freeze, hoping for a peaceful settlement to the statehood issue. And now, their investment might just go to Maharashtra, which held a conference in Hyderabad on Tuesday to promote itself as an investor destination.

The prospect of investment in IT sector does not look too good either. Currently, the city's IT exports are worth over Rs. 40,000 crore annually.

JLN Murthy, a corporate consultant, might advise his Vishakapatnam-based IT client to go to Pune. "They have some investments in Hyderabad but given the situation, they want to explore new avenues," he said.

Anti-division agitation completes week

Agitations against division across Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema completed a week on Tuesday.

In Hyderabad, clashes broke out in a couple of government offices between employees from Seema-Andhra and Telangana.

With the employees on protest mode and ministers indulging in political manoeuvers, governance in the state has come to a standstill. There is confusion among aspirants about various job notifications.

[Rony]

BJP cadres in Rayalaseema in dilemma over united Andhra Pradesh protests

BJP cadres from Rayalaseema region where intense protests are on against creation of Telangana, are looking forward to the public meeting of Narendra Modi scheduled on August 11 in a bid to extricate them out of a rock and hard place situation they found themselves in over the separate statehood issue.

Local cadres are undecided over whether to support protagonists of unified Andhra Pradesh or continue their allegiance to Telangana as has been frequently pronounced by the Central leadership.

Some of the local leaders said they were feeling isolated in the region as supporters of united Andhra Pradesh who have upped the ante for the demand are looking down at BJP as the "culprit" for supporting separate state.

They alleged that senior leaders of the region misguided the cadres in view of ongoing agitations for united Andhra Pradesh.

"We hope that the state leadership will come out with a useful proposal which may insulate us from the culprit tag after Modi's rally in Hyderabad on August 11," a local leader said on condition of anonymity.

The Gujarat chief minister is scheduled to address the public rally in Hyderabad on August 11.

Seemandhra leaders fear to visit their homes

All the Seemandhra Congress MLAs and ministers, who find it difficult to stay in their trouble-ridden constituencies, are planning to go to New Delhi on August 11 to urge the party high command to reverse its decision on bifurcation of the state.

It has become a routine activity for the agitators in Seemandhra to stage dharnas at the residences of public representatives who have not resigned in protest against the bifurcation of the state. This situation has made many MLAs and ministers confine themselves to Hyderabad while MPs and Union ministers prefer to stay in New Delhi, as they find a safe haven there.

On Wednesday, protesters staged sit-in in front of the residences of APCC president Botsa Satyanarayana in Vizianagaram, Union textiles minister Kavuri Sambasiva Rao in Eluru and Union minister Purandeswari's office in Vizag. In Kakinada the house of Union HRD minister was attacked by the agitators led by YSR Congress leaders. Even though many MLAs and MPs submitted their resignations, none of the state and Union ministers has resigned so far. Ministers S Sailajanath, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Kondru Murali have been shuttling between Hyderabad and New Delhi to consult the party MPs on intensifying the pressure on the Congress leadership against the division, or at least seeking Union Territory status for Hyderabad in case the division is imminent.

In Delhi the Seemandhra meetings and consolations are unending. On Tuesday Sailajanath, Ganta and Murali attended the meetings of MPs and Union ministers.

Talking to TOI, Sailajanath said protests in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions were no longer led by political leaders.

"People are voluntarily coming out to participate in the movement. They are in fact questioning the silence of MLAs and ministers. We are now being led by the people, not the other way round. We want to convey to the Congress leadership the seriousness of the Samaikyandhra movement," Sailajanath said from New Delhi. He said the three ministers were in the national capital to discuss the future course of action with MPs and Union ministers keeping in view the escalating tension.

Meanwhile, sources said the Union ministers are unlikely to visit their constituencies during the weekend despite Ramzan and three-day holiday. The public in their constituencies are angry with them as they have taken the stand that resignations are not a solution.

On the other side, G Virasiva Reddy, the first Congress MLA to resign from the party and the assembly, dared the Union ministers to visit their home towns.

He criticized that the Union ministers remained silent even though they knew well in advance about the Centre's decision. "Kavuri Sambasivarao, Purandeswari and Chiranjeevi have cheated the people who voted for them. They are not welcome in their constituencies," he said.

Party MLC Rudraraju Padma Raju said party legislators were going to Delhi to narrate the negative consequences of the division of the state to Antony committee.

"If the state is divided the party influence in the Seemandhra region will erode irreparably. We want to explain the party how deep the sentiments of people are," he told media.

Amidst protests against bifurcation of the state, a new political party, Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samiti (RPS), is being floated with the agenda of a separate Rayalaseema state

Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy, who is spearheading the RPS for a separate Rayalaseema state, will launch the party in Tirupati on Thursday.

