Thursday, January 28, 2010

Why Telangana Human Chain?


In 1969 Telangana Agitation, more than 370 people were killed; more than 50,000 people were arrested; thousands were injured.  In 1971, Telangana Praja Samiti (TPS) won 11 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats, and yet Telangana state was not formed.  And in the last 40 years, people of Telangana have endured the shame and ignominy, but did not lose hope.  They continued to harbor a hope that one day we will get our Telangana, what is now called ‘Telangana Sentiment’. 

In 2000, when three new states of Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were created, Telangana was on the top of the list.  And yet, Telangana was put on hold only because Chandrababu Naidu, the then CM of Andhra Pradesh, who had lent his support to NDA, did not support statehood to Telangana.

In 2001, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), a new political party was formed with a single point manifesto, to bring statehood to Telangana.  It formed an alliance with Y S Rajashekar’s (YSR) Congress, which shared the agenda of TRS.  In the elections of 2004, Congress won in AP with help of TRS but went back on its promises.  Once again people of Telangana lost out to the devious and quirky Indian politics. 


In the subsequent five years, TRS could not achieve its single-point agenda though they tried every tactic.  People of Telangana were not interested in hearing excuses and therefore were disappointed with TRS. In 2009, every other political party in Andhra Pradesh- Congress, TDP, Praja Rajyam, etc, also promised Telangana.  It became clear that the issue of Telangana is no longer in the agenda of one party but all parties.  Naturally, the vote of Telangana people got divided.  The detractors of Telangana explained the drubbing of TRS as waning of Telangana Movement, whereas the people of Telangana felt it was only the intensification of its movement because now all political parties endorsed it.

In November 2009, K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) went on a hunger strike to move the center to look at the Telangana issue.  The people of Telangana rallied behind him.  On 9th December 2009, when P Chidambaram announced the decision to take steps towards creation of Telangana, the people of Telangana rejoiced. 

However, the majority Andhra politicians played the old game of adjourning the Assembly through mass resignations.  On 23rd December 2009, when P Chidambaram retracted his earlier announcement calling for wider consultation and consensus, Telangana people were once again disappointed. 

Immediately, most of the political leaders of Telangana submitted their resignations to express their solidarity, clearly indicating to the world that the sentiment of Telangana is endorsed by all.  However, the world looked at it only as a political gimmick of few politicians with vested interest.  They said that Telangana sentiment is not shared by the people of Telangana.   One Andhra leader quoted that 82% of Telangana people DO NOT support Telangana.  In absence of any statistic or a quantifiable measure of this sentiment, every detractor is now able to decry our sentiment and pooh-pooh our movement.

On 3rd January 2010, students of Telangana organized a massive Vidyarthi Gharjana [Roar of Students] in Osmania University where anywhere between 1 to 2 Lakh students showed up.  It was a grand event and peaceful one.  Just because few leaders that had links with Naxalites showed up at the event, the whole movement of Telangana people is now characterized as Naxal movement.

In the last twenty days, people of Telangana have been celebrating, protesting, and organizing pada yatras, conducting Dhoom-Dhams and Disha-Dasha across all towns and villages of Telangana to express their Telangana Movement.  And yet, the world wants to conveniently believe that this movement is now in the ‘cold storage’, that it has lost momentum.  Some of them have even said that it is clear that Telangana people don’t want Telangana anymore.

All our attempts to let the world know of our immense support have failed.  Elections results were interpreted wrongly, our student movement was characterized as extremist movement, the hunger strikes and fasts of our leaders and students were called gimmicks and stunts. 

The detractors have done everything to discredit our movement by attacking our leaders, calling our youth as illiterate, and describing our sentiment foolish.  Every rally and protest is undermined as voice of a small section.  It has become extremely difficult for people of Telangana to express their solidarity with this movement.  We want to tell the whole world that whole of Telangana overwhelmingly supports the cause of Telangana and yet we are unable to do it.

Why form longest and largest Human Chain?

The democratic institutions have failed us on all counts.   We are not able to depend on India’s Parliament that is held at ransom by coalition politics or our state assembly that is hijacked by leaders of majority region.  Even our courts couldn’t help us because their decisions were overturned with clout of power. 

In absence of referendums in India, we the people of Telangana have come up with our own referendum.  We have decided to form the longest and largest human chain (maanava haaramu) to tell the world that the whole of Telangana stands united, joining hands, and chanting Jai Telangana, to express our unanimous approval for Telangana cause.

No more shall you cast doubts on our support.  No more shall you interpret our election results wrongly.  No more shall you call this movement a voice of small section.  We want you to understand that it not extremist-led or political party-led movement.  We want you to understand that it is a genuine people’s movement unlike any other in the contemporary history of our planet.  The leaders of this movement are the people of Telangana and no one else.

We need everyone out there to participate. 

