Friday, December 25, 2009

Telangana XXVI: Untoward Incidents and Unity

Attacks against other people

Many commenters asked me to explain why certain Andhra people were attacked, insulted, and targeted in Telangana region. Some have said that Telangana has now become hostile to ‘settlers’. They have written to me describing some incidents of attacks on Andhra people. They asked me, what kind of Telangana we are going to have. Is this going to continue? If so, shouldn’t settlers now live in fear? Will they have leave Telangana eventually?

They want me to explain why these incidents happen. But at the same time, they use these attacks to besmirch and sully Telangana Movement. They want us to concede that this agitation is agitation of goons, and gundas, the movement of uncouth and unruly. They want to use these attacks to discredit the entire Telangana Movement. I am not going to do that.

In every people’s movement there have been such sporadic incidents of violence. But eventually when things settled down, those traces were removed. Take a look at contemporary history. When Gujarat was formed, it was a not a smooth transition. There were similar incidents. The same happened in 1953 when Andhra State was formed. Tamils threatened Telugu people and went about blacking out every Telugu writings in the city. Eventually when each people get their state, those feelings of anger and hatred subside and normalcy will prevail.

One such incident

Here I relate one incident that happened in Andhra-Rayalaseema region during Samaikya Andhra agitation. A Telangana professor in one of the universities of Rayalaseema was targeted for being Telangana. His effigy was burnt by the students. He had to flee the region for ten days during those agitations.

Though he now lives in fear, he is mature enough to understand that these incidents are sporadic. He has lived in that region for 20 years now. He does not believe that this animosity will continue. He believes it is an untoward incident that is an outcome of the current political imbroglio. He had every option to believe very differently. He had an option to write like others on my blog and completely discredit the Samaikya Andhra movement. He chose not to.

I have an option to use such incidents that I get to hear to discredit the entire Samaikya Andhra agitation. I chose not to do it because I know that I cannot characterize an entire movement based on such sporadic incidents.

I know that once these periods of turmoil are over, people would get back to their lives accepting people of other regions amidst them without feeling malice or hatred. Extrapolating these sporadic incidents to think of a dreadful tomorrow is of course your choice. If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.

I still recommend that we divide the state as soon as possible not to allow more hatred and anger to be sown. The longer it takes to separate, more the turmoil, more the hatred. There is no reason why we should stall the eventuality.

United we stand Divided we fall

Please don’t tell us again and again that we should stay united, because it is quite boring to hear these clichés. If you are so interested in staying united, you can stay united as Andhra-Rayalaseema or just united Andhra. And if you want, you can go back to being with Tamil Nadu and form Madras State once again and called it United Madras or whatever. I dismiss all such naïve arguments where ‘united’ is used to make a case. Those people just don’t know what they are talking about. First discredit Potti Sriramulu for breaking up India and then preach us unity.

Or how about this? Today, we would like to stand united on one single banner and leader, called Samaikya Telangana. You can have your Samaikya Andhra, we will have our Samaikya Telangana. ;-)

Unity is not defined the same way. It is not a universal definition. If that was case, we should have one district, one state and one nation on this planet. Why limit unity to your convenience?

Why Telangana loses out

We lose out because of our own people. There are many detractors within us who consistently tell us that we are good for nothing, that there is no hope for that. That it is better for us to be with Andhras who are better rulers than our own Telangana rulers.

During the time of Independence, there were many detractors from India who were not sure if we would have a better life after British left. Many babus, many princes, many landlords preferred to be under British because they thought they would lost their power if Indians ruled themselves. The selfish, the myopic, the ignorant amongst us continue to believe that Telangana people are no good, that we can’t rule ourselves, that we will lose out eventually. Such vested parties and interests within us should be fought as much as fighting the masters who rule us.

29 comments:

  1. Sujai,

    You seem to be a nice person, with your heart in the right place.Sad to see you being so grossly misinformed about the whole issue.

    I am not sure if you have made any effort to read blogs in Telugu about this issue.May I request you to make an honest effort in that direction and be open to change?

