JAI TELANGANA

UPA refuses to shed its Telangana ambivalence

2011-08-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

The quality of New Delhi’s responses to the Telangana question leaves one with the impression that thinking in the high councils of the UPA is totally unhinged. Union home minister P Chidambaram left observers aghast on Monday when he said the Andhra Pradesh Assembly should pass a fresh resolution on the deletion of Clause 14 (f) of the presidential order, which regulates government recruitment in the state. The clause allows the government to treat Hyderabad as a ‘free zone’ to which recruitment can be made from any part of the state. By virtue of it, the constabulary of Hyderabad, has been filled with recruits from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, leaving disproportionately fewer posts to local people from Telangana. This has been the source of much heartburn in Telangana and feeds the current agitation for a separate state.

Ever since the Supreme Court upheld the ruling that Hyderabad is indeed a free zone, Telangana groups have been demanding the deletion of Clause 14 (f). In the context of an upsurge of Telangana sentiments, the State Assembly had passed a resolution in March 2010, advising the Centre to delete the clause. Chidambaram’s argument that a fresh resolution is necessary in view of changed circumstances is a bit thick. As the Assembly has not been dissolved, its previous resolution stands and the Centre can take whatever action it decides on its basis. While Chidambaram has failed to spell out the ‘changed circumstances’, the change, if any, has been towards a deepening of the cleft between Telangana and the rest of the state.

The demand for a fresh unanimous resolution at a time when elected representatives from Telangana have submitted their resignations is disingenuous. To the unbiased observer, it represents the effete hope of a lame-duck dispensation at the Centre that the contestants would, by their own design and effort, come to a consensus. Disputes such as Telangana are not resolved by consensus, but through leadership, which Delhi does not have.

http://missiontelangana.com/

HYDERABAD HISTORY

2011-08-02T02:07:00.001-07:00

Hyderabad is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It also goes by its sobriquet City of Pearls. It is the largest city in Andhra Pradesh and the sixth largest city in India.Hyderabad was founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 on the banks of Musi. The city has been classified as an A-1 city in terms of development priorities, due to its size, population and impact. The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad come under the ambit of a single municipal unit, The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Hyderabad has developed into one of the major hubs for the information technology industry in India which has earned it the additional sobriquet "Cyberabad". In addition to the IT industry, various biotechnology and pharmaceutics companies have set up their operations in Hyderabad. The city houses the most costly residential real estate in Andhra Pradesh in the posh Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. The city is home to the Telugu Film Industry, the second-largest in India, known popularly as Tollywood. Residents of Hyderabad are generally called Hyderabadis. Located at the crossroads of North & South India, Hyderabad has developed a unique culture, reflected in its language and architecture.

GOLCONDA FORT

Golkonda, a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda (c. 1364–1512), is situated west of Hyderabad.
The most important builder of Golkonda was Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali, the fourth Qutb king. Ibrahim was following in the spirit of his ancestors, the Qutub Shahi kings, a great family of builders who had ruled the kingdom of Golkonda from 1512. Their first capital, the fortress citadel of Golkonda, was rebuilt for defense from invading Mughals from the north. They laid out Golkonda's splendid monuments, now in ruins, and designed a perfect acoustical system by which a hand clap sounded at the fort's main gates, the grand portico, was heard at the top of the citadel, situated on a 300-foot (91 m)-high granite hill. This is one of the fascinating features of the fort.
They ruled over the Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra.

CHARMINAR

Charminar meaning "Mosque of the Four Minarets" and "Four Towers" is the most famous mosque and monument in the city of Hyderabad.
Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah , the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water." Today one can see the city as evidence of the prayer being answered. The Mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Persian/Hindi char = four) minarets (Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower).

Andhra Pradesh State Assembly

The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly Building located in Hyderabad city, is the seat of the state legislature of Andhra Pradesh.
It was built in 1913, the building was originally the Hyderabad Town hall. The Citizens of Princely state of Hyderabad raised money to build it to mark the 40th birthday of Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan in 1905. This white gem of Hyderabad's architectural splendor was designed by specially commissioned architects. It adjoins the picturesque public gardens.

OSMANIA UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1918 by the Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad state, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, higher learning in India, the third oldest in southern India and the first to be established in the erstwhile princely State of Hyderabad. For almost nine decades, it has sustained an integrated development of all faculties. It has contributed to the academic, social, and economic development of the region and the nation as a whole.
Arts College, A recognizable building in campusIts alumni have distinguished themselves nationally and internationally.
Osmania University is a public university situated in the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is one of the oldest modern universities in India. It was the first Indian University to have Urdu language as medium of instruction. It is one of the largest university systems in the subcontinent with over 300,000 students on its various campuses and affiliated colleges.

HUSSAIN SAGAR

Hussain Sagar is a lake in Hyderabad, India, built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. It was a lake of 24 square kilometres built on a tributary of the River Musi to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city. There is a large monolithic statue of the Gautam Buddha in the middle of the lake which was erected in 1992.

BIRLA MANDIR

Birla Mandir on the Naubath Pahad is a magnificent Hindu temple of Lord Venkateshwara, entirely built in white marble located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India .
The Birla Foundation has constructed several similar temples in India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir.
The temple manifests a blend of South Indian, Rajasthani and Utkala temple architectures. In its entirety, it is made of 2000 tons of pure Rajasthani white marble.
The granite of the presiding deity is about 11 ft (3.4 m). tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella on the roof. The consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal are housed in separate shrines. There is a brass flagstaff in the temple premises which rises to a height of 42 ft (13 m)