I urge all the people of Telangana to come out and be part of this event.  Spread the message to everyone.  Become the ambassadors and messengers of Telangana cause, go to villages, to towns, to cities, and tell them why we need to participate in this chain.  Tell the schools, colleges and universities to bring out their kids, tell administrative offices, the courts, the banks, the government offices, and the industries, to come and join this chain.  Tell your grandparents, your parents, your siblings, your cousins and relatives, and your friends to come out and be part of this chain.  Spread the word across entire Telangana.

Let it be the expression of every Telangana person.  Let the chants of Jai Telangana be heard in the entire country, let the chain be seen from the Moon, let the whole world watch it on their TV, not because it is a world record, but because it is the greatest show of strength of people who are looking for freedom and expression within the legal confines of Indian Constitution, through peaceful, non-violent method. 

35 comments:

  1. As I expressed yesterday that one of my friend hails from Andhra, simply ruled out our movement that it is dying fast, and what ever the movement was there is only a naxals movement. He do not want to recognize our movement as a peoples movement.
    I am surprised to here from him because he reads the news papers without leaving a section, but still he thinks that it is not coming from people. I don't mind if some one do not like Saperate Telangana but I hate to hear that it is not a peoples movement and only small section of people want Saperate State, lets do it and tell the world that this is People's movement and we all want Saperate Telangana State.

    Jai Telangana.... Jai Jai Telangana.

    Thanks for your efforts Sujai.

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  2. I am surprised that you even have have friends, let alone friends from Coastal area.

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  3. Our fight is with our Govt. but not with every individual who hails from Andhra.

    Yes I have many friends from Andhra, we share same cup of tea and we debate about Telangana Vs. Andhra but we never cross our limits to blame in personal level.

    I feel funny in the debate because they do not know what to talk when I strongly asked them to talk about only Telangana without talking about KCR/TRS. They are still in the impression that Telangana=KCR/TRS. But they do not understand a simple logic that 'KCR is for Telangana' and 'Telangana is not for KCR'.

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  4. Green Star:
    Its not just Andhras who refused to believe it is a people's movement. Many people that I have spoken to including people from North India, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, etc, have expressed the same.

    That it is a KCR-led movement only because he lost last elections, that it is dangerous movement because of Naxalites. That it is an anti-India movement and so on.

    Don't get bothered by it. During the height of Independence Movement most of British thought that our movement was a whole charade of few elite Congressmen whose only interest is to take over power from British.

    Indians thought otherwise.

    We, Telanganas, think otherwise.

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  5. 'ప్రపంచంలో అగ్రగామిగా నిలిచిన అమెరికా అభివృద్ధి చెందడానికి కలిసి ఉండటమే కారణం. విడిపోవడం వల్లే రష్యా వెనుకబడిపోయింది. తెలంగాణవాదం ప్రజల్లో లేదు. సమైక్యాంధ్ర ఉద్యమం ప్రజల నుంచి పుట్టింది. ఇదే నిజమైన ప్రజా ఉద్యమం. --ప్రజారాజ్యం అధ్యక్షుడు చిరంజీవి

    Our mega star needs history social class lessons. He doesn't even know the difference between 'a country' and 'a state'.

    After our Manavaharam, I am sure he will surprisingly gives a statement like 'I am surprised to see over one crore of naxals making world record manavaharam in Telangana'. hehehe

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  6. I will put my all efforts to spread the message.....let us show our strength to the world.
    Jai Telangana.......Jai Jai Telangana

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  7. Yeah, the biggest disappointment for me was when someone told me they thought Lagadapati was fighting for Telangana and one of the politicians leading the political movement! Of course these are non-Telugus I met on my current business visit away from India, but still, OMG, how can we own up Lagadapati!!!

    Whatever be the case, we need an event that makes a big statement, big enough to wash away all the misconceptions! Thanks for this great initiative Sujai - wish I could help with the design of that site, will let you know if I can come up with something!

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  8. Anonymous,

    I am married to a person who is born in andhra and brought and up and settled in hyderabad and we support separate telangana.

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  9. Y’day late afternoon on a personal work I went to Sanga Reddy (from Hyd), @ BHEL came across two tents with group of 40-50 to people doing relay hunger strikes, then another group of 40 people @ Patancheruvu and Muntangi, finally in Sanga Reddy near Natraj Theater (New Bus Stn Rd) group of 50 to 60 people and right next to it another group of 100-125 students listening to speaker on TG History/Merger etc.

    I was there only for an hour, came across a campaign for some TG garjana in Sanga Reddy, collector office premises is filled with mini demonstration like bonnalu, pothu raju etc…, they put long red tikka on my forehead…I was greeted by attendant with Jai Telangana !!!

    Entire 2 KM road stretch looks like a festive mood, when enquired they said it’s like this is everyday…man quite a vibration.