The two-time TD MLA from Nandikotkur, who subsequently lost in the elections, is opposed to the merger of the Rayalaseema region with Andhra, or its bifurcation, with two districts of Anantapur and Kurnool merged with Telangana, making it Rayala-Telangana.

“We are launching the new political party in Tirupati on Thursday. Our other goals include the development of the backward region and employment to unemployed youth. Among the three regions, Rayalaseema is the most backward and neglected,” Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy said.

He said that the RPS had now been registered as a political party since it had earned the goodwill of the people in the region.

Reddy said that he was opposed to the merger of the Rayalaseema region with Andhra or Telangana. “Who are the Delhi leaders to decide with whom we should stay? Rayalaseema should be an independent state. They can add some more districts to the existing four districts,” he said.

Divisions have cropped up among the Rayalaseema leaders, with some demanding a united Andhra Pradesh, others a separate Rayalaseema, while some leaders from Kurnool and Anantapur are seeking a merger of their two districts with Telangana to make it Rayala Telangana, about which even the Congress has kept options open.

[SaiK]

this is all turning out as crap hole now for INC. they are screwed.

[devesh]

no, they won't be screwed. they are cutting their enemies piece-meal, district by district, region by region. sow enough confusion and chaos, and the upper hand is always retain by the entrenched/established power. they know the patterns. they know who will sing to their tune without resistance. this clarity, TDP does not have. at least, not currently.

[Sushupti]

[Yagnasri]

What does he mean???

[kmkraoind]

Means, if you think by aligning with KCR you can sweep Telangana, we can whip you with one pretext or another, and cannot support constitution bill in Parliament. Without BJP support, T bill cannot be passed and most of regional players like TMC, SP, DMK and AIDMK and even NC might not support T bill. If BJP plays a correct counter-game, then Congress can become "Dhobi kaa kutta" or రెండు తీరాలకు చెడ్డ నావ (a boat that has lost goodwill at both shores).

[Muppalla]

Means, if you think by aligning with KCR you can sweep Telangana, we can whip you with one pretext or another, and cannot support constitution bill in Parliament. Without BJP support, T bill cannot be passed and most of regional players like TMC, SP, DMK and AIDMK and even NC might not support T bill. If BJP plays a correct counter-game, then Congress can become "Dhobi kaa kutta" or రెండు తీరాలకు చెడ్డ నావ (a boat that has lost goodwill at both shores).

BJP's strategy seems to make cong also like BJP in AP. Make it a playground of regional players. Congress exit is more important than its own izzat and growth.

[Atri]

BJP cadres in Rayalaseema in dilemma over united Andhra Pradesh protests

BJP cadres from Rayalaseema region where intense protests are on against creation of Telangana, are looking forward to the public meeting of Narendra Modi scheduled on August 11 in a bid to extricate them out of a rock and hard place situation they found themselves in over the separate statehood issue.

Local cadres are undecided over whether to support protagonists of unified Andhra Pradesh or continue their allegiance to Telangana as has been frequently pronounced by the Central leadership.

Some of the local leaders said they were feeling isolated in the region as supporters of united Andhra Pradesh who have upped the ante for the demand are looking down at BJP as the "culprit" for supporting separate state.

They alleged that senior leaders of the region misguided the cadres in view of ongoing agitations for united Andhra Pradesh.

"We hope that the state leadership will come out with a useful proposal which may insulate us from the culprit tag after Modi's rally in Hyderabad on August 11," a local leader said on condition of anonymity.

The Gujarat chief minister is scheduled to address the public rally in Hyderabad on August 11.

BJP handled the creation of three states fantastically. This is and should be their main point while addressing people of AP. If they were serious about division, the preparation should have started 5 years ago. Once alternative capital were ready, it would have been a smoother transition. INC, in its infinite paki tactical brilliance, blew this up simply because of greed. same goes for KCR.

BJP has much better chances both in Telangana and in AP now. of course, they are starting from zero so whatever they gain will be good only. But they should project their sane plan of division and compare and contrast it with the mess that has been created. History is with them.

[Yagnasri]

BJP should now insist INC to get a resolution of AP assembly beforehand as per the annocement of Chiddu on December. Since INC fellows in AP are all fighting among themselves and even the CM is not ready for division such resolution is impossible to get beforehand. BJP divided 3 states after such resolutions only. Once resolution is passed whoever is in Delhi they can escape any blamce. For INC they tried to play a fast one and are in trouble.

[Yagnasri]

I visited non telangana AP areas and observed the following
1. There is LOT of anger on INC. CBN do not get much of the blame.
2. NGOs, APSRTC, and almost all the associations are going on non stop agitation from 12th Mid Night for United AP. Once it starts then the game is afoot. They said they will continue till all the MPs and MLAs from Non Telangana areas resign their posts and participate in the agitation.
3. Movies of Chirangivi family are not being allowed to be released by Theater owners as they fear attacks on them. Attarintiki Daretu and Evvadu are now postponed to September month. Some 110 Cr is involved in these two movies alone. Industry is now afraid of the fallout. They kept aloof in Hyderabad till now and now they have to take some stand which is very difficult one.

