AP NEWS ON TELANGANA

JAC nixes TDP proposal

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: The Telangana JAC convener M Kodandaram on Monday turned down TDP’s proposal to hand over 38 resignation letters to him with an assurance that they would meet the Speaker and get them accepted if the Congress MLAs from Telangana region also announce their decision to quit the assembly.


Talking to media, Kodandaram said that handing over the letters to him would not serve any purpose and instead, they should give them to Speaker directly. “I am not the authority to accept them,” Kodandaram said.


He was of the opinion that the TDP should not wait for Congress MLAs. If TDP also resigns than it would become easy to mount pressure on the Congress MLAs, he felt. But TDP leaders N Janardhan Reddy and others feel that it would only result in forcing a by election. “No constitutional crisis can be created by about 50 people resigning from the assembly,” Janardhan Reddy said. On the other hand, the BJP floor leader G Kishen Reddy is understood to have decided to seek an opportunity from the speaker to explain in the assembly why he wants to resign.


According to Kodandaram, since the deadline for the Telangana MLAs to resign was over on Monday evening, the JAC will put pressure on them by organising agitational programmes in front of their houses from Tuesday.


Asked if the JAC would move its office to another place in the wake of Speaker’s decision not to allow any political meetings in the premises of MLA quarters, he said he was yet to receive the orders and would abide by it. Strongly condemning the police lathicharge on students at OU, the JAC leader demanded government to withdraw police forces from the campus immediately.


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CM scares mantris with prez rule

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: Chief minister K Rosaiah is believed to have lost his cool during the cabinet meeting on Monday and told ministers that if they continue to behave in the same manner, the state will soon be under president’s rule.


He is learnt to have expressed his anger and agony over congress MLAs raising slogans during Governor’s address. He said it was an insult to the party and the high command. According to sources, Rosaiah expressed his unhappiness over the failure of ministers to have control on MLAs from their region. “If things go beyond a point, there will be nothing in my hands and do not blame me if president’s rule is imposed,” he is said to have remarked.


Referring to growing differences among the ministers, the CM said: “If regionalism comes to fore or gains primacy among ministers, it is difficult to run the government. Welfare schemes and all other developmental activities will suffer. If none of you are interested let’s get the House dissolved and go home.”

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T-agitators target ministers’ houses

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: Telangana protesters on Monday attacked the houses of several Congress ministers and MLAs to press for their resignations from the assembly.


Raising slogans to the effect that the Congress ministers and MLAs should quit the House and work for Telangana state, the protesters, including ABVP activists, pelted stones, threw cow dung, eggs and tomatoes at the houses of Congress leaders in Warangal, Nalgonda, Khammam, Adilabad, Medak, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Ranga Reddy districts. The only TDP MLA who was targeted by the protesters was K Harishwar Reddy from Parigi in Ranga Reddy district.


In Hyderabad, girls students who suffered injuries due to police action on Osmania University campus, heckled home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and raised slogans against her when she called on them at Durgabhai Deshmukh Hospital on Monday.


Sources said, these attacks virtually sealed the chances of ministers and MLAs visiting their constituencies and towns in future. The Congress has 52 MLAs from Telangana. Barring a few MLAs who are actively involved in the T movement, ministers and MLAs have stopped the tours in the region for the past three months. Those who ventured out had to face the wrath of the activists.


Largest number of attacks took place in Warangal district where the house of irrigation minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah had become the target of ire along with the houses of MLAs Konda Surekha, M Kavita, T Rajaiah, Gandra Venkataramana Reddy and MLC Rajalingam. The attackers are said to belong to the ABVP.


Around the same time, attacks took place on the houses of minister Komatireddy Venktareddy and Gutha Sukhender Reddy, Lok Sabha member from Nalgonda. The house of MLA T Lingaiah was also targeted by the protesters in Narketpalli.


Similarly T-protagonists attacked the houses of minister P Sudarshan Reddy in Nizamabad district. Reddy is the lone MLA from the Congress from the district. Reddy has been avoiding the district ever since the T-trouble started brewing in the district.