    On return in evening I noticed group size increased to around 200-300 at each tent with more fierce speakers…there is saying or someone said to know India you need to see/visit it Villages…same holds good for the Telangana movement…

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  10. Great idea Sujai. I like the telangana human chain website. I will do my every bit to make this event a huge success. Did you also contact Prof. Kondandaram and the all the telangana JAC's. I think we need to raise some funds and give ads in major news papers (especially in the district editions with the nearest route map and phone numbers of the coordinators) to publicize this event. Also we should encourage people who dont live near the route map to form human chains in their respective villages and towns on Feb 21st. We should make efforts to get national media to cover this event.

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  11. Sujai

    I belive you already contacted the Guinnes Record committe. If not we need to register for the event.
    Some of my friends are ready to organise in their distrcts which is part of NH7. Could you contact me through my email ?

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  12. Sujai, please publish this article in pro telangana websites.

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  13. Sujai:
    Have you done any analysis on how much money is needed to conduct such a chain. If so, you should publish that as the target amount to be raised on the humanchain website, and track the progress. We should start collecting donations ASAP, as we have only a couple of weeks to go.

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  14. Sujai, can you follow up with another article on the telangana human chain explaining your thoughts on the below questions and also questions raised by some other members.
    1. How to count the number of people participated in the human chain. I think atleast an approximate count is required here since we are planning this chain as an alternative to the referundum.
    2. Any plans to invite the external independent agents to verify the count. In the absence of a reputed external independent agents the detractors of telangana movement may not beleive the number that we give them.
    3. Is 15 minutes enough time for the media to capture the entire human chain. Noticing that the human chain is spread across the entire telangana does the electronic media have enough units to cover this event in 15 minutes ?
    Also looking at the massive coordination that is required may be this event should be extended to 30 mins.

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  15. @ 14, Vamshi:

    Sujai, can you follow up with another article on the telangana human chain explaining your thoughts…

    I intend to do that. I will be in Hyderabad starting this Sunday. I will get a better picture from those who have organized many events already. Once we finalize I will give those details.

    Approaching international media and even the Guinness/Other agencies is being considered. The most important thing right now is to get endorsement from all parties, organizations to support and participate in this event.

    An approximate count is possible. Actual count will be tough to manage.

    The chain will start forming right from the morning. It will take time to mobilize. 15 minutes is more like culmination, not actual chain formation period. The media cannot cover the entire Telangana anyway. But it is will not be to hard to judge if you just take a car or motorbike and keep traveling on the road to see how many people have turned out.

    Again, I will give the details out only after I meet the people on the ground who have been in the agitations for quite some time.

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  16. Great post Sujai! Strangely this idea is being put forth and gaining momentum from all sides. This is very timely. Both Political JAC and student JAC are embracing this. Most importantly people are willing to participate in any mass display for achieving Telangana. This will be a Grand success since it is being embraced by the right people.

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  17. Sujai

    I am not from Telangana or Andhra, but I feel proud of you! What you are trying to do is a huge thing, and I wish you all success in this endeavour.

    Arun

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  18. Please let us know place where it starts, When and how much gathering your are expecting.

    Wish u all success.


    Jai Telangana!

    Kishan Adepu

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  19. that does not prove that the masses want telangana. Many students in OU want to study. but can they? when the union leader asks them to come out of class can they sit there?
    in the villages if one leader asks the people to join a gathering no one wants to be singled out. so they all join.
    in my village many of us are not in support of a separate state but we are forced to keep quiet. only a secret vote will bring out the truth.

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  20. re: Metrics on the human chain.

    I am very neutral on Telangana. Am not a Telugu and dont have the background.

    But to toss it out, can some parameters be set?

    I saw Sujai ask for abt 1 crore ppl to take part in the chain, convincing everybody of the strength of feeling on this issue. Lets take that as a "win".

    Assuming that's okay, can the presence of say 20lacs or less be considered a "lose"?

    ie. maybe almost every Telangani has some grouse but not enough ppl of Telangana care enough about it to separate.

    If one crore is too high a different number X can be proposed.

    What I am getting at is, if X is a win, can X/5 or less be considered a loss.

    Thanks for any response.
    Jai

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  21. Just saw comment #19 after posting my comment #20 on metrics.

    I am confident that Sujai and other pro-Telangana posters here are deeply committed to peaceful and democratic methods. No such fear-mongering should be allowed to drag ppl out to support any chain.

    Equally, opponents of Telangana should step forward to prevent anybody from threatening or committing violence against the chain.

    Sujai, you could actually co-ordinate these with somebody representing the anti-Telangana sentiment. Get both sides to set and follow these ground rules.

    After the chain event, nobody bickers about threats and stuff.

