These are the circumstances that lead to the great divide as Andhra Pradesh was chopped into two, Telengana and "the other half." Of course, all the fuss is made about the Telengana side as they were the one's who initiated it.
The way the whole issue was managed was absolutely "Indian." No other word can be used to describe the whole process.
Act 1- There's a "strong" leader, who can "resist all initiatives to divide the state," atleast in the eyes of the public. It's mostly that he had enough money to "keep them quiet." Unluckily for him and his party, his chopper runs or rather "flies" into rough weather and he was silent forever.
Another man becomes the Chief Minister, a "weak"one without the backing of his colleagues a the centre. The TRS sees this weakness and plans.
End of Act-1
Act-2. The leader of the "Telengana Rashtra Samitee" better known as "TRS", Mr K. Chandrashekar Rao, better known as "KCR" decides he will not eat or drink a molecule till the state is divided into two, Telengana and the other part which can be named anything, he doesn't care.
End of Act-2
Act-3 The centre buckles under pressure, says it doesn't want KCR dead, calls for an emergency meet and passes the motion for the state to be cut up. They think it's all over. They are mistaken.
End of Act-3
Repercussions and after-affects.
Firstly, KCR allows himself to eat and is discharged from the hospital. The TRS celebrates victory.
The whole country decides to ask for smaller states. The people from Darjeeling ask for
Gorkhaland, a state they had been asking for even during the colonial period. Mayawati asked the centre for Uttar Pradesh to be tri-furcated, perhaps so that she can be chief minister of three states rather than one.
Another effect was wholesale violence in the state of AP, where those against the division used old tactics. They set fire to buses and shouted slogans against the government.
In all this chaos the home secretary said Hyderabad would be capital of Telengana and then half backtracked, half denied making the statement, leading to some confusion.
The centre calmed everything down by saying there was no hurry. The state of Telengana would be formed slowly and cannot be formed overnight.
On the whole, the management of the whole issue was typical of our country and KCR's tactics to twist the government's arm were straight out of Gandhigiri.
Hmm.. Good analysis. Can you think of a way to handle this other than give in to a man on a hunger strike? What do you think would happen if he died starving? I am not saying I am for it. I just want to know what you think.
ReplyDeleteI'd have sat with him n arrived at a common consensus but I would not have him blackmailing the government like that. If he is stubborn, even we can be
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