WARANGAL HISTORY

2011-08-02T02:06:00.000-07:00

Warangal, located in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, is at a distance of about 150 km from Hyderabad. Capital of the erstwhile Kakatiya Dynasty in the 12th century, Warangal was also known as Orugallu and Ekasilanagaram. The city known for its beautiful lakes, ancient temples, and forts, features in the travel dairies of Marco Polo.
The city with its glorious past, has many interesting places to see, especially those of architectural importance. Undoubtedly, a haven for tourists. The grand Kakatiya architecture is visible in the the Thousand PillarTemple built by Rudra Devi in 1163. Richly carved pillars, delicate screens, elaborate and detailed sculptures... you will be awestruck. The Warangal Fort, now in ruins, dates back to the 13th century, it has beautiful archways and fine geometrical intricacies. Also, present are beautiful temples like the Ramappa Temple, Bhadrakali Temple, and many more, which will transport you back into time.
All important Hindu festivals such as Dassera, Deepavali and Sankranthi are celebrated here. In addition, the district also hosts a fair - the Sammakka - Saralamma Jatra or congregation. Every two years, approximately 6 million people converge for over three days around the small village of Medaram. This fair is said to be the largest repeating aggregation of tribal communities in the whole world. Bonalu and Bathukamma festivals, symbolic of the Telangana region are also celebrated here.
The Regional Engineering College, National Institute of Technology and The Kakatiya University which is headquartered in Warangal are some of the major educational institutions located here. Warangal can be easily reached from wherever you are, through road or rail. The nearest airport is at Hyderabad.

WARANGAL TOURISM

Veyyi Stambhala Gudi or 1000 Pillar Temple. It has a catchy and apt name. There are thousand pillars of many varieties and sizes; some of them are even part of others! The pillars that support the central 'Natya Mandapam' (dance floor) are large and made of multiple blocks of stone. The other catch is psychological. When you hear "Veyyi Stambalu" (thousand pillars) you imagine a farm of pillars. For my expectation, the temple was much smaller. More so because a mandapam (see left of the picture below), that contributes 400 of 1000 pillars, was dismantled by the Archeological Survey of India for reconstruction. Unlike pillars in other temples of India, pillars of the main temple, are tightly knit and form its walls and so don't seem like there are 600 of them. The temple is star shaped with three shrines devoted to Rudradeva (Shiva), Vishnu, and Surya (Sun). Interestingly, the third deity is not Brahma who is part of the Trinity of God [as in the Trinity (which consists of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) in Suchindrum] because the Kakatiyas worshipped Lord Shiva and Lord Surya and not so much Brahma. On the fourth side is Shiva's vehicle, Nandi or Bull. Unlike most temples in India that face east, 1000 pillar temple faces south. Because, the Kakatiyas, worshipers of Lord Shiva, wanted early morning sun rays to fall directly on Shiva Lingam. So, of the three shrines, Shiva's shrine faces east and other shrines face south and west. On the fourth side is Nandi. Adding to the uniqueness, the Nandi in 1000 pillar temple looks east, unlike most Nandis in Indian temples that look west. Between these four is the Natya Mandapam (dance floor) where dancers performed

RAMAPPA TEMPLE

The Ramappa temple is near the ancient engineering marvel of the 13th century AD Ramappa tank. The ancient Ramappa tank can be dated back to the period of Kakatiyas. It is a well-conceived tank where a 2000 ft long earthen dam connects a semi circular chain of hills to form a lake. The Ramalingeswara Temple is popularly known as the Ramappa temple because the chief sculptor was Ramappa. It is probably the only temple in India to be known by the name of the sculptor who builds it. It was built under the patronage of the King Kakati Ganapathi Deva by his Chief Commander Rudra Samani at Ranakude in the province of Atukuru. The temple has been described as the "brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples in the Deccan". The temple is approached thorough a royal garden, now just a lawn with tree lined path. The temple is situated in a valley and is built with bricks so light that they can float on water. Yet the temple is so strong that it is still intact after numerous wars, invasions and natural calamities. The Ramappa temple stands on a 6 ft high platform on a cruciform plan. The sanctum is crowned with a shikhara and is surrounded by a pradakshinapatha. Rich and intricate carvings adorn the walls, pillars and ceilings of this wonderful building. The hall in front of the sanctum has numerous beautifully carved pillars that have been placed to create an effect that combines light and space wonderfully. There are many votive shrines within the temple. There are two subsidiary shrines on either side of the main temple, which are in a good condition. The entire temple complex is enclosed with a compound wall. At the entrance to the temple is a ruined Nandi mandapam, with an imposing 9 ft high Nandi, which is still intact. The Shivalingam in the sanctum also rises to a height of 9 ft. The east-facing sanctum is surrounded with pilasters crowned with Dravidian and Nagara shikharas in an alternating fashion. There is an additional entrance from the north also leading to the Navaranga mandapam in front of the sanctum. The ceiling is divided into compartments by columns from the bottom and is carved with intricate patterns. There is a richness of carvings in this temple on dark rock with a smooth finish, portraying an amazing range of themes from the Puranas and various Indian mythological stories. The temple signifies many facets of Shiva, his royal residence, the Himalaya Mountains and his inhabiting a sacred space beyond the mortal realm. The temple is built upon the classical pattern of being first raised upon a platform that separates its sacred functions from the taint of the everyday. This 'sacred mountain' mindset was characteristic of the temple builders in all the cultures. It represented a powerful symbolic representation of a perfect building, an intersection in midair of the spheres of heaven and earth. The platform lifts it above the normal, transcends the profane, declaring with uncompromising firmness that it is a place for un-common activities dedicated to a god. Maha Shiva Ratri is celebrated for a period of three days in this temple Many of the smaller structures are neglected and are in ruins in the Ramappa temple. There were even instances of people carrying away the bricks, to be proudly exhibited that they can float on water, before the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) took charge of it. The main entrance gate in the outer wall of the temple is ruined, so one can enter only through a small west gate.

