Telengana — smaller states will help strengthen Bahujans
Bangalore: Separate Telengana movement is once again hitting the headlines. Like all other “movements” in India, Telengana is also in the hands of three upper castes — Reddis, Velamas and Brahmins.
Of the three, the Reddis (8%) come under the shudras but the Velamas (6%) are Backward Castes. Brahmins (3%) are the all-India leaders. Put together, they constitute a micro-minority of 17%. Yet they are able to make the Telengana cry heard because all three constitute the ruling class.
Every party is crumbling under the Telengana cry. The area elects 14 MPs and 105 MLAs. The Hindu nazi party of BJP once supported the separate Telengana but lately changed its stand influenced by the Khamma Naidu Govt. ruling AP. The Congress is divided and may soon collapse under the weight of Telengana.
Dalits as paupers: Dalits (20%), Tribals (12%) and BCs (30%) of Telengana are a big majority. But voiceless because they are paupers.
‘Muslims form a big chunk ‘Andhra Pradesh (AP) Muslims are mainly concentrated in the ten districts of Telengana. Muslims had a big voice under the former Hyderabad state, ruled by the Nizam. But after “independence”, the Reddis and Khammas took over the enlarged AP and suppressed the Muslims.
Muslim agony in Hyderabad: This is proved from the fact that though Muslims constitute the single largest population of Hyderabad city (about 25%), they have been driven to a corner and gagged under the Reddy-Khamma-Brahmin dispensation that took over the enlarged AP.
Reddy-Velama suffocation: The cause for the renewed interest in Telengana is the feeling of discrimination and suffocation by the Reddis and Velamas under Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu’s oppressive. Khamma rule. The Reddi, Velama, Brahmin triumvirate was an oppressive combination before the states’ reorganization. But the trio felt powerless after the Khamma takeover.
Dalits fear upper caste terror: Hence the oppressed SC/ST/BCs of the ten districts under Telengana are not very enthusiastic over the renewed agitation fora separate state. Because they fear that under an independent Telengana, the trio would again raise their ugly heads and start hunting SC/ST/BC heads.
Chandrasekhar Rao, who resigned as Dy. Speaker of the AP Assembly, is a Velama, a fourth-time MLA and once a cabinet minister. The upper caste leadership of the renewed Telengana movement, therefore, has not very much enthused the oppressed castes and Muslims.
Meaning of Telengana: The word “Telengana” has a historical background. In the former Nizam-ruled Hyderabad state the only area where the Telugisy speakers were in & big majority was these 10 districts.
That is how these Telugu-speaking area of Hyderabad State — Medak, R.R. dt., Hyderabad, Mahbubnagar, Karim Nagar, Nalgonda, Adilabad, Khammam, Nizamabad, Warangal — was called Telengana.
The other area having the majority Marathi-speaking districts was called Marathwada. The Kannada- speaking districts of Bidar, Gulbarga and Raichur went over to Karnataka and Marathwada joined Maharashtra.
Why Naidu opposition: The ruling Telugu Desam is opposed to Telengana because there are hardly any Khammas in these 10 districts. Lately some Khammas have migrated to Telengana but they don’t have much ‘ voice being recent settlers.
in other words, the separate Telengana cry is also deeply rooted in India’s caste-based social structure. Though the SC/ST/BCs and Muslims form over 80% of the Telengana population, they are voiceless because they neither hold property nor important posts.
Self-determination: That does not mean the demand for a separate Telengana state will die down. This is because India is not a “nation” but a group of warring nationalities comprising hundreds of castes and communities. Unless and until each caste or subcaste acquires its share of human rights.in proportion to its population, nation-making will not be complete in India.
The principle behind nation-formation is self-determination. And DV is committed to self- determination.
The area of administration should be as small as possible. It is on the basis of such principle, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand were recently formed.
Breaking of national parties: The fear of the small fish (oppressed castes) that Telengana movement is led by the big fish (upper castes) is genuine. The Gandhan “freedom” movement, marxist movement, JP movement, AP’s own Peoples War Group (Naxalite) movements are all led by the big fish. Which “movement” in India is led by the small fish — except perhaps the Dalit movement?
So, the Telengana national movement also is led by the big fish but eventually it will be taken over by the small fish.
Breaking up of India is in the interest of the small fish.
The proof of the impending breakup of India is in the breakup of all our “national” parties like the Congress, Hindu nazi party, Janata Dal, CPM and CPI etc. The ruling NDA Govt. in Delhi is a collection of different “regional parties”.
So, it is in the interest of the small fish that not only should “national” parties be broken up, but the “nation” itself should crack in the interest of strengthening the country’s unity and integrity.
Dalits, Muslims and BC intellectuals hailing from Telengana should take note of the above-cited sociological under-currents and plunge into the Telengana leadership.
