People's Democracy

ANDHRA PRADESH

Uncertain Situation Prevails

Telakapally Ravi

THE Congress leadership, both at the centre and in Andhra Pradesh, is back to playing its old tricks of divide and rule. It is carrying on a marathon inner party ‘discussion process’ on the Telangana issue, which is mainly for public consumption. Several bigwigs of the party have made contradictory and slippery statements on the future of the state in the past two weeks giving signals that they are in no mood to clinch this festering issue. Its legislators have been singing their regional tunes to the best of their ability.  Ironically, the TDP is following suit with its leaders also raising their voices region wise.

TRS, which is spearheading the movement for separate Telangana state, is caught on the horns of a dilemma because its prediction of an imminent crisis in the ruling party with the resignations of its elected representatives fromTelangana region did not come true. On the contrary, the Congress high command has reacted nonchalantly to this development and came out with many crucial comments debunking the unfounded hopes of the TRS. Actually, TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao had announced in the Telangana Congress leaders dharna that he had signals from Delhi about a positive decision on Telangana within two weeks. This was rebuffed instantly as Congress general secretary incharge of Andhra Pradesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad announced that a minimum period of two months is required for completing discussions within Congress on this issue. He would submit a report to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at the end of these discussions. What would happen after that is anyone’s guess. The Congress leader further made a comment that a resolution of the state assembly is essential to take any decision on the Telangana issue. He also reminded about the centuries old brotherhood of Telugu people and wished it would continue for many more centuries! Union home minister P Chidambaram went a step ahead and asserted that this issue cannot be solved until all parties arrive at a consensus. In the present situation where there is no unanimity even within the political parties, this looks a tall order or a vain tactic.

Meanwhile, there has been so much artificial raising of tempers in all the regions that at one stage TDP president Chandrababu Naidu had to publicly pull up his leaders for their provocative remarks. With the resignations of its Telangana region MLAs, the TDP felt emboldened to enter Telagana political arena which was hitherto almost barred to it. But it soon was neutralised by the stance and provocative remarks of its leaders in the other regions.

While all the signals from the centre point to the continuation of the stalemate, TRS, JAC and other Telangana forces are mulling their strategies. The JAC chairman went on record that the centre appears to be opposed to Telangana. The en masse rejection of resignations of MLAs by the speaker of the state assembly hours, before he left to attend a conference in UK, added to the woes. The Congress legislators are not inclined to resign once again but TRS, TDP and JAC are pressing for the same. Even if they do resign, there is every possibility of a repetition of the earlier episode. Meanwhile, preparations are going on for a general strike in Telangana  region from August 18 in which employees, teachers, doctors, lawyers, students etc are going to participate. The state government is trying to hold talks with the employees unions on this issue even as it threatened to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act to deal with the strike. On the whole, everybody in the state is now blaming the centre for the uncertain situation prevailing in the state, and it appears quite justifiably so.