NEWS ANALYSIS-Srikrishna panel report sets T bomb ticking

With a lot of hope riding piggyback on the T-dream, the 4.5 crore people of Telangana region had expected that the Srikrishna Committee would end their miseries,once and for all.But the six salient options of the committee report has proved that its confusion worse confounded. The multiple options proferred by the committee are not acceptable to any of the stakeholders.While the united Andhra activists said the sixth option was the best and most exhaustive,pro-Telangana groups are livid with neither here nor there suggestions.As the committee came out with optimal solutions as per the terms of reference,the need of the hour for the Congress-led UPA government is to resolve the contentious issue with a political decision.
Telangana today is witnessing what seems to be a momentous period in its existence.What is becoming more strident is the tone and language of self-pride and self-rule.Delhi kaallu pattukovadam kaadu,gulli kelli raallu pattukondi (Enough of begging Delhi by falling at its feet,pick up stones from Telangana streets), thundered Warangal TRS leader Rajaiah Yadav. This sums up the mood in Telangana and the T-camp believes the report has created a new set of problems instead of solving the issue.They assert that Srikrishnas way forward slogan has taken the issue backwards and it would be suffice to say that one has to look at the history to understand what has been going on in the T-region in the last 55 years.
The Congress has to take a call to end the impasse.It cannot have the luxury of indecision any more.In fact,it could exhibit its political sagacity by forming a separate T-state.It would be a defining moment in the new year, political analyst K Nageshwar observed.The drift has again put the Centre in a loss-loss situation,sending a dangerous signal to the disparate stakeholders,he added.

The Centre tried to treat the wounds even before the T-gangrene could set in fully.Now,the seed of suspicion has spread all over,with people believing that they have been wronged yet again, senior analyst Telkapalli Ravi said.That the image of a distinct T-identity which doesnt tolerate oppression and has defiance in its blood is portrayed in the entire region now.As far back as three decades ago, former PM PV Narasimha Rao during a convocation address in Kakatiya University had high lighted the defiance in the blood of Telangana factor.This is exactly what the T-doctors are prescribing for a lasting solution.The general feeling is that sound political diagnosis must factor in the mass mood. The T-agitation is the only such movement that involves a capital city located in the region that is fighting for separation from the main state, BJP leader Kishan Reddy said. It may be recalled the Jai Telangana movement of 1969 was crushed by indiscriminate police firing across the T-region by killing 370 students and youth.As the Srikrishna panel report has thrown the T-issue back to square one,analysts said procrastination and political foolhardy would do no good and could lead to more violence.

Its the burning desire of the people.When there can be nine Hindi-speaking states,why not two Telugu-speaking states, Telangana ideologue Prof Jayashankar sought to know. As parties and experts haggle over the report,it remains to be seen whether the T-bomb would start ticking immediately or take some more time.
=============================
Telangana protests strongly - Agitated Over T Report,People,Mostly Youth,Resort To Violence

Warangal/Nizamabad: Burning of effigies,staging of rasta rokos, dharnas and slogan-shouting against the Srikrishna Committee report marked the day of vociferous protests in Telangana districts on Thursday soon after the report was made public.At several places,the activists formed human chains to express their resentment. At Kakatiya University,which witnessed violent protests last year,the students boycotted the classes and tried to take out a protest rally which was thwarted by the cops.Angered by the police action,the students pelted stones on the RTC buses and private vehicles.Two RTC buses and two lorries were damaged in the incident.Police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the students. KU students JAC leader Vasudeva Reddy was taken into custody. A group of students belonging to KU JAC tried to attack the district Congress party office at Hanamkonda.They pelted stones and some glass panes were damaged.Soon,police entered and closed the Congress office by spreading an iron mesh in front of the office.Eighteen students were arrested and sent to Hanamkonda police station.

