Telangana 86: Democracy shuts its doors on Telangana

05 August 2011

Today, in a landmark speech, the Home Minister of Indian Union, P Chidambaram, set a new and dangerous precedent in the annals of Indian democracy.  His speech urged the two warring parties, the bully and the victim, to resolve the issue on their own and offered no intervention from the Government of India.  He said, quite emphatically, that it is not his ministry’s responsibility or the responsibility of the Government or the Parliament to intervene to resolve the issue of Telangana, and left the contentious issue of nearly sixty years to be resolved by the victims in Telangana by convincing the bullies of Seemandhra. 

This day marks a new chapter in the history of Independent India.  It deviates markedly from all earlier precedents where Union Government took the responsibility of resolving the regional disputes when they arose.  When Telanganas were being targeted by the Nizam’s forces the Government of India intervened by sending police to disarm Nizam and annex Hyderabad State into Dominion of India.  When Andhras of Madras State rose up in protest citing domination of Tamils, Nehru’s government intervened to create a new state for Andhras.  When Maharashtrians fought for a separate state, Article 3 was invoked to create two new states.  In numerous occasions, the Union Government and the courts of India intervened to settle the riparian disputes that arose between the states. 

Today, the Home Minister of India has abandoned such a practice and sought refuge in nonintervention, saying it is not their responsibility to provide a solution to a regional dispute.  The Government of India made it clear that they don’t have anything to do with the current dispute over formation of Telangana.  In essence, New Delhi orphaned Telangana without providing any recourse to justice.

When Telanganas heard Home Minister speak nonchalantly in the Lok Sabha following the impassioned speech from Sushma Swaraj, they could not believe how callous the Government of India has become.  They were left wondering how and what happened to the democratic and constitutional methods that were earlier employed to resolve regional disputes that arose in this country.   They started to question their faith in the democratic institutions of India.

The Home Minister of India told the nation that it is the duty of Telugu people, composed of two warring groups, to come together and find a solution.  He said his government can only facilitate an agreement between the two parties, but refused to step in to provide a solution.  The UPA political leadership continues to hold onto the pipe dream that miraculously, through some divine intervention, the people of Telangana and Seemandhra would somehow bury their differences that have been mounting up over the last sixty years, hug each other in a sudden twist like in the Indian movies, and unanimously come to an agreement.   

While making such unrealistic suggestions, our beloved Home Minister might as well have directed the 40 million people in Telangana to pray to Lord Venkateshwara and hope the God himself descends to provide a solution to the current problem, instead of wasting their time knocking on the doors of the government or approaching the courts in India. 

Our leadership in New Delhi may require a course in history, a course in common sense, and if possible a dose of wisdom, if such a medicine is found somewhere.  There are many instances when two people cannot resolve issues no matter what.  That’s why we have need arbiters in the form of courts or governments to resolve such situations.  If all the warring people were asked to resolve the issues by coming to a common ground on their own, there would no need for courts in this country.  There would be no need for an arbiter – all contentious issues will get solved miraculously without any intervention. 

Indian Constitution clearly prescribes the method to resolve regional disputes when regions within the state do not come to an agreement, and it is the duty of the Government to employ those methods to bring resolution.  The role of Government of India has always been to impart the solution judiciously following the prescribed democratic and constitutional guidelines, with or without the support of all political parties. 

The expectation from the current UPA political leadership that all political parties should agree on the same solution is unreasonable and in fact quite impossible.  There are various examples in the past where a consensus amongst all political parties was not a precondition to resolve the contentious issues.  For example, without the support of RJD, the prominent political party of Bihar, a bill was passed in the Parliament to create Jharkhand out of Bihar.  Nuclear Bill was passed in the Parliament though there was massive opposition from the allies of the ruling party. 

In his speech in Lok Sabha, P Chidambaram resorted to a mischievous and dangerous Machiavellian trickery that may completely change the face of Indian democracy in future.  He started counting the number of political parties in Andhra Pradesh and divided them into three groups, those who support formation of Telangana, those who do not, and those who have not made their stance clear.  Introducing a strange and alien notion of counting political parties instead of counting the number of elected representatives, the Home Minister of India has completely and permanently altered Indian democracy and its basic ethos to set it on a new and ominous course.   I am not sure if the Harvard educated Home Minister of Republic of India realizes this, but Indian Parliament is not a party-based democracy as he stated in his speech, but it is a parliamentary democracy, in which the opinion of individual elected leader is paramount and not the opinion of a political party.  Indian Constitution does not recognize political parties as legal representatives of the people.  We don’t count the support in the number of political parties but we count the number of elected leaders.  

Honorable Home Minister of India has said that ‘there are eight recognized political parties in Andhra Pradesh’.  While three of them support, one opposes, and four have not taken a decision as yet.  Since four parties have not made up their mind, he wants to wait for their decision before he can proceed further.   Home Minister has introduced a new step in the process of creation of new states, called ‘the conclusion of consultation process’ which, according to him, takes precedence over the impending democratic aspirations clearly articulated from the region of Telangana.  This new step runs against the intention of the architects of Indian Constitution who made it clear that the will of the people of the region is the sole criterion for the Union Government to initiate the process of state formation.   