[vera_k]

A resolution in the state assembly is not necessary. AP has a large enough number of MPs that the Central government has to pay attention. If none of the AP MPs are going to vote against UPA, it can be understood that people of AP are not averse to state being divided. Of course there will be some fringe elements who will create trouble, but they need to be put in jail, is all.

[Yagnasri]

AP CM KKR just now addressed a detailed press conforence for over an hour. Open revolt saying that he is for united AP. Said States can not be formed on the basis of agitations and lies. Blamed YSR for starting the problem in 2001 and listed all the problems. As per the reports he is prepared to resign now than be the last CM. Said that he is also born in Hyderabad and about the attachment people have for Hyderabad etc. All problems on water power etc are explained in detailed.

Serious blow to INC in AP and he is out in a day or two either will be asked to resign or will be removed. President rule??? I do not know. Clear indication of weakness of INC in non Telangana and Hyderabad areas. Let us wait and see further dramas.

[hanumadu]

Meanwhile TRS is saying its not going to merge with Congress until all formalities for formation of Telangana are fulfilled. So if congress hopes to benefit from the bifurcation, Telangana should be formed before the elections.

[Yagnasri]

In all probability AP house may be resolved now ending the division attempts till the next parliament elections. In INC wants it can make a Telangana leader as CM of AP which may be a problem as no one from Telangana unless the division is certain. The present agitations may also increase after start of NGO agitation starting on 12th. Full blown now.

[Muppalla]

Meanwhile TRS is saying its not going to merge with Congress until all formalities for formation of Telangana are fulfilled. So if congress hopes to benefit from the bifurcation, Telangana should be formed before the elections.

This is the right stand. He should stick to that stand and also make sure his party members does not jump. He created his whole movement good or bad for Telangana state and hope he sticks to the principle.

But he behave like a mad dog and that is the only concern.

[ShyamSP]

AP CM KKR just now addressed a detailed press conforence for over an hour. Open revolt saying that he is for united AP. Said States can not be formed on the basis of agitations and lies. Blamed YSR for starting the problem in 2001 and listed all the problems. As per the reports he is prepared to resign now than be the last CM. Said that he is also born in Hyderabad and about the attachment people have for Hyderabad etc. All problems on water power etc are explained in detailed.

Serious blow to INC in AP and he is out in a day or two either will be asked to resign or will be removed. President rule??? I do not know. Clear indication of weakness of INC in non Telangana and Hyderabad areas. Let us wait and see further dramas.

This has been the contention. Sri Krishna Committee also said it. Congress and Center government are ignoring their own reports and splitting the state based on agitations and lies for political gains.

KikuRe is on fire. Lets have kurkure and see how it turns out once the indefinite strike starts on 12th. Unless protesters cut off the rail network, Center can ignore the strikes.

[Muppalla]

KikuRe is on fire. Lets have kurkure and see how it turns out once the indefinite strike starts on 12th. Unless protesters cut off the rail network, Center can ignore the strikes.

The Guntakal, Vijayawada junctions will really put too much stress on entire rail network. Every train going to south or south to east will get affected. DGP has given a stern warning against rail blockade. It will just start hitting everyone's pocket. I remember anti-Mandal agitation and when all trains were stopped in Vijayawada for one day, resulted in a complete sine die for all the colleges in the state.

T-agitation affects only Hyderabad. The agitation on the otherside affects the links.

[suryag]

KiKuRe could be playing the bad cop part in the story.

[member_27444]

At last the famous Gun powder of Rayelaseems and Guntur Gonggura with mirchi is firing back
Remember Guntur Gonggura go back in the Chenna Reddy time
Aka Punti koora in telangana
But still the same taste no


Aha Chidambaram you have ignited the break up India
Now no stopping the Lava
AP will never be the same like India will never be same after MMS stellar service


Kazipet and warangal upper parts of Karimnagar
Ajmer Kachiguda as well

[member_27444]

KiKuRe could be playing the bad cop part in the story.

No he is minimizing his stock fall in Rayelaseema
Recal the picture un Sari with Chappal Jhaoad

[member_27444]

Ok as predicted
Lok Sabha member from Medak M. Vijayashanti, who was elected on a Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) ticket and suspended for “anti-party activities” recently, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here...

[Yagnasri]

She started in BJP I think and was never comfortable in TRS. INC is now slowly making steps for taking over of TRS but in a slow method and not a total marger. This will be "cheaper" for them. But yesterdays KKR speech will be replied today by KCR. Expect lot of attacks and kicking out local people speach. But he may even tone down if he really wants the division to happen. As things stand today KCR is not getting any serious "benefit" from INC on division like Minister post and his wish of becoming CM of a T state may not happen under INC. So he may try to spoil INC. But as he is a creature created by INC we can never say what he will do except attacking CM for his yesterdays speech.