When he first tried to visit the town last week, activists forced him to give an assurance that he would resign from the cabinet if the terms of reference for the Srikrishna commission were against the Telangana. So, the activists today demanded his resignation both from the cabinet and the assembly. Advocates from the town staged a dharna in front of the house of PCC president D Srinivas. Incidentally, DS is not a member of the assembly.


In Khammam, the house of minister R Venkat Reddy was attacked by the members of Progressive Democratic students Union (PDSU), who demanded his immediate resignation.


The activist attacked the house of Athram Sakkum, the lone MLA from the Congress in Adilabad district with tomatoes and stones. They staged dharna in front of the houses of minister D Sridhar and MP Ponnam Prabhakar in Karimnagar district. In Mahbubnagar, windows of minister D K Aruna’s house were damaged by T-activists. Police had to resort to lathicharge to quell the mob. The miscreants attacked the houses of ministers Damodar Rajanarasimha and Sunitha Lakshma Reddy in Sangareddy and Narsapur respectively in Medak district.


Meanwhile, the speaker’s decision on the resignations of Congress MLAs R Damodar Reddy and Ch Mutyam Reddy is awaited. Talking to media, Damodar Reddy said there would be no going back on the resignation despite the attempts to persuade him by the party. “I will not take back my resignation from the assembly,” Reddy said.


Opposition parties boycott Assembly breakfast


The demand for separate T state and the lathicharge on students and mediamen at Osmania University on Sunday night had its impact on the customary breakfast hosted by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the chairman of the council on Monday. The TDP, including opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu, CPI and BJP on Monday boycotted the customary breakfast. The Congress was divided on this issue as the ministers from Telangana region came for the breakfast while the MLAs decided to keep away. Soon after the chief minister and other leaders came to Jubilee Hall in Public Gardens, where the breakfast was hosted, media representatives raised slogans against the attack on them by police. The scribes demanded suspension of the policemen responsible for the attack. The chief minister called the media persons, offered his regrets over the incident and assured that action would be taken after he receives the report from the human rights commission. He also told them that he would take measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur again in future. TNN



Courtesy: Times of India-Hyderabad- Dt. 16-2-2010

AP NEWS ON TELANGANA

Blow to KCR as only 15 quit

HYDERABAD

Telangana Joint Action Committee has decided to give MLAs one more day to submit their resignations against the Srikrishna Committee’s terms of reference.

T-JAC TO BOYCOTT GOODS MADE BY ANDHRA AND RAYALASEEMA TRADERS.


Just 15 legislators from five political parties submitted their resignations to the Speaker on Sunday, protesting against the terms of reference to the Srikrishna committee which they say is anti-Telangana. Among them were two Congress legislators, Mr R. Damodar Reddy and Ch. Mutyam Reddy, who face the the threat of party action.


This came as a big blow to the Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, whose ingenious gameplan was to force a constitutional crisis by getting enough number of legislators to resign from the Assembly.


As things stand now, neither the Assembly session nor the functioning of the Srikrishna Committee will be affected by the resignations. Mr Rao had planned to affect both.


Those who resigned include all the 10 MLAs of the TRS, TD's Mr Chennamaneni Ramesh, (who had resigned on December 23 last), Mr Maheswar Reddy of the Praja Rajam and the (The BJP floor leader, Mr Kishan Reddy, announced that he will submit his resignation after the Governor's speech in the Assembly on Monday. The Speaker, Mr N. Kirankumar Reddy, accepted Mr Chennamaneni Ramesh's resignation.


Many TD legislators submitted their resignations to the party leader, Mr Nagam Janardhan Reddy, while the Congress legislators streed clear of the drama.


The Telangana Joint Action Committee has decided to give MLAs one more day to submit their resignations against the Srikrishna Committee’s terms of reference.


“We have decided to announce the names of MLAs who do not submit their papers on February 16 and will launch protest dharnas before their houses and there will be complete non-cooperation from February 28,” said the convener of the Telangana Joint Action Committee, Prof. Kodandaram, The JAC has also decided to boycott all goods produced by Andhra and Rayalaseema businessmen.