    Thanks,
    Kumar

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  2. World is watching !! The corporate world ..wat impression are the students making on their potential employers !!!

    A few stray incidents as they may seem they form a perception and these days perception is reality

    Students!!! u are ruining ur lives

    (This applies to all students in AP)

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  3. Who came up with this terms "Settlers"

    whoever started, they are very smart and clever.

    somehow if they can deny the legitimacy of a person, then they can attack them next, take their house, job..whatever...

    that his how nazi moment started, by saying Jews are not German people.

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  4. Can some one present any analysis of comparing regions which were similar to Telangana in 1947/48 ?

    The starting point should be same.
    How other regions progressed ?

    or even compare with erstwhile Hyderabad state's districts which went to Maharashtra, Karnataka.

    That is the true sample to compare.

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  5. An Andhra Thalsildar was driven away from Hyderabad and burnt alive near Narketpally in the 1969 agitation of course that wouldnt find a mention on ur "peace loving" blog check the microfilms in a public library or ask the ppl of that Era..
    Check out the news item today the agitators are buildig "walls" on the Andhra , Telangana borders

    I rember your earlier post Andraties are culprits ( collectively but not individually) I scratched my head but failed to see the logic behind ur argument ..

    With same dumbness i say U telanganites are like Taliban ( collectively but not individually)

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  6. Anonymous @ 11.28 AM

    No my friend Sujai says these violent protests are an "aberration" by some radical elements nothing to do with telengana movement

    But (with a capital B)

    All the andraites (Collectively but not individually) are land grabbers, blood suckers , jo stealing filth ..

    Bravo

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  7. Now one of the possibilities is, this movement will turn violent.

    Lots of "settler" will be killed or burned alive...

    lot of non-telangana people do not know the extent of hatred against them.

    It will come as a big surprise to them ..

    KCR is right..
    they should "Bhago" if they value their lives.

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  8. Sorry Sujai,
    These incidents what I see from overseas do not look like sporadic but I think they are getting more of a grand-scale.
    Well I don't think any reason to see this incidents any distinct from the destruction of govt. property which escalated during samaikhyandhra movement.
    I know such destruction happened during the first phase of todays' telangana movement but more sporadically than that happened on the other side.
    I think people have lost belief reasoning and value of negotiations after chidambaram's announcement recently.

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  9. Well those who have been very emotional to what ever is happening against andhra settlers please understand that this would have been avoided if Andhra people conceded with telangana people's peaceful demands for separation.
    I think you have to empathize with what telangana has faced today and not just with those who lost property. They will be compensated duly(but not completely which is impossible).
    Don't you think your politicians have pulled you into this situation unknown to you?
    They might be enjoying to see the events of today.
    The more andhra people begin to feel emotional the more they can capitalize on it.
    Even before any incident began, why would our CM say that this is not the loss of one side and win of the other?
    If it is not true why should he say that at all? Why should he be happy with the decision?
    Why was not the police and army ready in seemandhra before the first announcement?
    It is all the political game to suppress truth that telangana people whole heartedly wanted separate state. Now I think the violence would completely suspend the people's voice for decades. I remember killing of 300 people(many just onlookers and roadside sellers) during 1969 police brutal action against peaceful people's congregation in gowliguda

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  10. "United we stand Divided we fall"
    Does this mean only the territorial union?
    I dont understand people saying this again and again.
    Is this not about standing united against wrongdoing and discrimination?
    Why would people of andhra say this again and again when they are not uniting to help the people of telangana out from discrimination and political suppresion?
    Aphorisms and Idioms are good only when practiced with humanistic sense not just stricly in literal sense.