The advocates boycotted the duties in Warangal district court and took out a rally.They burnt an effigy of Justice Srikrishna at the martyrs memorial at Adalat junction and shouted slogans. In Karimnagar district,students and TRS activist took out rallies across the district and burnt effigies of Srikrishna and Union home minister Chidambaram.In Nizamabad and Adilabad districts,leaders and activists of TJAC,TRS Vidyarthi,BJP and other Telangana sympathisers descended on the roads in large numbers and staged dharnas and rasta rokos. The agitators attacked the houses of a few Telugu Desam MLAs demanding them to tender resignation from their posts and join the ongoing movement for separate Telangana.While the agitators attacked the house of TDP legislator Gampa Goverdhan in Kamareddy, TJAC activists damaged furniture in the house of Jogu Ramanna in Adilabad.

An activist Sheikh Aziz,a native of Machareddy mandal,tried to end his life anguished over the committee report.First,he tried to immolate by dousing himself with kerosene.When the family members foiled his attempt,he consumed sleeping pills.He was rushed by his family members to a hospital in Kamareddy. Funeral processions of Srikrishna were taken out and effigies burnt in Telangana University campus,at NTR chowk and railway khaman in Nizamabad and Kamareddy towns.TU students registered their anger by staging a half-naked protest.Sonia Gandhis effigy was burnt in Nirmal,while the protestors blocked roads in Medak,Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts.
===============================
Coastal Andhra heaves a sigh of relief


With the Srikrishna Committee stating united AP as the best option among all the recommendations, tension in coastal Andhra region eased to a large extent on Thursday. While the leaders of Samaikhya Andhra movement hailed the report,public representatives said the Centre should not bow to pressures from the separatist leaders. Welcoming the recommendations,Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said that the committee has come out with great suggestions.The report has brought out several facts on development issues and proved that the arguments of one region were not correct, he said,adding keeping the state united is the best option.

Seemandhra agitation JAC convener Kolanukonda Sivaji observed that the committee has kept the aspirations of the people of the state in mind before finalizing its report.People in the coastal,Telangana and Rayalaseema regions would all welcome the report,he remarked.Senior Congress leader and former minister Mandali Budhaprasad appealed to people to maintain calm. TDP MLA Y Srinivasa Rao of Gurazala constituency said majority of the people in the state have always preferred one state and one capital and Srikrishna Committee did not make any revolutionary finding on that issue.Former
legislator Adusumilli Jayaprakash, however,said the report was a revelation as it had pointed out that development was not confined to one region or one area. However,political JAC convener Prof Samuel said the Srikrishna Committee instead of solving the crisis had further compounded the issue.The Centre should act wisely and speedily to douse the fire by not only keeping the state united but also by announcing separate packages for the development of weaker sections and underdeveloped areas in all the three regions, he added.
===============================
Silenced T-Cong seeks 24 hrs to spell its future course

For the record, the Telangana Congress camp fell silent on Thursday after the Srikrishna Committee report was released.When contacted,most MPs and MLAs from Telangana said they would meet on Friday and decide on the future course of action.But,at an individual level,while senior leaders condemned the report saying it had further complicated the issue by suggesting some weird ideas,others expressed satisfaction at the the fifth option. There was no activity in the Congress T-camp on Thursday because of the high commands dictum that MLAs and MPs should toe the party line and should not cooperate with the forces bent on creating trouble for the Congress government in the state.

Senior Telangana MLA R Damodar Reddy said the fifth option of the committees recommendations was welcome. Former MP Mallu Ravi urged the Centre to table a bill in Parliament to create separate Telangana state as per the fifth option in the report.True,there are several options in the report,but we take only the option relating to the bifurcation of the state in to Telangana and Seemandhra alone as viable, Ravi said. But taking an aggressive stand,senior leader and MLC Palvai Goverdhan Reddy described the report as meaningless,saying that it touched upon several ridiculous propositions like Rayala-Telangana.It is clear that the contents of the report have been influence by the Andhra Contractors, Reddy alleged and claimed that the statistics shown in the report were far from reality.PCC spokesperson B Kamalakar Rao condemned the report saying that it was not acceptable to the people of Telangana despite the fifth option. Meanwhile,Bhupalpalli MLA G Venkataramana Reddy said the Centre should take forward the fifth recommendation of the Committee if it wanted to avoid any political disturbance in the state
================================
(source-TOI)