Details about the goods and services to be boycotted will be announced later. The Congress high command has reportedly cracked the whip on MLAs threatening to resign or disrupting the sittings of the state Assembly beginning on Monday.


It has taken the resignation of its two MLAs seriously and may expel them from the party for six years.


The former ministers, Mr R. Damodar Reddy (Suryapet), and Mr C. Mutyam Reddy (Dommat), submitted their resignations on Sunday, protesting against the Centre’s attitude towards the formation of Telangana. Mr Damodar Reddy has been in the Congress for three decades.


Mr Mutyam Reddy severed his ties with the Telugu Desam and joined the Congress in the presence of YSR, a year ago. He was given a party ticket and got elected.


According to sources, while two other MLAs, Mr P. Narasa Reddy (Gajwel) and Mr Bikshamaiah Gowd (Aler) had also announced they would resign on Saturday, the PCC chief Mr D. Srinivas, convinced them not to quit. The PCC chief was reportedly informed that orders expelling Mr Damodar Reddy and Mr Mutyam Reddy would be issued in a couple of days.


Mr Srinivas has been calling each legislator personally and convincing him not to resign and obstruct the proceedings of the House.


Mr Srinivas has been specifically told by the party high command to inform legislators that any violation of its directive will be taken seri- ously. “If you resign, what will happen? You will be greeted with bouquets by Telangana activists for a day or two and after that no one bothers about you. The Congress will not re-nominate you, so what is the use?" Mr Srinivas reportedly told each legislator.


The Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, ministers and PCC leaders have been warning MLAs that if a crisis is precipitated by large numbers of resignations, the Centre will have no option but to impose President Rule in the state which will put the Telangana issue on the backburner.


Mr Srinivas has also reportedly asked MLAs and MLCs who have issued statements about their intention to obstruct or boycott the Governor's Address to the Joint Session of the state Assembly on Monday to withdraw such moves.


"How can you object to the policies of your own government? How can you boycott the House being members of the ruling party?" Mr Srinivas asked them.


Sources said the Union urban affairs minister, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy who belongs to Telangana, was also asked by the high command to rein in party MLAs.


A last minute effort by some ministers to pacify the two Congress MLAs to withdraw their resignation did not succeed. It is learnt that the Speaker has decided to accept the 14 resignations pending with him by Monday morning.

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TD awaits Congress lead on resignations

HYDERABAD


Smart strategy blame game The TD can now say it complied with the JAC deadline and criticise the Congress MLAs for not doing so.


The Telugu Desam MLAs from Telangana region have decided to submit their resignations to the Telangana Joint Action committee convenor, Prof. Kodandaram, and not to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.


The TD has decided to tread carefully on the issue of resignations. The TD senior leader, Dr Nagam Janardan Reddy, while talking to mediapersons, said, “We have asked Prof. Kodandaram to secure resignations of Congress members before handing over ours to the Speaker."


As many as 28 members of the TD handed over their resignations to Dr Nagam Janardan Reddy on Sunday. The remaining 10 MLAs from Telangana districts would submit their letters on Monday, Dr Janardan Reddy said.


By giving the resignation letters to Joint Action Committee, the TD party ensured that their letters would reach the Speaker’s office only after the Congress members submit theirs’. The TD can now say it complied with the JAC deadline and criticise the Congress MLAs for not doing so.


The TD T-MLAs have also decided not to attend the Budget session starting on Monday as they have already submitted resignations to the JAC. “Only a constitutional crisis would ensure formation of Telangana state. We are ready to resign, Now, it is for the Congress to act,” said Dr Janardan Reddy.

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Prez rule looms large over AP

HYDERABAD


All for T uncertainty The Telugu Desam may create pandemonium in the House; it is yet to be seen if T-Congress members also join.


The Budget Session of the state Assembly will begin from Monday against the backdrop of the two-and-a-half-month Telangana agitation, resignations by a few members, and the possible imposition of President Rule if the proceedings of the Assembly continue to be disrupted and there are more resignations.