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  11. "United we stand divided we fall"
    I am really sulked by how some people try to understand and practice this saying. There are several instances in history when misunderstanding of certain fundamental propositions were literally understood in a different way than actually intended to be. The best example is people's differential understanding of holy books and religious sayings that led to formation of completely separate sects with in a religion. They actually happen to fight for that simple thing. Instead of fighting for it or trying to use it for their own purpose why do not people try to standardize the meaning of the sayings unbiased and recognize the truth. This is however practically impossible. So that is why when governments and courts write judgements and policies they use a completely different jargon that cannot be easily understood by laymen and cannot be inferred in each and every case differently.
    I thing id andhra people today used this saying to stay united with telangana people's cause and not for their demands then I think it would have been better. I think they would clearly seen that separation is the best solution in present situation. This would have completely united the people against wily politicians and crooked businessmen.

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  12. I am really shocked to know T agitators have burnt 2 cr worth of rice , don't this stratergically oppressed , so called backward people know the value of food ?

    They have even started hating word Andhra, displaying their anger by attacking Andhra Bank.

    I hope all pro-T NRI's supporters don't start burning their passports because it has Andhra word in it.

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  13. May be andhra protesters understood the value of self autonomy before they blindly supported their Political Leaders?
    I Firmly oppose this violence and arson.
    I think Telangana people should stop this movement for now and start normal life.
    They may take up this issue in future and fight non-violently.
    Stop this, thats what I can only say for now

    ReplyDelete
  14. Brother,
    You're becoming increasingly bitter and have lost your neutral voice which prevent you from seeing certain aspects of this problem.

    1. We consider you to be brothers and not as sacrificial lambs as you would want us to believe. At collective level too, E.Godavari accent is ridiculed..So is Srikakulam's. Collective bias is everywhere cutting across all systems.

    2. One of the most fundamental point of difference amongst us is that of Hyd. You would like us to believe that Andhrites settling in Hyd are at the same level as those settling in B'lore, Chennai, Mumbai elsewhere. Sorry! Nothing could be farther from truth.
    When Andhrites sold off their lands & properties in Seemandhra, they weren't thinking that they were settling in some city like B'lore or Mumbai. They were seeing it as they are settling into their own land. It means a lot to Andhra settlers here, whether they are ruled by AP govt or Telangana govt.
    Its simply not like settling in B'lore where we would have been sure from the beginning that its not our place.

    3. Nearly all top industrialists in Hyd (most of whom are from Andhra) have invested in Hyd also because of the selfish ambition to make their state capital better. Telugu film industry which was in Chennai would never have moved to Hyd had it foreseen such a day. One might buy property in B'lore, but one doesn't leave off all stake in the native place like Andhras to settle down Hyd permanently..Viewing others and Andhrites at the same level is not at all acceptable. We belong here and are not to been seen in the similar veins as other settlers.

    3. You are mistaken in believing that Hyd would have developed with or without Andhrites too. One can't rewrite history and one can never be sure with "ifs" and "buts". It was a conscious decision taken my Andhras to develop their capital city, and no doubt as you add, liberalization acted as a catalyst. Only after Chandrababu's erection of Hitech City did Hyd finally become a rage.

    4. Tell me another one city in the whole Andhra which can even try to compete with Hyd. There is simply no other city that has been developed that way. After toiling for years for the upliftment of AP, suddenly one fine day, taking away the result of years of labour is not right. You say that Andhrites are least bothered abt welfare of telangana and the issue is all abt Hyd. But Hyd is the only thing in recent past that we can collectively showcase as a sign of development. Its not right to snatch it away from AP.

    5. Had Andhrites even remotely foreseen such situation, they would have never poured their total investment in Hyd holding back no stack in Andhra. Of course you might say that who said anything abt leaving Hyd. But if Telangana is seperated than clearly we're strangers in our own land. This hurts.

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  15. 6. You speak about oppression as though you don't have representatives from your region. All those who were elected were always free to get their work done. Nobody prevented anybody to work!

    7. By the very nature of geography, these inequalities of land come & not by any conscious efforts of people. Deccan plateau prevented agriculture big way here. Most of it is also covered by dense forests unsuitable for agriculture. There was no need to deforest it either. We have merely worked as a single unit and then centrally redistributed all the revenue.