[Rony]

Not by language alone : The creation of Telangana underlines the importance of artistic and cultural production in reinforcing political mobilisation

An important learning from the pro-statehood mobilisation for political scientists and policymakers alike is that language, like religion, is not a natural or stable ground for the creation of political communities in the 21st century. Statehood demands in Andhra Pradesh have a long history. The three regions of Andhra, namely Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana have distinct dialects of Telugu. With a population of over 84 million (Census 2011), diversity and cultural differences can only be a given. The question is, how does culture matter in contemporary political movements? The answer does not lie in the fact of cultural differences — which will no doubt characterise even the smallest states of India — but the manner in which differences reinforce or drive political mobilisations.

Responding to the imminent creation of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, a political commentator wrote: "With the passage of time, sentiment for language and culture has given way to the urge for speedier economic development." (Pradeep Kumar, "Demand for New States: Cultural Identity Loses Ground to Urge for Development", Economic and Political Weekly, August 26-September 2, 2000). The movement for the creation of Telangana indicates that the linguistic state's demise may not be so easily attributed to the "urge for development" alone. Indeed, the rising popularity of the statehood demand in Telangana was accompanied by a definitive cultural turn, which enabled the movement to acquire a mass base.

Modern political mobilisations are often accompanied by cultural production and also drive the consumption of media and cultural commodities. This is evident in the case of Telangana too, where large-scale political mobilisations and artistic and cultural production have reinforced each other.

The cultural turn in Telangana manifests itself in two related but distinct developments. The first is more reactive, in that its primary focus was media representation and prevailing stereotypes of the region, its people and their distinct dialect. For example, objections have been raised to the film industry's practice of making screen villains and gangsters speak in the Telangana dialect in popular Telugu films.

A second, and more interesting, development is the burgeoning of a whole creative industry in the wake of the statehood agitation. The cultural turn of the agitation more or less coincides with the formation of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in 2001. However, the propaganda model does not explain the relationship between culture and politics, because no party or ideology has any real control over what is being produced, and how.

While the demand for statehood cuts across party lines, over the past decade or so, the demand was strongly supported by intellectuals and creative people like artists, poets, singers and stage performers. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that the long-drawn agitation was sustained by the cultural effloresce that accompanied it. Some important cultural figures, like the legendary poet and singer Gaddar (Gummadi Vithal Rao), had supported the statehood demand in the late 1960s. The agitation was also able to draw on the cultural icons and resources of the Communist, Naxal and Dalit movements that had a strong presence in the region. An archive of music, which was already popular in the region and beyond, now became available for the supporters of statehood. Gaddar had a long association with the CPI(ML) People's War. He was the face of the party's cultural wing, Jana Natya Mandali, for decades. In the early 1990s, he sang and performed at public meetings that attracted thousands of people. In 2010, he established the Telangana Praja Front as an alternative to TRS. Other poets and singers of the Naxal and Dalit movements of the region, like Goreti Venkanna, also lent their support to Telangana. Gaddar's individual contribution, significant as it is, was overshadowed by what we might call in his honour the "Gaddar effect". Maoist propaganda and radical counterculture that drew on folk forms to create emotionally charged agitprop music and stage performance became mass culture. This was in part due to the Telugu film industry, which borrowed liberally from ultra-left songs in the genre locally known as the red or Naxalite film. In the last few years, scores of singers adopting Gaddar's idiom and costume began to give pro-Telangana performances across the region.

An important catalyst for this fascinating turn was Telangana Dhoom Dham, which brings together pro-Telangana singers and performers. It began as a rather modest event in 2003 in artist Laxman Aelay's Hyderabad studio. In the decade since, it has been organised every year to larger audiences and television coverage. Dhoom Dhams have been attended by major pro-Telangana political leaders. Non-resident supporters of Telangana organised their own Dhoom Dhams abroad.

While pro-Telangana papers and television channels were established by politicians and entrepreneurs with deep pockets, smaller players ensured the widespread distribution of books, CDs of songs, stage performances and even political speeches of TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). The sheer scale of cultural production is impressive.

It is not as if irreconcilable regional cultural differences have led to the demand for a separate state. It is not even as if timeless regional practices have been revived in the past decade. As with classic nationalist movements, traditions have been invented and icons made in Telangana. The new goddess for the region, Telangana Talli (Mother Telangana), who was created as a replacement for Telugu Talli (Mother Telugu), alerts us to the continuities with both Indian and Telugu nationalisms of 20th century vintage. We are reminded, all over again, that culture does not simply exist, but is produced by people. It is popular will, and not cultural differences per se, that creates new states and nations.