WARANGAL FORT

Warangal Fort is one of the architectural wonders of the bygone era. Sited in south-east of Warangal city, the massive structure was built in the 13th century by rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty. Though presently in ruins, Warangal Fort still boasts of the dexterity of artists of earlier times. On the brink of Ekashila (a hill rock), the Citadel appears diffused in the several layers. In the mid-13th century, the construction of this colossal structure was initiated by the Kakatiyan king, Ganapatideva. Rani Rudramaa, who was the daughter of the King, further made the efforts to complete the construction work. Once, one of the impregnable forts in Andhra Pradesh, Warangal Fort is today very popular for its architectural brilliance, which is above and beyond its history. The loose ends of the edifice include commanding gateways and graceful towers that elevate to no less than 50 feet. The remarkable feature about the main gateway comprises of the four gigantic pillars, which have been crafted out of a single rock. Warangal Fort, having three protective layers, suggests the standards of security that used to be employed to guard the inner precincts and center of power. The pride of Kakatiya dynasty, it had two fortifications, with the inner one consisting of four stone gateways. The remnants of the fort present a valuable insight of the past civilization. The wreckage comprises of intricate sculpturea, stone works, motifs and designs - depicting animals like lions and swans. Within the Warangal Fort, you can see remains of the temples that had been erected by the early Qutub Shahi kings. It has many possessions that are worth-seeing. In short and snappy terms, visit the fort and explore this standing testimony of its glorious past.

BHADRAKALI TEMPLE

The Bhadrakali Temple is located on the hilltop between the twin cities of Hanamkonda and Warangal in Andhra Pradesh. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Bhadrakali. Though the image of the deity is called Bhadrakali, the goddess is said to have been transformed by mantras into a very rare form called the Tripura Sundari. Tripper Sundry (Beauty of the Three Worlds or cities) is regarded as the supreme manifestation of Priority - the feminine power that is the vital energy of the universe. The structure of the temple reflects the architectural style of Chalukyas. The 250 year old temple is believed to have been constructed by the Kakativas and is located on the banks of the Bhadrakail Lake. This temple complex houses the deity in her several different forms and avatars. The most remarkable feature of the temple is the square shaped stone image of the Goddess in a sitting posture with fierce looking eyes and face. The Goddess is seen wearing a crown and having eight hands holding various weapons. A major attraction in the vicinity of the temple is the 2-km radius artificial lake. A number of natural rock formations in the surroundings add to the spiritual charm of the temple. Some of these unique rock formations are said to carry immense spiritual powers.

KOMURAVELLI - Temple of Mallikarjuna Swamy

Komuravelli is a small village in Warangal district and it is very famous for the Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy temple. Every year in the month of January fair would be held, which is called Jatara in Telugu. This jatara starts immediately after Makara Sankranti i.e., on the first sunday after Makara Sankranti till the telugu new year Ugadi
The feast is conducted on every sundays from Sankranti to Ugadi. People from various parts of the state come to have the darshan of the lord and take his blessings. Most of the devotees are from telangana only and among them yadavs are the majority.
The deity of the lord is huge in structure and he is seated in between the two huge rocks with his consorts goddess Bravaramba and goddess Golaketamma. Temple is opened on all through the year, however the darshan of lord would be more worth seeing during the jatara.
Apart from the main temple, there is bandi chakralu which is just opposite to the temple, it is believed that the rath shaped structure is the lords chariot which he use to ride. Various offerings and Poojas are perfomed here amongs them the most famous are the Bonalu and the Agigundalu, agigundalu is conducted on the first day of the jatara and again on the last day of jatara. It is believed that on some devotees lord would come, which is called punacam and that is the reason they can walk easily on the hot coal (agigundalu). Bonalu for lord is also very important pooja and which is done by the devotees as offering to lord for being with them and it is thanks giving pooja to the almighty. There is one more offering called as Patam, that is rangoli is done on the ground by the devotees and they dance with joy worshipping the lord and singing various songs on him.
Few yards away from the main temple, there is one more temple of Goddess Renuka Devi, sister of Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy, her temple is located on the top of the hill, the devotees need to go by walk to take the blessings of her. However the temple is not any structure made of concrete, a small idol of the goddess is worshiped here who is seated between the rocks. Here also offering of bonalu is done, this is really a worth watching, on the feast day, so many devotees take the bonalu on their heads to the goddess with the diyas on it (lighted lamps on the bonalu). All the bonalu are offered before 7:00 pm in the evening, when we see the devotees taking the bonalu to the hill top from the ground level we can only see the diyas lightening, bright in the dark evening. Bonalu are decorated with the haldi and kumkum according to the devotees wish, we can see the good art done on the bonalu.
Few kilometres from the main temple there is one more temple of Goddess Konda Pochamma, this temple is about 15 to 20 kilometres away from Mallikarjuna Swamy temple, people who come to worship Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy would definitely go to this goddess temple too, she is called the village goddess and she too is elder sister of Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy. Here the fair would be conducted on tuesdays same as starting from Makara Sankranti to Ugadi. Once the devotees complete their offering at Komuravelli would travel down to Konda Pochamma temple i.e., on Monday and offer the poojas and bonalu on tuesdays here. Here the temple is small but the goddess power is great, she would bless all her devotees.
May all of us have the blessings of God Mallikarjuna.
Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Devasthanam temple is dedicated to fierce looking diety Lord Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy along with Kethamma and Medalamma on both sides of the deity. Devotees often refer this deity as Komuravelli Mallanna. This is one of the most frequented and famous temples in the Telangana region. People from all over the state visit this temple on different occasions.
It is believed that the deity of Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy which is a clay moulded is made around 500 years back. As the devotees started visitng the temple and as the rush increased the committee of the temple started developmental activities in the temple and made arrangements for the devotees and also built and renovated mandapamas and choultries, rest rooms, water facility etc. Pedda Patnam which is celebrated on the Maha Sivaratri usually attract lakhs of pilgrims.
Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Devasthanam made provisions for the devotees to do online reservations for various pujas, offerings for annadanam and various other sevas

RANGA REDDY HISTORY

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This district is named after the famous freedom fighter and Telanga leader Sri. Ranga Reddy as Rangareddy district. This district was earlier included in the Hyderabad district and later formed as a seperate district in the year 1978.
Originally named Hyderabad (Rural) district, it was renamed after Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, a freedom fighter who fought for the independence of Telangana from the Nizams and who went on to become the deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

RANGA REDDY TOURISM (MAHESHWARAM)

The lord of destruction and resurrection of the Hindu trinity, Lord Shiva reigns supreme among the ruins left by the ravages of time and man. Besides the main temple, Maheshwaram has two fortresses – Shiva Ganga and Vishnu Ganga, the Kacheri house of Akkanna and Madanna, famous ministers of Bhaktha Ramdas era, the Kodanda Ramalayam, and the Shivaji Durgam. Every edifice here bears the imprint of more than 500 years of history. Making an unforgettable impression on the mind’s eye are the exquisite and detailed sculptures in the many temples here.