The Business Advisory Committee meeting on Monday morning will decide whether it is going to be a full Budget session or a vote-on-account session. If it is a full Budget session, the House has to meet for a minimum of 28 working days and if it is a vote-on-account session, the House can meet for a minimum of five days.


Everything depends on the mood of Monday’s joint session. The Telugu Desam may create pandemonium in the House, and whether Congress members from Telangana also take part in this remains to be seen.


The options are, if the proceedings are disrupted and the Speaker to suspend those unruly members, followed by a House motion, the House proceedings can still continue. But if disruptions are going to occur daily, it may be difficult for the House to function.


Should members from one particular region decide to tender their resignations, that too would make it politically untenable to continue the House, though constitutionally, there is no obligation to discontinue the sitting. The Constitution only requires that a quorum (of 30 members or one-tenth of the total members of the House) has to be maintained for commencing and continuance of the House sitting.


Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle-Hyderabad dated 15-2-2010

AP NEWS ON TELANGANA

AP can’t come to Terms

City Faces A Bandh Today Too

TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh appeared to be set for another spell of unrest with those seeking its bifurcation terming the B N Srikrishna committee’s terms of reference announced by the Centre on Friday as a ‘big betrayal’. And as a protest, yet another bandh has been called on Saturday.


“The terms of reference are baseless, meaningless and mindless. The Centre has betrayed the Telangana people once again as it does not say anything about formation of a separate state,” TRS boss K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) told the media after confabulating with his lieutenants.


“All our 13 elected representatives, including myself, will submit our resignations in the prescribed format to the speakers, beginning with our 10 MLAs on Saturday,” he said.


The month-old Joint Action Committee (JAC) fanning the Telangana fire also rejected the terms of reference saying that it undid Union home minister P Chidambaram’s statement in New Delhi on Dec. 9. “It is a complete betrayal of the people of the region. We have no option but to support the bandh on Saturday and intensify the agitation,” JAC convenor M Kodandaram said. The JAC is slated to meet on Saturday.


It was the Osmania University students’ action committee that announced Saturday’s bandh. But within hours, TRS, Telangana TDP, Telangana JAC of political parties and the BJP announced their support for it.


“With umpteen bandhs in the past few weeks, it remains to be seen how successful would this one be,” remarked a senior cop. He, however, said that police were prepared to tackle troublemakers.


It being a weekend, the APSRTC — which bore the brunt in earlier protests — said it will operate as usual in the morning and cancel services only if vehicles are targeted.


With no clear go-ahead for his desire to divide, KCR took strong exception to the committee clubbing the demand for division with that of those seeking to keep the state united. “The demand for Telangana has been there for the past 60 years. The so-called United Andhra one is hardly 53 days old. The latter is only a counter agitation and not a genuine one. How can both of them be equated?” asked KCR.


But it is the 52 Congress and 39 TDP MLAs from Telangana who are in a bind. While senior leaders such as RS MP V Hanumantha Rao and PCC chief D Srinivas welcomed the terms, other MLAs, barring Nagarjunasagar MLA K Jana Reddy, dived for cover. “They may threaten to resign from the assembly, but will be prevailed upon by the Congress high command,” said one Congress leader.


In the TDP, leaders from Telangana rejected the terms saying that it was an attempt to put the issue in cold storage. The Telangana TDP leaders are maintaining that they will resign if the Congress MLAs do so. “The TRS resignation drama has put pressure on the Congress and TDP MLAs. But if the Congress MLAs do not quit, neither will the TDP leaders,” said one TDP leader.