    How about it?

    thanks,
    Jai

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  22. Are there any anti-Telangana team in Telangana? I do not think so. If it is there, it could be very very small. And if they do not raise there voice now then as this blog motto, hottest places in the hell will be reserved for them.

    Anonymous, don't worry, there are no anti-Telangana team right now in Telangana, may be few individuals talked about that for there political gains, but I see there are few pro-Jai Andhra teams in Andhra area, are these Samaykandra people working with them instead of kicking them?

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  23. How to send contributions the expenses incurred so that this doesn't become a financial burden for you? We want to keep this going.

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  24. Here is a blogger I found, rejecting the claim that about 50,000 people were arrested during the 1969 agitations.

    http://telengana.org/article.php/20100131025147897

    Here is some food for thought:

    She assumes that if 50,000 people were arrested, they should ALL be arrested on the same day at the same time ... and, since the capacity of Andhra jails is not that high, the number of arrested must be lower.

    Her argument is based on the false assumptions that:

    1. ALL AGITATORS MUST HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AT THE SAME TIME OR ATLEAST THE SAME DAY OR WEEK.

    2. ALL ARRESTED MUST BE HELD CAPTURE IN JAILS GOING BY THE MAX-ALLOWED LIMITS PER THE HUMAN RIGHTS FOLKS... REALLY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

    3. ALL ARRESTED MUST HAVE REGISTERED FIR's.. ELSE, WE WILL DISMISS AWAY THE ARRESTS AS NON-OCCURRENCE... duh!!! which country does she belong to???

    4. SHE SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR MORE DATA/INFO ON THE 50000 ARRESTS IN 1969 AND SHE FOUND NO INFO EXCEPT SUJAI'S BLOG...duh!!!
    Is she thinking that ALL HISTORICAL FACTS OF TELANGANA AND THE OLD-HYDERABAD-STATE are readily available for her on the internet????.... Or... is she thinking that Internet is the right and "trustworthy" source of all historical facts?

    If M.K.Gandhi's book mentions a particular agitation by some indigo workers and it is not available on the internet, will she dismiss it away saying:
    1. There are no google results on the search.
    2. The indigo-farmers-agitation could not have been crushed because there were no big jails built by the british in those villages.

    She needs some basic logic lessons before she asks for the "statwallahs" on her site.

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  25. Telangana Bidda:
    We don't have to answer every detractor unless they pose a credible argument.

    This lady is relying on Google Search. She doesn't realize that most of the news before 1990s does not appear online.

    Also during 1969 agitation there was complete media blackout. The media did not report events the way they do it now. They actually pretended as if nothing ever happened. The state controlled TV and Radio did not say much.

    Actually the estimates suggest more than 70,000 were arrested. Many of those that were held were put up in makeshift jails - colleges and schools were turned into jails. For example, Kakatiya Medical College and REC in Warangal were used as jails.

    During my stay in US, when I told an American lady that we don't get certain things in India, she said, 'why not? Why can't you go to WalMart and buy it?'

    Some of us tend to believe the world is same everywhere and at all times.

    Many people of current generation do not know how it was when there was no TV or Mobile Phone. They can't understand that world, and hence they believe such a world never existed.

    This lady seems to look at 1969 from the yard stick of present generation. She is naive. Do not take pains to explain - its not worth it.

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  26. We will see long waited happiest moment ever in the world soon by formation of Telangana. It has been the people interest for long long time and it will come true soon.

    Jai Telangana. Jai Jai Telangana

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  27. Jai Telangana... Jai Jai Telangana

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  28. If friends from Andhra says it is not a people's movement, better not to argue with them and dont waste valuable time explaining facts. It is better explain the samething to friends from telangna if somebody say why do we need telangana.

    Andhra People's got used to exploitation of resources and they talk like that. They could not digest the sustainability of this movement for this long and it would be there until Telangana if formed.

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  29. Wishing Good Luck Everybody

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  30. T_Bidda,
    I gave adequate stats to that person who was questionning sujai's assertions.
    You can check them and add more.
    TX for bringing to our attention

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sujai,
    I was just going through this book titled, "Regionalism in India- case of telangana"
    on google books.
    When I look at some chapters which give a detailed history on a day to day basis on poltiics played before mid-term elections I feel like today history is repeating it self. I think telangana people should be ready to counter something that might put the entire issue in cold case.

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  32. T_bidda.. that 'impeccable' logic must be from none other than our Fifth element.

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  33. An article purported to be written by Mr P Chidambaram in 2003 is here. He appears to be in favour of smaller states personally.. I think we're justified in having hopes....

    Wake up to the state of States

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  34. P chidamabaram's article in Indian Express is quite thoughtful and makes good sense.
    But is this man really in power to direct policy changes in the Govt.? Or is he simply a great spokes person?

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  35. ever tried eating shit? that would have made more sense! dimwitted dweebs!

    ReplyDelete

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