HIMAYAT SAGAR

Himayat Sagar is an artificial located about 20 km from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, India. It lies parallel to another artificial lake Osman Sagar and it is smaller in size among both. The storage capacity of the reservoir is about 3.0 TMC..

CHILKUR

Nestled in an arm of the beautiful Himayath sagar lake this little village is not only scenic but is also held sacred by the people of the region. The ancient temple of the Lord Balaji is located on an excellent spot by the side of the lake and is increasingly attracting devotees of God as well as of nature. The National Deer Park here is an attempt to protect and nurture the beautiful fauna of the land.

DURGAM CHERUVU

Among the many lakes that dot the Rangareddy District and the twin cities, Durgam Cheruvu is the most unspoilt and quietest. Surrounded by the unique rock mounds that mark the plateau, the ‘’cheruvu’’ or the lake makes for a welcome get away from the noisy urban milieu. Boat rides on the lake, games and food stalls add further to the atmosphere of relaxation here.

KEESARAGUTTA

A thousand ‘’Shiva Lingas’’. All dating back to times beyond memory. Keesaragutta, a unique hillock with a thousand gods, is well known as the place where Lord Rama worshipped Shiva ages and ages ago. The temple here with over a thousand years of history has a unique sand sculpture in the sanctum sanctorum And the archealogical museum here houses artifacts dating back to the 4th century. Keesara is a testament to the Artefacts of the land

NIZAMABAD HISTORY

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Nizamabad is a town situated in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. Formerly known as Indur or Indrapuri, it also serves as the financial headquarters of the Nizamabad district. In the 8th century, the city had been reined by the Rashtrakutas. It derived its name from Nizam-ul-Mulk, the ruler of the Nizam state. Once the princely states of South India, Nizamabad is the biggest commercial and trading center of the district today.
Earlier it had been under the sway of the Chalukya dynasty and then Tughlaq dynasty, followed by the Nizam Kings. After attaining importance industrially and agriculturally, it has come into the glare of publicity. This place was further highlighted with the establishment of Telangana University that serves the districts of Nizamabad, Adilabad and Medak. Nizamabad is also a promising destination from the point of view of travel and tourism.
Being influenced by various dynasties, Nizamabad definitely boasts of a blend of cultures. It has rich coffers in the form of forests and agricultural lands. Its major industries are made by confectionery and alcohol units. It is striving hard to achieve heights without compromising its rich culture and indigenousness. Together with grand festivals and ancient monuments, Nizamabad is a great place to visit in Andhra Pradesh.

NIZAMABAD TOURISM (Pochampad)

The Sree Ram Sagar Project, Pochampad one of the biggest irrigation project in the District is having a lot of potential for tourism development. The Dam site itself is located 13 km from Surbiryal. The Project serves as water source to 5 Districts (Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Adilibad, warangal and Khammam) through its three canal. Near to the Dam Site an Sree Ram Mandir temple is also present which is located near the riverbank and one of the most attractive places in Godavari pushkaralu. The project site comprises the dam, pochampad village, project house and a guest house.

NIZAM SAGAR

Nizamsagar was constructed across the Manjira River, a tributary of the Godavari River, between Achampet and Banjapalle villages of the Nizamabad district in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Nizamsagar dam was constructed in 1923by the then rulers of the erstwhile Nizam state, Nizam-Ul-Mulk. It is made by making over 40 villages empty.
This masonry dam sprawling across the river for 3 km with a fourteen feet wide motorable road over it. There are excellent boarding and lodging facilities nearby, for tourists.

NIZAMABAD FORT

This port is said to be built by Rashtraputha kings in the 10th Centaury. At top the Quilla at about 300' height there is a Rama temple built by Ramdas Mantra of Chatrapathi Sivaji. This is the huge temple with Corridors, Muntaps, Mahamuntaps and large Kalyana Mandapam of about 2000 sq,feet. Area.

NALGONDA HISTORY

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Its name is derived from two Telugu words Nalla (black) and Konda (hills). Nalgonda in the past is referred to as Nilagiri. During the period of Bahamani kingdom, it had been renamed as Nallagonda. Later in Nizam rule, during the later kings rule the name has been transformed in to Nalgonda.

NALGONDA TOURISM (Nagarjun sagar)

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is the world's largest masonry dam built across Krishna River in Nagarjuna Sagar,Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is downstream to the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir with a capacity of up to 11,472 million cubic metres which is the world's largest man-made lake with a concrete wall of that measures 6 ft (1.8 m). thick. The dam is 490 ft (150 m). tall and 16 km long with 26 gates which are 42 ft (13 m). wide and 45 ft (14 m). tall.
It is one of the earliest irrigation and hydro-electric projects in India. The dam provides irrigation water to the Nalgonda District, Prakasam District, Khammam District and Guntur District.

YADAGIRI GUTTA

Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple or Yadagirigutta is a popular Hindu Temple of Narasimha Swamy, an incarnation Lord Vishnu It is situated on a hillock in the Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, India, 60 kilometers from the city of Hyderabad. It has huge devotees visiting on Sundays and public holidays.
The temple is quite popular and is busy throughout the year with different events of the God. The annual brahmotsavam is held in the month of March, it includes Yedurkolu, The Celestial Wedding and Divya Vimana Rathotsavam. The birthday of Lord Narasimha is celebrated on 28 April every year.
Lord Narasimha is also known as Yadagiri, hence the name.

