Key to Telangana: Article 3, Part 2

In the previous article titled ‘Key to Telangana: Article 3’, I discussed how Article 3 of Indian Constitution makes it clear that the Indian Parliament is the sole authority on making a decision on a new state.  The involvement of the State Assembly is confined to only presenting ‘its views’ within a certain specified period of time.  Indian Parliament is not obligated to follow on the views of State Assembly.  If the State Assembly votes negatively on the bill, or if the State Assembly does not express its opinion within the specified period of time, it could still be introduced in the Parliament after the expiry of the specified period.

Providing this clarity on Article 3 was necessary for the on-going struggle in Telangana because most of the Indian Cabinet ministers have been distorting the original definition, purport and intention of Article 3 and started to play games with Indian people saying that it is mandatory for Andhra Pradesh State Assembly to pass the resolution before it can be taken up by the Indian Parliament. 

Not only did P Chidambaram, Home Minister of India, make the biggest blunder when he asked State Assembly of Andhra Pradesh to pass the resolution on formation of Telangana, other Cabinet Ministers kept repeating the lie.  Veerappa Moily, Indian Minister of Law and Justice, says:

“How can Telangana be formed (like this). There is a procedure involved. The Bill cannot be taken up Parliament till it is passed by the Assembly. We have to create an atmosphere which cannot be created by confrontation. It has to be created by trust.”

When the Law Minister in the country starts distorting the legal system of the country you should strongly suspect if we can still trust the current leadership in this country to resolve this issue.  The distortion was played up so much that entire Indian media, now even the international media, started to parrot the same lie.  The lie has been repeated so many times that it is now passed on as truth. Till now, no serious journalist or columnist did his own research to find fault with the Cabinet Ministers’ comments on this issue.  

Telangana 84: Political parties are not representatives of the people

The current UPA political leadership has completely distorted Indian democracy and misinterpreted Indian Constitution, the consequences of which are dire for the future of this nation.  There is an urgent need to correct the wrong perceptions that have been floated in the last two years – there are many of them.  One such instance is where the political parties are being recognized as legal democratic representatives of the people.   For the last two years, UPA political leadership has cited lack of unanimity or consensus within recognized political parties in Andhra Pradesh to stall any decision making on Telangana. 

Repeated references to apparent division of opinion within political parties, that there should be consensus within each political party, that not all political parties are in agreement, comes from our wrong understanding of role of a political party in Indian democracy.   Because of this wrong understanding, we tend to address the issue by looking for wrong solutions which are not even required in the first place.   Trying to get unanimity amongst all political parties is a foolish endeavor to start with, and it can be achieved only in dictatorships or on those issues which are considered universally applicable, but is never possible on contentious issues where people are starkly divided.  If we seek unanimity on all contentious issues, no bill will ever be passed in the Parliament, and no decision will ever be taken.

Such wrong understanding of Indian Constitution and Indian democracy has to be combated expediently.  Many Telanganas are falling prey to this argument right now.  Instead of rejecting the questions posed to us, and instead of exposing the utter chicanery in the underlying assumptions, Telanganas are trying to defend themselves by answering the questions. 

Telangana 83: Political Movement has failed

Know thy adversary

For a long time now, we in Telangana believed that the sole reason why Telangana is not formed is because of the opposition from Seemandhra leaders supported by Samaikhyandhra movement. Therefore, we expressed our ire and anger at these bodies and institutions.   We continue to do so even now.  However, there is a gradual realization that the most important reason why Telangana is not formed is because of the apathetic and obdurate Central Government in New Delhi. 

It is the UPA political leadership which is the main reason why Telangana is not formed.  The notion that Seemandhra leaders and Samaikhyandhra agitators are throwing the spanner in the works is being meticulously exaggerated and used as a pretext to drive something what UPA political leadership wants – to keep the issue in the storage, if not cold, but in lukewarm status, till a time arrives when a massive political mileage can be obtained from resolving the issue (or from non-resolving the issue). UPA political leadership has no sincere interest to resolve the issue now.