TERMS OF REFERENCE


To examine the AP situation with reference to the demand for Telangana state as well as maintaining status quo

To review the developments in the state since its formation and its impact on the three regions

To examine the impact of the recent developments on women, children, students, minorities and other weaker sections

To identify the key issues to be addressed while considering the matters mentioned above

To consult all sections of the people, especially political parties, to identify the optimal solutions; and to recommend a plan of action and a road map

To consult representatives of trade and industry, farmers and others with specific reference to all round development of the three regions of AP

To make any other suggestion or recommendation that the panel may deem fit

The Committee is requested to submit its report by Dec. 31, 2010



It’s final: No IPL games in city

Hyderabad: Two days of hectic lobbying by the state government with the powers that be in BCCI have come to a nought with the Indian Premier League finally pulling out all the matches from the city. Just 24 hours ago, CM K Rosaiah was assured by the former BCCI chief and ICC president-elect Sharad Pawar that he will convince the IPL governing council to retain the games in Hyderabad. But with the Telangana supporters reviving their agitation, the IPL delivered an adverse decision. As of now, there are indications that some of these matches could be moved to Vizag which already has two of the seven games. If not for anything, the IPL looks at it as an effort to give Deccan Chargers the feeling of playing at home. Although no decision has yet been taken about the new venue for these games, indications are the Vidarbbha Cricket Association could get some of these games. TNN Dattatreya rejects TOR


Hyderabad: BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya rejected the terms of reference for B N Srikrishna panel on separate Telangana, even as Prajarajyam MLA from Nirmal A Maheshwar Reddy set out from his constituency on Friday to submit his resignation to the Speaker.


Barring the TDP, politicians from Andhra region, including those from the Congress and PRP, welcomed panel’s terms of reference. “When there is a dispute, one always goes for arbitration. The committee is playing such a role and people should appear before the panel and give their views,” said Congress MP (Anakapalli) Sabbam Hari.


But the TDP leaders from the coastal area opposed the terms of reference. Rajya Sabha MP Mysura Reddy saw in it a conspiracy by Chidambaram to divide the state.

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Will events overtake Srikrishna committee?

Ganesh S Lakshman | TNN


Hyderabad: Even as the B N Srikrishna committee is slated to hold its first meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, many Telangana advocates were of the view that the terms of reference not spelling out a timeframe for the creation of the separate state will only trigger a fresh period of unrest in the region. This will render the panel irrelevant in a shortwhile as events will overtake the committee.


Despite the committee being given time only till the end of this year to submit its report, the Telangana ideologists see it as too wishy washy and attempt to be a please one and all. In effect, the terms of reference is being viewed as a desperate attempt by the Centre to wriggle out of the situation it brought upon itself on December 9, 2009, by announcing the process of creating Telangana, analysts proferred. "We had an indication to this effect when the committee was constituted last week without any reference to Telangana. How can the committee come up with a solution from the political parties to resolve the situation when there is no meeting ground between one region which wants to break away and another which is opposing it?," asked one senior Telangana leader, a trifle amused.


If any unrest in the region does not scuttle the meetings of the committee, then it may set about holding wide ranging consultations with political parties, representatives from the industry, trade, trade unions, farmers, women, students, children, minorities and other weaker sections. At the same time, it is also slated to review the progress of the state since its inception with emphasis on how the three different regions fared.


But the crux of the matter is that at the end, it has to either suggest that the state remain united or that Telangana be created. "Therefore, how can it suggest something that would be acceptable to people of all the three regions," wondered one leader. But history appears to be on the side of those against the division of the state as opposed to those seeking Telangana. No committee appointed by the Centre or any state on sensitive issues like this had its report ready by the time stipulated at the time of its constitution. "Therefore, this committee too is likely to see several extensions. But all that depends on whether the committee is still looked upon as a relevant arbitrator when its term ends on December 31 this year," said an analyst.


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IPL pulls out of city

No Twenty20 Matches In Hyderabad Due To Telangana Crisis

K Shriniwas Rao | TNN


Mumbai: The pro-Telangana agitation that left Andhra Pradesh in a mess ever since it gathered steam a couple of months ago, now has the Indian Premier League (IPL) running for cover too. So beleaguered is the league over the susceptibility to violence in the region that as a safety measure, the IPL governing council has decided to shift all the matches out of Hyderabad.


“It is confirmed that all the matches will be shifted out from there,’’ IPL CEO Sundar Raman told TOI on Friday.


Earlier, IPL boss Lalit Modi had thrown enough hints on such a move when he announced that the opening match of the tournament (vs Kolkata Knight Riders), scheduled to be hosted by defending champions Deccan Chargers, had been shifted to the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. “We will have the gala dinner and the opening ceremony along with the first match. There will be guests from all over and we can’t take a chance with that,’’ Modi had said back then.