Does P Chidambaram realize that these four parties are using this attitude of the UPA political leadership to actually delay the decision process, so that no state formation can happen?  Does he not realize that a majority can use this excuse to delay the formation of Telangana forever?  Doesn’t Article 3 clear empower the Parliament to go ahead and reorganize the states without getting the consent from the State Assembly? Didn’t Indian Union break up the Hyderabad State though there was no process of consultation?  Wasn’t Telangana merged with Andhra State without any formal consent of Telanganas? 

Can we know why we are seeking consensus amongst all political parties? Is that a reasonable expectation when the warring groups are two regions and not two political parties?  The Home Minister keeps stressing that the ‘main political party and main opposition party in Andhra Pradesh are divided’.   Divided along what lines, we may ask?  It is evident that the elected leaders of Andhra Pradesh are completely divided along the regional lines irrespective of their political, religious, or caste affiliation?  Doesn’t that tell us something about a democratic aspiration of a region which is now riding so high that the usual affiliations that dominate Indian politics are now thrown into the background?  If the Home Minister had known how Indian democracy works he would have counted the number of elected representatives from Telangana who support the formation of new state, instead of counting the political parties. 

P Chidambaram has set in a new criterion for formation of new states.  He expects that all political parties should support formation of Telangana and then he expects that each political party should in turn convince its members to come to the same opinion.  What he is basically expecting is that 100% of the elected members of Andhra Pradesh should accept the decision of formation of Telangana.  Such unanimity is unheard of in a democracy.  With that kind of expectation one basically rules out the possibility of formation of Telangana forever.  In fact, it will ensure that no state formation will happen in this country for all times to come.

The architects of Indian Constitution understood the implications of majority suppressing a minority forever in the State Assembly.  Therefore, they gave complete powers to the Parliament to take a decision without seeking the approval from the state.  The Honorable Shri K. Santanam, one of the architects of Indian Constitution, while rejecting the proposal where the consent from State Assembly is necessary for the formation of new state, writes:

it would mean that no minority in any State can ask for separation of territory, either for forming a new province or for joining an adjacent State unless it can get a majority in that State legislature… Take the case of the madras Province for instance. The Andhras want separation. They bring up a resolution in the madras legislature. It is defeated by a majority. There ends the matter. The way of the Andhras is blocked altogether. They cannot take any further step to constitute an Andhra province.

…instead of democracy we will have absolute autocracy of the majority in every province and State.

The methods that were available for creation of Andhra State are now denied to the people of Andhra Pradesh.  Two legal cases which challenged the authority of Parliament to take unilateral decisions without taking consent from State Assembly have established that it is the right of the Parliament to create new states and that it is not mandatory for the State Assembly to provide the approval.  The aspiration of the people of the land is the most important reason why a state should be formed.  The message is loud and clear.  But our Home Minister refuses to hear it.  The whole reason why Telanganas want a new state is to escape from the subjugation of the majority of Seemandhras.  It is unreasonable to ask Telanganas to convince and impress upon the majority to support them in their fight for statehood.  

Over the last two years, people of Telangana have dealt so many betrayals, got affected by so many political machinations of subterfuge and deception, that they have been forced to grow up and mature up on an accelerated path.  They have lost their innocence.   They no longer look at the Indian Flag misty eyed full of foolish national fervor.  They are reminded of the number of times this country has betrayed them, deceived them and played with them.  With nearly 600 suicides recorded in the last two years for the cause of Telangana, the frustrations amongst 40 million people are running high.  The people are despondent and lost all hope because their dear India has failed to deliver justice and instead turned its back leaving the wailing, weeping and suffering victim to fend for itself. 

The history will not forgive this generation of Telangana leaders if they do not deliver upon the new state to rescue and save Telangana people from further subjugation.  Forty years from now, a new generation of Telanganas will call us the spineless betrayers.   

No longer can we entertain childish and foolish dreams that this government can be humane, that this administration is equipped to solve our problems.  If we still continue to profess faith in the current leadership in India to resolve the issue, then we are not just foolish but we are being suicidal.  The current administration says they can’t save us from the bully.  They expect us to grow in strength to combat the bully on our own.  They don’t want to intervene.  They don’t think it is their responsibility to deliver justice.  All the courts are closed to us.  All the administration offices are closed to us.  All the constitutional guarantees and protections are closed to us.  Democracy has shut its door on our face and we are left in darkness, alone, scared, and helpless. 

There are very few times in the history where a certain group of people are left in such miserable state, stranded, left on their own to fight an unreasonable and merciless enemy, like Jews in Nazi Germany, or Tibetans in China.  Nobody offers help while the enemy continues to suppress the victims.  The Home Minister has put the onus of resolving the issue onto Telangana people.  We are on our own and there is no help coming.

Rise O Telangana! Rise!  Rise like you have never risen before.  Create space for yourself.  Create a voice for yourself.   Let’s force this country and the world to pay attention to our plight and grant Telangana.  Raise your voice now.  Let it be heard loud and clear, in the callous corridors of Indian Parliament, let it be heard in White House and Kremlin.  Fight your opponent within and your opponent outside.  That’s what the Union Government of India is telling you.   It is telling you that your constitutional methods are of no use.  It is telling you that unless you resort to the same tactics other regions have resorted to you will not be given a new state.