Round The States

New Delhi, 10 December 2009

Hope For New States

TELANGANA GETS CENTRE’S NOD

By Insaf

History is poised to repeat itself in Andhra Pradesh. People of the Telegana region will finally see their long-cherished dream of a separate State come true, thanks to the fast-unto-death by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief, K Chandrasekhara Rao. On Wednesday last, as Rao’s health deteriorated on the eleventh day of his fast, the UPA government blinked. Late at night, Home Minister Chidambaram announced that “the process of formation of a separate State was being set into motion and an appropriate resolution would be moved in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.” It also requested the State government to withdraw all the cases filed on or after November 29, against all leaders, students and others associated with the violent agitation triggered by Rao’s fast, which he has since broken.  Nevertheless the creation of Telangana is not going to be easy. The announcement has plunged Andhra Pradesh in a political crisis with 93 MLAs and 5 MPs resigning in protest.

Rao appears to have been inspired by Potti Sreeramulu, whose fast unto death in 1953 had led to the creation of Andhra Pradesh from erstwhile Madras Presidency. Earlier, in 1948 the Nizam’s rule had come to an end and Hyderabad state was formed. In 1956, the Telangana region of Hyderabad was merged with Andhra Pradesh, while the remaining parts of the Nizam’s kingdom were added to Karnataka and Maharashtra. However, Telangana has been demanding its separate identity all along. In 1969 over 350 protestors were killed in police firing. The movement, however, collapsed after Dr M Channa Reddy merged his Telangana Praja Samithi Party with the Congress and he was made its Chief Minister by Indira Gandhi. In 2001, Chandrasekhar Rao quit the ruling Telugu Desam Party and formed the TRS. In 2004, the State Congress under the late YSR Reddy joined hands with TSR, promised him a separate State but later backtracked, forcing all the Samithi MLAs to resign enmasse. Upset with the Centre, its five MPs too quit.

*                        *                                               *                                   *

Towards New States

The Centre’s decision to concede Telangana has expectedly aroused hopes in various parts of the country. Many in Uttar Pradesh would like it carved out into three States in the interest of better governance. Jat leader, Ajit Singh wants Harit Pradesh in western UP and those in the east demand Bundelkhand. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are viewed as being too big. The people of Vidarbha have been agitating for a separate State for long. In 1956, 14 States and 6 Union Territories were created following the report of the States’ Reorganisation Commission. In 1960, Bombay, a composite State was split into Maharashtra and Gujarat. In 1963, Nagaland was carved out of Assam and three years later in 1968, Punjab was trifurcated to form Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. In 1972, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura were created and in 1975, Sikkim became a part of India. In 1987, Goa which was a UT since 1961 became a State and so also Arunachal Pradesh even as Mizoram was created. The process continued in 2000 when Uttaranchal was carved out from UP and Jharkhand from Bihar.

*                                   *                                   *                                               *

Orissa Assembly Bolted Midway

Healthy democratic conventions received an unfortunate setback in Odisha and Punjab this past week. Reeling under a multi-crore mining scam, the ruling BJD government in Odisha, shockingly bolted and locked up the State Assembly. It got the month-long winter session of the Assembly abruptly adjourned two weeks ahead of schedule, i.e. December 19. On Friday last, when the House met members of the opposition Congress raised the issue of the scam allegedly involving Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Some tried to climb on to the Speaker’s podium, broke his mike and demanded a CBI probe. After repeated adjournments, when the House met again in the afternoon, the Chief whip suddenly urged the Speaker P K Amat to end the session on grounds there was “no business to take up.” Amat obliged amidst protests. A stumped Opposition accused the Government of “murdering democracy” as it was unwilling to face the House on the mining scam issue. Is anyone answerable?   

*                                   *                                   *                                               *

Free-For-All In Punjab Assembly

The Punjab Assembly too witnessed a disgraceful incident. On Tuesday last, members of the ruling Akali Dal and the Opposition Congress traded blows and abuses like never before in the House. In the melee, turbans of three MLAs were toppled, few others received punches and scratches on their faces, and two members fell to the ground. The shameless free-for-all was triggered when Congress members, infuriated over the violence in Ludhiana, rushed into the well of the House to stop Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal from making a statement. They insisted on a discussion on their adjournment motion on the Ludhiana incident, in which one person was killed in police firing and curfew imposed in the town. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal appropriately termed the development as “most painful and a disgrace to democracy” and pointedly asked the Congress MLAs why they had chosen to disrupt the statement on the very issue which they wanted to raise! But there was no answer.

*                                   *                                   *                                               *

The “quiet peace talks” between the Centre and the secessionists in Jammu & Kashmir received a severe blow last week. On Thursday last, pro-dialogue and Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, was shot at point blank range in Srinagar while returning home. The 65-year-old secessionist leader is said to be a key player in the secret talks held between the Chairman of the moderate wing of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram recently. He is also learnt to have been assigned the task of securing hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s support by the Mirwaiz. Ironically, the attack is alleged to have been carried out by the Srinagar cell of the Hizbul Mujahideen, which he had helped set up. While the assassination bid has forced the State police to ask moderate leaders to restrict their movements, a concerned Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has accused the forces in the hardline camp of derailing the peace process. To what extent, the future will tell.

*                                   *                                   *                                               *

Maharashtra CM Arraigned?

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan hit the headlines last week. But for all the wrong reasons. His election has been challenged in the Aurangabad High Court on grounds of filing false information about his poll expenses. Former NCP member Madhavrao Kinhalkar who lost to Chavan from Bhokar in Nanded district, has alleged that the latter claims to have spent “only Rs 5,379 on newspaper advertisements” and his total expenditure on publicity in the media during the entire poll campaign was a meager “Rs. 11, 379”! The figures are “irrelevant and impractical,” says he and wants asks the Nanded Election Officer to investigate and cancel Chavan’s membership of the Assembly. A similar demand has been made by the BJP leaders who met Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla on Monday last. While Chavan is choosing to remain silent on the controversy, will he be the first Chief Minister to be arraigned on poll expenses!   ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)