However, in the ensuing weeks, the IPL was further convinced that the current situation in Hyderabad is not safe for the rest of the matches too. Out of the Chargers’ seven home matches, only five were scheduled to be played in Hyderabad, while the other two were allotted to Visakhapatnam. Once the Telangana issue cropped up, the opener was shifted to Mumbai.


Now, Navi Mumbai will host the Chargers’ opening game on March 12; Visakhapatnam will host two other matches on March 19 (vs Kings XI, Punjab) & 21 (vs Delhi Daredevils). The rest of the matches will be allotted to a yet to be decided venue outside Andhra Pradesh.


TOI has learnt that the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) in Nagpur, which was earlier scheduled to host three home matches of Mumbai Indians, could host these matches.


Recently, while Chargers were busy playing a practice match in Hyderabad, agitators barged into the playfield and uprooted the stumps, thus disrupting the match. That forced the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) to cordon off the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal and host the Duleep Trophy final without spectators for the first three days. These events further bolstered IPL’s decision to shift out.


Disappointed that his efforts have come to a nought, Andhra Pradesh sports minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said “It is rather unfortunate that even as we were trying to bring the games back to Hyderabad, the situation in the state deteriorated due to the separate state agitationists. The bandh call given for Saturday must have done bigger damage than anything that happended before,” he said.


Asked if he would pursue with his plan of persuading Deccan Chargers to boycott, he said “How can we ask the team to boycott when the situation itself is not good. The team will unnecessarily suffer.’’


Owners of the Hyderabad franchise, Deccan Chargers, are learnt to have accepted the IPL decision.



Courtesy: Times of India-Hyderabad-13-2-2010

AP NEWS ON TELANGANA

MRPS LEADERS TO BLAME?

T-agitation divided on caste lines

Shiva Kumar Pinna | TNN


Warangal: With the initial enthusiasm slowly waning, the Telangana movement in Warangal district, especially in Kakatiya University, is on a sticky wicket what with students, professors and other agitators divided on caste lines.


Sources attributed it to attempted oneupmanship by the leaders of Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), academic community and student groups. “With each leader throwing their weight around and trying to gain complete hold of the affairs of JAC, there is much heartburn among the various players involved in the movement,” a professor not wanting to be named said.


The battle for supremacy on caste lines has been brewing among the students for some time. This is why some members of a student organisation had even boycotted the meeting. “With the entry of MRPS, the posturing of the students on the T-issue has taken a completely different route,” a senior professor said.


While the MRPS activists among the student unions are opposed to “dorala Telangana” (Telangana led by feudal lords), some professors and students are openly advocating it which has led to a widening gap among them.


“The slogan is enough to create a rift among the Tprotagonists on the caste lines,” a tribal professor reasoned. An analyst explained that “nobody wants a feudal Telangana, what some of the T-protagonists are saying is that even a “dorala Telangana” is preferable to dominance by coastal Andhras.”


In fact, the discontent among the student groups of the KU Joint Action Committee (JAC) came out in the open during Kakatiya ‘Vidyarthi Polikeka’ (war cry) when the students and MRPS activists almost came to blows leading to the abrupt calling off of the much-publicised meeting for the separate Telangana state.


With the academic community that has been in the forefront of the movement also divided on caste lines, analysts said it could be a m a j o r causative factor for the weakening of the agitation.


Sources said differences among the student leaders of JAC - on the face of things has- reached a point of no return, which could have a direct bearing on the T-stir. “Some academicians of KU took pains to pacify the students to forget the differences and get on with the movement,” a source said.


JAC leader G Siva agreed that the movement has taken a backseat with divisions among the students. “We are working towards sorting out our differences. Hopefully, we will find a common platform,” he explained.


A pharmacy student belonging to a BC community blamed the forward class leaders for the mess. “They are trying to hijack the movement and show us in poor light. We cannot accept their domination,” he shot back.