KOLANPAKA JAIN TEMPLE

Kulpakji is a Jain Shrine at the Kolanpak village in Nalgonda district. The temple is said to be more than 2000 years old and is still being worked upon. It is renovated very recently by employing more than 150 artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is said that the renovations in a Jain temple never cease. They are always working on polishing the existing structure or making new additions. The temple houses three idols - one each of Lord Adinath, Lord Neminath and Lord Mahaveer.
Lord Vrishaba Deva populary called Adinath Bhagvan was the first "Theerthankara" in the Jain religion. It is believed that the original idol of Lord Adinath, known locally as Manikya Deva has made Kolanupaka its abode. Kolanupaka Temple which is in its present form itself is more 800 years old. It is believed that Jainism was prevalent in Andhra Pradesh before 4 th Century and Kolanupaka was one of the prominent centres of Jainism.
There are eight idols of the other Tirthankars on both the sides of the main temple. The statue of Lord Mahaveera is 52" inches tall and is said to be made of a single piece Jade. Idols of Lord Simandar Swami and Mata Padmavati are installed on either side of the main temple. Kulpakji is an important pilgrimage center of Swetamber Jains in South India

BHONGIR FORT

The Fort was built on an isolated monolithic rock by the Western Chalukya ruler Tri-bhuvana-malla Vikram-aditya VI and was named after him as Tribhuvanagiri. This name gradually became Bhuvanagiri and subsequently Bhongir. At the foot of the fortified rocks stands the town of Bhongir, it has a unique egg-shaped construction with two entry points protected by huge rocks, so the fort was considered practically impregnable by invading armies. A moat that encircles the fort, a vast underground chamber, trap doors, an armoury, stables, ponds, wells etc., make for fascinating viewing. The Bala Hisar or citadel on the top of the hill gives a bird's eye view of the neighbouring area. The fort is associated with the rule of the heroic queen Rudra Amma Devi and her grandson Pratapa Rudra. According to legend, there once was an underground corridor connecting Bhongir Fort to Golconda Fort

MEDAK HISTORY

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Medak, a historic town originally called Siddapuram, later it known as Gulshanabad also, reached its pinnacle during the Kakatiya dynasty reign. Medak has a citadel dating back to the Kakatiyas. It was built during the reign of Kakatiya emperor Pratapa Rudra. Strategically built on a hillock, it was called the Methukudurgam (and Methukuseema), from the Telugu word Methuku - meaning cooked rice grain. The main entrance proudly displays the double-headed bird "Gandabherundam" of the Kakatiyas. The Medak fort stands as an epitome of architectural excellence of the Kakatiya dynasty. The water to the fort was served through a pipeline from a well inside the fort. It has three main entrances, the "Prathama Dwaram", the "Simha Dwaram" or Lions Entrance that has two snarling lions at the top of the entrance and the "Gaja Dwaram" or Elephant's Entrance that has a sculpture of two elephants interlocked on both sides of the entrance. At the fort one can see a 17th century cannon that is 3.2 meters long. The cannon has a trident etched on it. This fortress uses the natural topography to the maximum advantage with the rocky face offering it natural defenses.

MEDAK TOURISM (Medak Church )

Medak Church is situated in the South Indian state Andhra Pradesh. This region is full of captivating sylvan beauty and is sanctified by the marvellous church. It is built of exclusive white granite in the grand Gothic architectural style.
As per the legend, it is said that this church with its fabulous stained glass windows was the outcome of the faithful gratitude of a large number of people wailing in a seemingly insurmountable famine. This famine had its malicious spell for three long years during the World War I. The sad people took shelter to the Reverend Charles Walker Posnett, a British Missionary. The Almighty God provided them food being pleased by the prayers. The Reverend then proposed the building to be turned to a church. It was granted very soon and the church in Medak started in the year 1914. It was consecrated in 1924 during Christmas.
This spacious Medak church can contain up to 5000 people at a time. It also has a lot of exciting features. The spiral bell tower rises to a height of 175 ft. The paintings in the church were prepared in 40 years at the London Studio by the British artist. These paintings depict the holy events from the Bible. The window in the north depicts the ascension of Lord Jesus to Heaven and it also forms a canopy to the Altar. Again, the windows on the east and west display various events right from the birth to the crucifixion of the Lord.

MEDAK FORT

This wonderful fort is situated about 75 km from Hyderabad. It has with five sturdy cascading walls on a scenic hillock. The Kakatiyas are said to have built this fort. The two of the five massive walls surrounds this hill. At the entrance of each gateway, the bastions can be seen. A flight of steps has been cut on the rocks for access in and out of the fort. A beautiful mosque of the 17thcentury can be seen inside the fort. There is also a gorgeous palace known as the `Mubark Mahal` inside the fort. The beautiful stone houses contain the granaries, which were earlier the residences of the olden military commanders. The fort walls are adorned with Hindu-temple carvings. The carving of Kakatiyan emblem `Gandabherunda`, a double headed eagle can also be seen.

PAPIKONDALU

In the 'Bison Range' here, the wonderful waters of the magnificent river Godavari join the two districts, Medak and Godavari. This hill rises to a height of 2,280 meter above sea level at some places and thus forms gorgeous gorges in between. The vast plantations of teak and bamboo can be seen here.
Papikondalu known as Papi Hills is a Heaven on the earth. Papikondalu or Papi Hills or Papidi Kondalu is part of Eastern Ghats through which Godavari pierces and flows in twists and turns towards east. Entire area of Papikondalu is covered by tropical rain forests and deciduous rain forests. Some of the most interesting places in the world like Papikondalu; this place is interesting by virtue of inherent popularity and growing tourism. Coming from a rich historical country like India, there is also no dearth of interesting tourist sites. Papikondalu is an adventures trip.

MAHABUBNAGAR HISTORY

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This place was formerly known as "Rukmammapeta" and "Palamooru". The name was changed to Mahabubnagar on 4th December 1890, in honour of Mir Mahbub Ali Khan Asaf Jah VI, the Nizam of Hyderabad (1869-1911 AD). It has been the headquarters of the district since 1883 AD. The Mahabubnagar region was once known as Cholawadi or the land of the Cholas'. It is said that the famous Golconda diamonds including famous "KOHINOOR" diamond came from Mahabubnagar district.

