The Telangana Tamasha

The Telangana Tamasha (show) is a show and not an issue because the real issue is something else, political parties have recognizing the short term political gains, have made a "tamasha" out of it. Politicians have successfully divided the people of one state, speaking the same language (telugu), and made them bitter enemies of each other. Development issues, governance problems, genuine impracticalities along with poor implementation are not problems in which part of India? But politicians very cleverly have used these problems along with other co-incidences to make a whole issue out of nothing for petty short term political gains. "The casual and arbitrary approach of the Union Government, short-term vote-bank politics of parties and shameless political duplicity have led to a wholly avoidable crisis over Telangana" says JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN. lone MLA from Loksatta Party from hyderabad region. He also very rightly calls it "19th century politics" more commonly known as politics of "divide and rule".

The concerns stated by pro-telengana-ites are issues like lack of development in the Telangan region, exploiters from Andhra region coming and taking oaway their jobs, or giving their jobs to other Andhra-ites, lack of irrigation projects in the Telangana region, lack of infrastructure in the Telengana region and some other such issues. Let us analyze these problems more deeply. Most of these problems clearly, are direct result of failure of governance. Making a state and dividing Andhra Pradesh is not a solution to that. Poor governance is a problem in lots of other states as well and the real solution i believe in for this issue is decentralization and the empowerment of local governments. Democratic reforms are needed to solve this menace.

Now coming to lack of irrigation projects, in an area with mostly hills and infertile soil, it could be quite uneconomical and impractical to have canals. Morever the rainfall in the area is also quite low. Areas like these are better off without relying on agriculture as their main occupation. There could be alternatives to look into. This solution too could be solved by empowered local govts. Though even having a new state might help to an extent, but nothing better than powerfull local district administrations. Its like lots of states just without having to divide a state.

So what was the need for a Separate Telengana? Politicians very cleverly noticed these issues, and also noticed the co-incidence that the area of Telengana was once upon a time a separate State and that a few treaties made in favour of the people of the region have not been implemented. For example the reservation in jobs for the people of Telangana. There was also a demand for a separate Telangana by leaders of the people, who were patriotically and romantically in love with the culture, art and music of the Telangana people. Politicians seeing this, did not waste any time to use this situation to their benefit. Anything that encourages the people to vote for them, to the extent that all political parties were in favour of making a new state of Telangana. The truth came out though, when the Central government announced the formation of Telengana and more than 150 MLAs resigned in protest, all from parties which previously supported the formation of the new state. Clearly supporting the formation of the new state was for votes from the people in the Telaangana region and resignations were for votes from their own respective constituencies which co-incidentally or otherwise all lie in rest of Andhra Pradesh. Is it really about the culture of Telangana people? Or is that also an emotion purposely built up by politicians? Sindhis and Pathans in India live quite happily, their tradition and culture is intact and flourishing, they dont have any region in India to call theirs. Telangana is a region even if it does not have a Chief Minister of its own, that is even if its not a state, its a region and there is no reason why its culture and tradition cannot flourish too.

Its all a political mess, not a drama but a mess because every political party wants to cash into the people's emotions. Like Poultry farmers, who breed chicken only to later slaughter them and sell them, politicians breed emotions, rise peoples' emotions and manipulate them, use it for getting votes only to later slaughter them mercilessly. The solution to the real issues can be found on a table, there is absolutely no need to go to the streets, especially in a functioning democracy.