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Telangana students may cross over to Maoists

Mir Ayoob Ali Khan | TNN


Hyderabad: Increasing number of police officers are veering around to the view that if the Telangana issue is not resolved amicably on an urgent basis, the frustrated and disillusioned students may move over to the Maoists, some of whom are till active in parts of the state.


"I have a feeling that the youth are getting frustrated. The signs are there. They believe that the politicians and the government are not serious in arriving at a solution," a police officer who has dealt with Left-wing extremism (LWE) until recently said.No police officer is willing to discuss the implications of prolonging the T movement, its effects on students and the Maoist activities in Andhra Pradesh on record fearing reprisal from their seniors and the government.


Like any other tricky subject, the nature, scope and future of T movement has also divided the police officers. Some of them claim that the student part of the T movement is being directed by the Maoists sitting away from AP; others say that the Maoists have slowly infiltrated the agitators and are waiting for an opportunity to play key roles in chartering its direction. There are also officers who firmly believe that so far, the agitation has been free from Maoists and their conventional strategies. The student community, which is in the forefront of the agitation, too vehemently denies any link, direct or indirect, with the Maoists.


However, the fact remains that the Maoists avowedly believe in carving out the state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. They say that the factors of the past that have contributed to the region remaining backward such as exploitation, oppression and denial of the legitimate rights over land, water, employment etc. can be rectified only through creation of Telangana and handing over power to the traditionally disadvantaged sections of the society. Recounting the history of the T movement, a police officer said when all means of democratic agitations including falling victim to police bullets, formation of a new party and winning of elections in 1971, failed in achieving a new state, the students felt that there was no point in remaining loyal to law.


"They took up arms. That was the birth of Naxalism in Telangana. The situation looks to me similar to the 1969-1971 period. If the students see no hope in continuing with their democratic struggle, there is clear danger that they might walk into the open arms of the Maoists. But unfortunately, the government wants us to treat the T agitation as purely a law-and-order problem which it is not," the officer explained.


Another officer said that after 30 long years, 2009 was the best year for the police since it recorded the lowest number of Maoist related incidents. But 2010 may not be as peaceful. According to him, at least 70 per cent of the students who are involved in the T agitation come from weaker sections and from rural background. Their aspirations, approach to life and means to achieve their dreams are totally different from the urban youth.


One strange factor in this movement is that the students have shunned political leadership. They are taking out their anger against the politicians by publicly abusing and heckling them. Another factor is that their leadership is loose and without much control over the students. Therefore, without leadership, this agitating force could just become dangerous if no solution is found for the T issue on an urgent basis, he noted.


Courtesy: Times of India-Hyderabad-12-2-2010

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T-Congress boycott may lead to Prez rule

HYDERABAD


A high-level meeting was held between the Governor, Mr E.S.L. Narasimhan and the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday afternoon to review the political situation in the state in the wake of a report- ed threat by Telangana Con- gress MLAs to boycott the Assembly Session at the bidding of CWC member and MP, Dr K. Keshava Rao, along with the TRS chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday.


Though there was no communication about the outcome of the meeting, sources said they discussed the “threat perception” from Telangana Congress leaders and finally decided to go ahead and convene the session and face any eventuality. “If the Session will be obstructed, the state is headed for President’s rule” was the summary message of the meeting, sources said.


At one stage they discussed the possibility of converting the 28 day Budget Session to a five day vote-on-account session to approve the Budget for four months. However, they finally decided to go ahead with the Session.


The game plan scripted by the Telangana Congress leaders was told to the Congress high command leaders by Mr Rosaiah on Thursday afternoon and immediately they spoke to the PCC chief, Mr D. Srinivas, to convene an urgent meeting of all T Congress MLAs and tell them about the high command’s decision to treat this as gross violation of discipline and stern action will be taken.


After this, Mr Srinivas held a meeting of Telangana legislators at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday and told them that it was not proper to obstruct proceedings of the House.


Zero tolerance capital issue: Any reference with regard to consider Hyderabad as common capital for Telangana and Andhra states would not be tolerated at any cost.



Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle - Hyderabad-12-2-2010