    8. Hyd was created by AP and didn't come out in a day. Before distribution comes creation. Had 69 riots succeeded, Vizag would have developed instead and the fate of Hyd wouldn't have caused such concern. Now its too late for seperation. we are not outsiders. We all belong to same culture and state!

    Please understand the concern of Andhra people before setting out to attack them so ferociously. A common Andhra settler had nothing to do with your oppression. Some politicians have done it. We haven't benefitted much either. Tell me one city similar to Hyd and then I will gladly accept that oppression has taken place. had the division taken place, we would have had a world class Vizag..Now you wish to snatch Hyd from us, leaving us with no big cities & thus poorer. Haven't you got any mercy either?

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  16. I bring to your attention these 2 editorials from "The Hindu"... Whats your opinion after reading these..

    http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/25/stories/2009122555700800.htm

    http://www.thehindu.com/2009/12/09/stories/2009120954910800.htm

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  17. I would like to know, who is actually leading thing movement?

    Provoking KCR ?
    Directionless students ?
    Or
    Confused public?

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  18. Mr. anonymous
    I think you haven't completely understood what the hindu articles have been citing. It is a completely biased one. It only ascribes a political colour to present situation whereas the movements that are seen are not just a political divide but a division of People's opinion.
    Look at how one of this article supports its another article whereas the truth is completely contradicts it.
    In article 'Correct diagnosis, wrong cure "
    The diagnosis is right: Telangana is backward and cries out for rapid development and the regional autonomy needed for this. But the cure pressed by a succession of militant movements — a separate Telangana State — will do serious harm to the patient.
    If this is true then the govt should not concede to separate state demand. And the union gov did exactly what it said is a cure
    In article 'way out in APP'
    Recent events have only strengthened the logic of the argument presented in The Hindu’s editorial of December 9, 2009 that while the diagnosis of the backwardness and neglect of the Telangana region is sound and must be empathised with, a just and progressive solution can be found within an undivided Andhra Pradesh on the basis of regional autonomy and big, concentrated development efforts.
    How shame lessly it supports its claim now even after citing the people's reaction to union's decision.
    Hindu is completely run by double standards

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  19. To anonymous,
    it is run by those peole who have suffered the worst betrayal in the history of Independent India not once but several times again and again.
    Where is your option D

    ReplyDelete
  20. to anonymous,
    You are mistaken in believing that Hyd would have developed with or without Andhrites too. One can't rewrite history and one can never be sure with "ifs" and "buts". It was a conscious decision taken my Andhras to develop their capital city, and no doubt as you add, liberalization acted as a catalyst. Only after Chandrababu's erection of Hitech City did Hyd finally become a rage.

    I agree if's and 'buts' are not reliable.
    I also add to it 'only'

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  21. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  22. "United we stand divided we fall"

    Andhras are hypocrites of epic proportions. Every college in Andhra in split vertically along caste lines - and they have nothing but the deepest enemities between them. This phenomenon is remarkably absent in Telangana.

    Andhra will DIVIDE from Madras when they want, DIVIDE/discriminate and lynch people along caste lines, marginalize 45% of people, steal their money, water, metals, coal and abuse their city. All the time producing 250 movies per year making 3.5 crore people villians and buffoons.

    And they expect to be treated nicely!! ROFL!!!

    I wonder where they shoved their "United we stand" slogan in their colleges!

    I wonder where they shoved their "United we stand" slogan when they were with MADRAS!

    ReplyDelete
  23. to anonymous who said,
    Nearly all top industrialists in Hyd (most of whom are from Andhra) have invested in Hyd also because of the selfish ambition to make their state capital better. Telugu film industry which was in Chennai would never have moved to Hyd had it foreseen such a day. One might buy property in B'lore, but one doesn't leave off all stake in the native place like Andhras to settle down Hyd permanently..Viewing others and Andhrites at the same level is not at all acceptable. We belong here and are not to been seen in the similar veins as other settlers.
    Good if one has a selfish ambition it is purely ones self. they would never care for city, village or state.
    Why did it take 40 years for telugu film industry to move to Hyderabad?
    Even after NTR made several investments in hyderabad, ANR and Rama Naidu built their studios, It took 15 years for the industry to realize that they were not living in an alien state. Even if telangana was separate state they would have moved anyway because we are all telugu people.

