End to T row Form Rayala-Telangana

Hyderabad: Rayala-Telangana This is the latest in the endless list of solutions to break the T-impasse . And it stands for a new state formed by joining Rayalaseema and Telangana! The idea has been floated by a few from Rayalaseema fishing in troubled waters, but has found little support from T leaders. J C Diwakar Reddy, ex-minister and an influential Rayalaseema neta, is the prime mover behind merger . The people of Rayalaseema would prefer to go with Telangana rather than Andhra if the state is divided . This I can say for sure, Diwakar Reddy told TOI. I am constantly getting feedback from people in Rayalaseema. Most MPs and MLAs from the region are agreeable to this, he added. Diwakar Reddy had till now been seen as someone standing for united AP. This shows a considerable softening of views and possibly a second-best option if AP has to be divided , a political observer said.

Another Rayalaseema veteran, exhome minister and TDP MP M V Mysoora Reddy also aired similar views.People I have spoken are in favour of merging Rayalaseema with Telangana. He added: The idea is still nascent. Lets see how it progresses . But we cannot turn away from this new reality. Incidentally, these two leaders along with the late CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had launched a movement for a separate Rayalaseema state in the 1980s. They had undertaken a padayatra to highlight the regions backwardness and sought a larger share of Krishna water. When asked about his shifting stance, Diwakar said: Things are not the same. We dont know the Congress high commands final stand on T. In a situation like this, the people of Rayalaseema have been forced to think about the future. And what if Rayala-Telangana doesnt work out Diwakar has a remedy : A separate Rayalaseema! Rayalaseema going with Andhra is not feasible, he explained.

Diwakar claimed that Rayalaseema and Telangana share a common history. Both regions were part of the Nizam state. The Nizams ceded Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa and Chittoor along with Bellary (now in Karnataka) to the British. However, the people of the two regions remained connected culturally, he said. For the past 60 years, they have been tied down by backwardness, Diwakar said.
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Congress finalises Telangana panel
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Top brass of Congress, including PM Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi is understood to have finalised the composition of a panel to look into the Telangana problem. The party core group met on Friday night against the backdrop of the fresh deadline of February 7 set by JAC. Sources said former Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna is likely to head the committee. Names of other members of the committee were nearly final, the sources added. 
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T brews on Kakatiya varsity campus
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Warangal: Union home minister P Chidambarams statement that a committee is being formed to go into the Telangana issue has left professors and students of Kakatiya University seething with anger. The feeling of being shortchanged yet again by politicians dominates the mood on the campus. A visit to Kakatiya University campus reveals that students and their teachers think alike, that they had enough of the waiting game. Forming a committee is another farce being played out. Chidambarams statement shows that the Centre is dragging its feet on the issue. If the ruling party feels that the people of Telangana will take it lying down, hes sadly mistaken, says Prof. Burra Ramulu . The home minister is deluding himself if he thinks that endless committees and fruitless statements will dampen the statehood stir, he adds. Stressing that a time-frame should be set for formation of T, Prof. K Venkata Narayana scoffs at Chidambarams concern for students and rising number of suicides. The people of Telangana can do without the Centres lip sympathy. Our brave students have been fighting against all odds for years, being deprived of jobs and their rightful place in society . They should be given their due now, says the professor.

Meanwhile, local TRS leader Rajaiah Yadav declares that the movement will not waver. It has reached a stage where there is no going back. The strength of the student movement defies political logic and even amazes us at times, Yadav says with pride. We have ordinary office-goers , scrap collectors, municipal workers, traders and sex workers of Vangapadu taking part in the movement. The Centre cannot wish away the larger aspirations of Telangana citizens. There will be more bloodshed if the issue is delayed, warns Yadav. Fearing that another wave of violent agitations is in the offing, Warangal police have beefed up vigil at Hanamkonda junction, Subedaari chowrasta, MGM chowrasta and near the KU campus . The situation is on the boil again. Leaders are constantly fooling us in the name of committees . How many more students need to die before the Centre comes to its senses We want tangible results, announce JAC leaders Ponnam Shiva and Tallapalli Sanjeev. PhD student P Madhavi reveals that JAC will launch a Sahaya Nirakarana stir soon.

Telangana students JAC convenor Indla Nageswara Rao says Chidambarams current statement is a natakam (drama). Rao talks of Inti intiki Telangana (door-to-door ) campaign that has been launched in Hanamkonda, Vardhannapet, Parkal, Bhoopalapalli . We are explaining to people not to allow public representatives into their constituencies unless statehood is delivered. Prof. A Seetaram Naik states that not a single day has gone by since November 29 when the T-issue has not been talked about in the region. We have existed like slaves since 1947 because we didnt have strong leaders to fight for statehood. Prof. Naik blames the strong Andhra lobby for the innumerable delays. Why cant Lagadapati Rajagopal and K Sambasiva Rao develop the backward Srikakulam district instead of eyeing Hyderabad all the time. These leaders care little about people and development, he says.