MAHABUBNAGAR TOURISM (Pillalamarri)

The most important place of interest near Mahabubnagar is the famous banyan tree called Pillalamarri, which is about 8-km from the city. The famous 500 yr. old Banyan tree here, covering an area of over three acres, can accommodate about 1000 people in its shade. There is a shrine of a Muslim saint under the tree. From a distance the tree presents the appearance of a small hillock with green foliage but on reaching nearer, it looks like a large green umbrella under which about thousand people can easily take shelter. The tree is a very old one and it covers an area of 3 acres (1.21 hectares).

UMA MAHESHWARAM

Umamaheswaram is located at a distance of 150 KM from Hyderabad and close by Achampet in Mahabubnagar District. Umamaheswaram temple is situated on very tall hills of Nallamala forests and dates back to 2nd century A.D. To reach the temple, one has to ride on very steep and dangerous curves of 5 mile length from the bottom of the hill. It is well known as North Entrance to Srisailam (Jyotirlingam). Umamaheswaram temple is in deep Nallamalai forests and located in vast range of Scenic mountains. Umamaheswaram is popular for it's Misterious papanashanam where you can always find a mug of water what ever you take out from it throughout the year. Nobody could find from where this water is coming. Till today it is the home for innumerous Sadhus.
The presiding deities in Umamaheshwaram are Mallikarjuna (Shiva) and Bhramaramba (Devi).

ALAMPUR

Alampur near Kurnool is home to the very ancient Navabhramma temples dating back to the 7th century CE. Alampur is located at a distance of 200 km from Hyderabad. Alampur is considered to be the western gateway of Sree Sailam, the revered Jyotirlinga Shivastalam in Andhra Pradesh. The southern, eastern, and northern gateways are Siddhavattam, Tripurantakam and Umamaheswaram respectively.
The Tungabhadra and Krishna are in confluence near Alampur, which is also known as Dakshina Kailasam (as is Sree Kalahasti in Southern Andhra Pradesh). Nine temples here referred to as the Nava Bhramma temples are dedicated to Shiva.
Near Alampur, is Papanasam with a cluster of over 20 temples of varying sizes and styles. The most important of these is the Papanaseswara temple.

GADWAL

It is famous for handloom weaving industry. Gadwal sarees are popular for their exquisite silk and zari work. Gadwal is one of the centers where a typical, traditional Andhra saree is made. These sarees are unusual, different and dignified. It’s body is cotton while the border and pallu are in silk. They are woven separately and attached later on. Rich traditional designs adorn both the border and the pallu. Mango motif is most popular in these designs. Yellow, parrot-green, pink and beige are the most sought after colours in these sarees.Here is a big fort built by 'Chalukyas'. It is on the Secunderabad-Dronachalam railway line about 140 km from Hyderabad.

KARIMNAGAR HISTORY

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Karimnagar's early history is dominated by the famous kingdoms of Satavahanas & Kakatiyas. Koti Lingala in Karimnagar was the first capital of the Sathavahanas before Dharanikota. Excavations at Koti Lingala revealed coinage of Simukha, a Satavahana emperor.
Karimnagar was originally called Kareem Nagar, deriving its name from Syed Kareemullah Shah Saheb Quadri. It was one of the regional capitals during the rule of the Nizams.There are many historical monuments are there such as Tower circle,Kaman circle and Elgandal Fort which is 12 km away from karimnagar Town.

KARIMNAGAR TOURISM (Rajarajeshwara Temple, Vemulawada)

Sri Rajarajeswara Swamy temple and the Mosque inside the premises Vemulawada, located 150 km from Hyderabad is known for Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple. It is one of the very few temples devoted to Lord Siva. Popularly known as Dakshana Kashi (Benaras of South India) the temple attracts lakhs of devotees from all over the country. The Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple is a fine example of communal harmony where both Hindus and Muslims offer obeisance to Lord Siva and Allah. The temple at Vemulawada is next only to Tirupati in terms of its revenues. The temple contributes Rs. 8 lakhs anually to the gram Panchayat for developmental activities in the pilgrim town. Special arrangements are made for the pilgrims during the festival. Several cultural and social activities are also organised by the authorities. Free boarding and lodging is provided to the students. Besides, the temple also offers donations for other small temples. On the Sivaratri day, a record three to four lakh pilgrims through the sacred temple at Vemulawada. Special poojas and darshans are held to mark the festivity. Mahalingarchana is performed by about hundred archakas. At midnight Ekadasa Rudrabhishekham is performed to the deity. The temple is brightly illuminated in the night, presenting an aesthetic look.

KALESHWARAM

Kaleshwaram is the site of the famous Shiva temple called "Kaleswara muktheswara swamy", in the border of the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. It is 277 kilometers from Hyderabad ,125 kilometers from the town of Karimnagar, 115 kilometers from Warangal, and 60 kilometers from Manthani.Kaleshwaram is located exactly at the merging point of the River Pranahita (tributary of Godavari) with the Godavari River .
Significance of Mukteshwara Swamy Temple: This ancient temple holds a unique significance as two Shiva Lingas found on a single pedestal,one is Lord Shiva and Lord Yama, collectively known as Kaleswara Mukteswara Swamy.
Kaleswaram, is one of the places of the three Shiva temples mentioned in Trilinga Desham (Land of Three Lingams), another name for Telugu speaking region, the Andhra Pradesh, the other two being Draksharamam and Srishailam. This place is also called Dakshina Triveni Sangamam, as two rivers meet here along with third illusionary flow of Antarvaahini. It is said[by whom?] that a long time back one Vaishya has performed abhisheka to Kaleswara Mukteswara with hundreds of milk pots and the milk evolved at the sangamam of Godavari and Pranahita. Hence the name Dakshina Gangotri (other being Allahabad, or Prayaga)
Kaleswaram gets a huge number of piligrms during the Karthika Month of Indian Calendar and Maha Shiva Ratri.