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  24. Anonymous
    Had Andhrites even remotely foreseen such situation, they would have never poured their total investment in Hyd holding back no stack in Andhra

    You constantly amaze me with statements that contradict your own statements that you write so closely to each other.
    Look at what you wrote here
    Had 69 riots succeeded, Vizag would have developed instead and the fate of Hyd wouldn't have caused such concern
    So why these clever and intelligent businessmen forgot this thing of recent history when they were investing?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Tell me another one city in the whole Andhra which can even try to compete with Hyd. There is simply no other city that has been developed that way. After toiling for years for the upliftment of AP, suddenly one fine day, taking away the result of years of labour is not right. You say that Andhrites are least bothered abt welfare of telangana and the issue is all abt Hyd. But Hyd is the only thing in recent past that we can collectively showcase as a sign of development. Its not right to snatch it away from AP.
    You thinking here has a fundamental fallacy that Vizag and hyderabad are comparable. Indeed Hyderabad was better developed than Vizag before the merger and they both developed proportinately since merger and I think in this scenario Vizag has upperhand. You need not consider Vizag or VJA/GTr as backward regions at all where as All the cities in telangana are backward.

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  26. By the very nature of geography, these inequalities of land come & not by any conscious efforts of people. Deccan plateau prevented agriculture big way here. Most of it is also covered by dense forests unsuitable for agriculture. There was no need to deforest it either. We have merely worked as a single unit and then centrally redistributed all the revenue.

    This is what andhra people are made to believe when they question backwardness of telangana. They are just words of masking guilt.
    Why this geography is not hindering Karnataka and Maharashtra to develop projects on their sides of Plateau? Why is it andhra leaders fight against almatti and babli projects.
    We are not living in 15th century to go with such technologically weak reasons.
    If the lands are uppish who stopped you from making dams farther high in the deccan and have canals built to farther seaward?
    Indeed N'sagar was first planned miles ahead of present place to cover most of nalgonda district. The first thing andhra did after merger was bring it seaward and destroy limestone mines in nalgonda and supply water to fileds in guntur and Krishna at the expense of several more non-irrigated lands in nalgonda and khammam.This is just one example.
    SRSP is still in phase I and every year only funds are given for maintainance of existing canal and it would never see its II phase which will supply water to 5 lakh acres in warangal and 2 lakh acres khammam.

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  27. . Had Andhrites even remotely foreseen such situation, they would have never poured their total investment in Hyd holding back no stack in Andhra. Of course you might say that who said anything abt leaving Hyd. But if Telangana is seperated than clearly we're strangers in our own land. This hurts.
    until few days ago this would not have been the question at all. But what happened in Seemandhra after dec 9th, I think this may become true.

    ReplyDelete
  28. While we telangana people are jsut fighting for a separate state and hoping that in distant future our region will develop, andhra regions are being developed with our collective efforts.
    Example:http://www.thehindu.com/2009/09/19/stories/2009091953860500.htm
    And this is for a second grade city in andhra region.
    The govt which do not have just 300 crores for a project that will provide water for more than one lakh acres in telangana, has 147 crores for a project that is supposed to supply drinking water to people who are going to setle around a region in next 20 years.
    Who is first? Those who come after 20years are those who are waiting for 40 years?

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  29. Dear all,

    Who talk about the violence in Telangana, can you please do a honest analysis on your side before pointing fingers ?

    The agitation in Andhra and Rayalseema was only for a week or two weeks and the APSRTC losses were to the tune of Rs 70 crores and this was largely because buses were being burnt.


    The BSNL too had said that at the Shrikrishna Devaraya University at Rayalseema, students had burnt its optic fibres which resulted in a loss of Rs 2 crore.

    Can you imagine if the same kind of agitation was run in the Andhra and Seema for 50 + years (Ofcourse they don't let it run so long), the amount of losses ?

    ReplyDelete

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