So while the UPA government takes its time, the T-broth is gaining more steam, especially in Warangal district, which has always been the hotbed of the Telangana movement. And the Union home ministers string of statements are adding fuel to the fire.
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JAC to keep T-pot boiling from Feb. 1
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Hyderabad: Not satisfied with the Union home ministers latest assurance on Telangana , the Joint Action Committee of political parties has decided to hold week-long agitation programmes starting February 1 demanding a time-frame for Telangana. JAC convenor M Kodandaram told newsmen after the conclusion of the steering committee meeting on Friday that they had decided to picket in front of all the district collectorates on February 1 to express their resentment , followed by a day-long diksha by all MLAs, MLCs and MPs from Telangana region on February 2 at Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises in protesting police cases foisted against students and Telangana leaders. He demanded immediate withdrawal of all cases against students and agitators associated with the Telangana cause, as per the directive of the Union home minister.

On February 3, a human chain would be formed on National Highway-7 connecting Adiladabad and Mahbubnagar districts, he said. As part of the programme on February 4, Telanagana dishes would be cooked and served on Rajiv Rahadari connecting Hyderbaad-Karimnagar-Warangal , apart from singing songs in glory of the region, followed by another human chain on National Highway-9 connecting Kodada in Nalgonda district to Hyderabad on February 5. Besides agitation programmes, Telangana Dhoom Dhaam (cultural programmes) would be organised at all mandal kendras involving all party leaders and Telangana orgnisations . He said a meeting of all-party MLAs, MLCs and MPs would be organised on February 6 in Hyderabad, followed by a Chalo Kakatiya University programme where the student JAC would organise a Mahagarjana in Warangal on Feb 7.

All JAC leaders, including TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, TDP leader N Janardhan Reddy and BJPs C h Vidyasagar Rao are expected to particpate in a week-long programme. The JAC thanked state government for postponing the intermediate exams and demanded postponement of the physical tests organised for the recruitment of sub-inspectors (SIs) on February 1. TDP legislators E Dayakar Rao, M Narasimhulu, Congress MP G Vivek, BJP leader Ch Vidyasagar Rao and PRP MLA Y Anil Kumar were present at the meeting. However, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao was conspicuous by his absence.
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T Cong leaders to suspend agitation
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Hyderabad: Congress leaders from Telangana are said to have decided in principle to suspend their Telangana agitation as the Centre is set to announce a high-level committee next week. The Congress legislators will meet on Saturday to formally endorse the proposal to suspend the agitation for the time being, a senior leader said. According to him, following the clarification given by Union home minister P Chidambaram on the proposed committee and the meeting the Telangana Congress leaders had with Sonia Gandhi, they have decided to ask legislators to withdraw their resignation letters submitted to the Speaker.

They will also not join the agitational program to be taken up by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC). But we will not quit the JAC, he said. Sonia Gandhi had advised four Telangana leaders, who met her on Thursday, to work for the restoration of normalcy in the state by withdrawing resignations, he said. The Congress leader said that Sonia delivered the message at a special meeting where four Telangana leaders K Jana Reddy, R Damodar Reddy, K R Amos and Baswaraj Saraiah were present . These leaders were taken to 10 Janpath by party presidents political secretary Ahmed Patel, in a special car to avoid the media glare. At this meeting, Sonia specifically asked them to tell all the MLAs to withdraw their resignations since the issue was under the consideration of the Centre.

According to a member of the team, Sonia said the restoration of normalcy and withdrawal of resignations were necessary to create favourable atmosphere for a negotiated settlement of the Telangana issue. Jana Reddy, Damodar Reddy and Sariah will convey this to the MLAs at Saturdays meeting. Jana Reddy met PCC president D Srinivas on Friday and briefed him on the developments. We will discuss the next course of action at tomorrows meeting, Jana Reddy told media. Senior leader and MLC K R Amos said, there is no need for resignations and deadlines as a committee is expected to be announced in a weeks time. So, it is the responsibility of the Congress leaders to see that the committee submits its report in a specific time frame, he told TOI. Meanwhile, IT minister K Venkat Reddys car was stopped by Telangana agitators in Nalgonda town demanding that he press for acceptance of the resignations.
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(source: toi)