DHARMAPURI

Dharmapuri is situated at a distance of about 28-30 km from Jagityal town and 51 km from Peddapalle railway station on the Kazipet-Balharsha section of the South Central Railway. Dharmapuri attained religious importance owing to the existence of the shrine dedicated to Narasimha Swamy, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Siva With Dakshinamurthy, Vinayaka and Sapitha Mathrukas carved on a single slab of stone and Mahishasuramardhani, the sixty pillared temple, Mahalakshmi temple, and Akkapalle Rajanna temple are the other temples of importance that heighten the sancity of the places of tourist interest in the state.
Dharmapuri has one of the largest settlement of Vedic Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh. There is a Sanskrit College and even till date. There have been some traditional families practicing Vedic Hymns and some of the family even have old Talapatra scriptures. There are several small temples virtually in every corner of the street of the town. Until recently people, mostly brahmin scholars have taken bath in river Godavari before they would perform vedic rites in the temple. There is one rare temple of the God Dattatreya [son of Lord Brahma] which is very rare.
Dharmpuri is located on the Bank of River Godavari. River Godavari flows West to East except in Dharmapuri where it flows North to South hence the river is termed as Dakshina Vahini

KHAMMAM HISTORY

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Khammam is derived from the name of a local hill called Stambhadri which has an ancient temple of Narasimha Swamy on its top. This temple is believed to have been existing since Treta Yuga. Historical records show that the name was "Kammamet"
The town is located on the banks of a river called Munneru which is a tributary of the Krishna River. Khammam district has a lot of historical importance in Andhra Pradesh.
Khammam town which was the seat of Taluk Administration was part of the larger Warangal district, till 1 October 1953. Five taluks of the Warangal district viz., Khammam, Madhira, Yellandu, Burgampadu , Palonchaand(Kothagudem) were carved out and a new district Khammam with Khammam as District Headquarters. In 1959 Bhadrachalam Revenue Division consisting Bhadrachalam and Manuguru Venkatapuram Taluks of East Godavari district, which were on the other side of the river Godavari were merged into Khammam on grounds of geographical contiguity and administrative viability. .

KHAMMAM TOURISM (BHADRACHALAM)

The Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy shrine at Bhadrachalam, the most famous temple in the country dedicated to Lord Rama, is situated on the left bank of the Godavari river. It is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus, considered to be one of the greatest holy shrines in South India with a very rich and unique historical background. The Temple was constructed in the 17th Century by the local Tahsildar, Kancharla Gopanna, popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas, a fervent devotee of Lod Sree Rama.
The puranic and historic facts relate that Lord Rama long after he had shed his mortal coils manifested himself to save his devotee Bhadra Maharshi whom he promised 'moksha' after intensive prayer. That is why the village is named after Bhadra as Bhadradri or Bhadrachalam. Srirama appeared in a dream to a woman called Pokala Dammakka and informed here about the existence of vigrahas on Bhadragiri hills. To her surprise she found the "Vigrahas" and put up a modest structure. This was the origin of the present temple.

KHAMMAM FORT

Construction of the Khammam Fort (India) was initiated around 950 when the Telugu area (now Andhra Pradesh) was ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty (10th - 13th century). Later, Musunuri Nayaks and Velama kings were involved in the construction of the fort situated on the hill. Subsequently the Qutb Shahi kingdom (1531) developed further both Khammam Fort and other parts of the region. Khammam Fort represents both Hindu and Muslim architectural influences. The fort has celebrated 1000 years of existence and is set to become a major tourist spot. It is developed as a tourist spot by the government.

PAPI KONDALU

Papi Kondalu is around 60Kms from Bhadrachalam.Papi Hills or Papi Kondalu is part of Eastern Ghats through which Godavari pierces and flows in twists and turns towards east. Entire area of PapiKondalu is covered by tropical rain forests and deciduous rain forests.
The boat ride on Godavari via Papi Kondalu is a pleasant and memorable experience. It leads you to countryside patch-worked with tiny farm plots, the landscapes dotted with tribal habitations, the river banks forested with the timber reserves, the fresh air and the deep river all blend tighter to make it a magic place. They present ideal settings to enjoy the nature. The beauty of the uncrowned spaces all along the river makes people stop and stare. Actual Papi Kondalu is a place where the width of Godavari is Narrowest less than a KM). From distance you would feel that both the hills are merging together however the boat cruises through the narrow width of Godavari and this is the best of the entire trip.

KINNERASANI

The Scenery of Kinnerasani Dam is very beautiful with greenery and natural landscape. Glasses Rest House constructed by Singareni Collieries at Kinnerasani has given a boost to attract the tourists in this regard. The Kinnersani project is located at Yanambile among picturesque surroundings.
A Dam was constructed across the Kinnerasani River at Yanambile, which provides water to KTPS at Palvoncha for power generation. It also provides irrigation facilities to the nearby farmers through lift Irrigation.
Kinnerasani is inagurated by Indira Gandhi which is constructed on the Kinnerasani River. Its very famous for its breath taking view from the dam. You can enjoy the Deer park which is near the Dam. Andhra Pradesh Residential School is located here which was started

ADILABAD HISTORY

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This district was earlier called as Ethlabad. This district was formed in the year 1905. The Adilabad district is bounded by Maharastra State in the East, West and North directions, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts in the South direction. Main rivers are Godavari, Penganga, Pranahita and Kadem . The water sources to this district are Kadem Project at Lakkipet, Vattivagu Project on Vattivagu, Satnalavagu project on Rallavagu and Chelamalavagu project on Chelamalavagu at Ekkapally village. Pochampadu Reservoir on river Godavari caters the water supply to the farm fields. Adilabad, Nirmal, Bellampalli, Mandamarri, Sirpur, Mancheryal, Lakshettipeta. are main towns. The District is occupied with 50% of Forest area, and hosts Three wild life sanctuaries; Pranahita is famous for Tigers, Jaguars, Deer and different Birds, Shivaram is famous for Crocodiles, Monkeys, Foxes and Spotted deer, Kawal is famous for Tigers, Jaguars, Deer's and Panthers. The mineral Wealth found in this district is Coal, Hematite. The Bamboo's from the forest feeds the Sirpur paper mill at Sirpur Khaghaz Nagar, which was established in 1938. World Famous Nirmal Paintings and Toys, and Bell Metal Craft are the handicrafts of this District. The temple of Goddess Saraswathi, the one and only temple of this deity in South India, located at Basar is a famous pilgrim place .

