Hyderabad: If Andhra Pradesh is to be
split to create a separate Telangana state, then there are
similar demands from other regions in the state too.
Andhra Pradesh has 23 districts, including the state
capital Hyderabad, in three regions – coastal Andhra (nine),
Rayalaseema (four) and Telangana (ten).
Since its inception in 2001, the Telangana Rashtra
Samiti (TRS) has been fighting for creation of a separate
Telangana state. Telangana region now accounts for 119 of
the 294 seats in the Assembly and 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha
members.
The TRS feels the struggle for Telangana has now
reached a “decisive stage” with the fast-unto-death launched
by its leader and former Union Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao 11
days ago.
The TRS, though, is not in full control of the
ongoing agitation, what with the students, government
employees, lawyers and other sections of the society taking it
over.
The Bharatiya Janata Party – which in fact had sown
the seed for the separate statehood movement with the slogan
of “One vote, two states” in 1998 – is trying to spearhead it.
The first movement of a separate Telangana state
started way back in 1969 and met with a gory end in 1971.
As a counter, the “Jai Andhra” agitation was taken up
in 1972-73. As the fresh “movement” for Telangana is picking up
momentum and even acquiring a violent hue now, voices are
being raised with the demand for creation of other smaller
states by splitting AP further.
Along with Telangana, there is now the demand for a
separate “Andhra”, separate “Rayalaseema” and even a separate
“north-coastal Andhra”.
Topping it all is the demand for making (Greater)
Hyderabad a Union Territory! Now, within these demands is the
latest addition: a “Greater Rayalaseema.
”Rayalaseema region actually comprises four
districts: Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool and Chittoor. It
accounts for 52 of the Assembly seats and 8 MPs.
Leaders of this region have now raised a demand for
including Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore and Prakasam districts
in Rayalaseema, thereby making it a “Greater” state.
SPS Nellore and Prakasam districts are now part of
coastal Andhra, that stretches up to Srikakulam bordering
Orissa, along the Bay of Bengal coast.
This, of course, only if Telangana is indeed
separated from Andhra Pradesh.
On the other hand, people of north-coastal Andhra –
which consists of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam
districts – are demanding that the three districts be formed
into a separate state in the event of bifurcating AP.
That would then leave coastal Andhra with only four
districts – Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari and East Godavari.
Now the coastal Andhra has 123 MLAs and 17 MPs.
Since it is well-developed, has a cosmopolitan
character and a “greater” stature with a population touching
nearly a crore, the general demand is for converting Hyderabad
into a Union Territory like Chandigarh.
Interestingly, people of either Rayalaseema or
coastal Andhra are strong proponents of an integrated Andhra
Pradesh.
“Our demands are only subject to the formation of
Telangana state. Otherwise, we are for a unified AP,” they
assert.
Political observers feel that the demand for
Rayalaseema, north-coastal Andhra or Andhra state is only to
“dilute” the Telangana demand.
Even the demand for UT status for Hyderabad is also a
similar ploy, they point out.
It is mostly the Congress leaders who are trying to
champion the cause of Rayalaseema, Andhra or north-coastal
Andhra.
“It was late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who
encouraged these people only to counter the TRS. Even now the
same tactics are being used in the wake of the stepped up
agitation for Telangana,” a former minister and senior
Congress leader from Rayalaseema said.
Of course, students and other sections have also
started joining the (revived) “Jai Andhra” movement in
important cities like Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur.
Some influential Congress MPs are providing tacit
support in the name of safeguarding the “Andhra pride and
self-respect", observers say.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009, 17:58