ADILABAD TOURISM

Basara, abode to Gnana Saraswati, is a small village near Nizamabad city that comes under Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh. Here is located the ancient temple of Gnana Sarasvati - the Goddess of Knowledge. It is believed to be one of the two oldest temples of Goddess Saraswati in India, the other being located in Kashmir. Sited at the convergence of rivers Mangira and Godavari, Saraswati Temple appears serene and pious in the rustic setting.

According to the legends, Veda Vyas did penance on the banks of Godavari. He used to bring fistful of sand daily after bath to make idols of Goddess Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali. Since the 6th century, Basar has been a pilgrimage centre for the Hindus. However, the present structure of the temple is believed to have been erected by Chalukya kings. In the sanctum sanctorum, the idol of Goddess Sarasvati adorns the sight, along with Goddess Lakshmi.

In the 17th century, the idols of the temple were reinstated by a chieftain of Nandagiri (Nandeed) subsequent to destruction caused by the Muslim invaders. There is nothing extraordinary about temple's architecture yet its popularity is certainly creditable. Pilgrims from far and near come to pay their homage to the 'Goddess of Wisdom'. Basant Panchami and Navaratri are the major festivals observed at the temple.

'Akshara Gnana' is a special ritual, in which devotees bring their children to the temple. The significance of the ritual lies in the fact that it marks the formal starting of child's education. The child is given little bit of turmeric paste to taste, believing that it will clear his/her vocal chords for better learning. The Goddess answers all the prayers of the committed devotees, filling their life with bliss and happiness

KUNTALA WATERFALL

Kuntala Waterfall, set amidst the Sahayadri mountain range in Andhra Pradesh, presents a wonderful vista with its gushing waters. Identified as the highest waterfalls of the state, the cascade attracts visitors from far and wide. At a distance of about 40 kms from Adilabad city, the fall is to be found near Neredikonda Village in Adilabad district. Kuntala Waterfalls appear as a pleasant surprise, accessible through the twirling roads passing from dense forests.

As per the legends, Kuntala Waterfalls were named after the mythological figure Shakuntala, who was the beloved of King Dushyanta. It is said that both of them fell in love with each other amidst the spectacular beauty of the region. Perhaps Shakuntala used to bathe in the waters of the cascade. Through the dense forests, River Kadam flows and tumbles gushing at Kuntala from the height of 45 meters, creating the astounding waterfall.

One must experience the spectacle of water splashing down and turning into whirls. Owing to this powerful surge, you can feel the air in the region crammed with mist of the darting waters. The cool breeze, with the whiff of flora around, makes the whole atmosphere simply wonderful. In the monsoons, the splendor of the cascade becomes all the more beguiling, since the river comes down with heavy waters.

It appears as if God himself likes this place as much as people do. A temple dedicated to Someshwara Swami is located in the vicinity, where people come to pay their homage to the Lord. You can reach this temple by going through a passage made by a slit in the hill. Festival of 'Maha Shivratri' attracts plenty of devotees to this temple. To put succinctly, Kuntala Waterfalls definitely deserves a visit on your trip to Adilabad.

WILD LIFE

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is the prefect destination to look for multiplicity of flora and fauna in India. Located in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh, the sanctuary lies at a distance of 50 km from Mancherila and 260 km from Hyderabad. It was established in 1964 with the purpose of safeguarding the endangered species in their natural habitat. Owing to its bio-diversity, the haven was declared as a wildlife sanctuary later.

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is visited by number of tourists every year. It has two watch towers, which offer stunning view of the surroundings. Sprawled across an area of 893 sq kms, the sanctuary boasts of a dry deciduous forest where teak, bamboo and numerous varieties of trees, shrubs and herbs can be seen. It houses various animals, including Sambar, Cheetal, Nilgai, Barking Deer, Indian Bison, Sloth Bear, Panther and Tiger.

The range of reptiles comprises of Python, Crocodile, Star Tortoise, Monitor Lizard, Cobra and many others. Talking about avifauna, one can trace various species of birds like Partridge, Quails, Peacocks, Eagles, Kites, Owls, Mynahs and Kingfishers here. During winters, the chirping sound of the migratory birds reverberates in the region. If you are keen on watching animals and birds, you can wait near rivulets and brooks where they usually come for water.

Winter season offers the best time to visit the sanctuary because the weather gets too dry in summers and too humid in monsoons. You can also opt for jeep safari, while having a closer, yet safer, view of the wildlife, to make your trip more interesting. Accommodation is also available here with the Forest Guest House. In concise, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is a nice place to experience adventure and thrill, mingled with enjoyment.

SHIVARAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Shivaram Wildlife Sanctuary of Andhra Pradesh is a total delight for nature lovers. Sited on the banks of River Godavari, the sanctuary is known for its population of fresh water crocodiles. This haven truly appears to be immersed in nature's beauty and splendor. Sprawled in an area of 36.29 sq km, the wildlife asylum lies at a distance of about 10 km, 50 km and 80 km from Manthani, Mancherial and Karimnagar, respectively.

Sivaram Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife preserve of its own kind, which boasts of exotic flora and fauna in India. It has deciduous vegetation, comprising of Teak, Timan, Gumpena, Terminalias, Kodsha and thorny shrubs. The sanctuary is home to fauna like Tiger, Panther, Langur, Rhesus Monkey, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Cheetal, Sambar, Chausingha, Nilgai, Python, etc. Established in 1987, the Sivaram Wildlife Sanctuary was initiated with a purpose of safeguarding crocodiles.

The main attraction of the sanctuary is made up of different species of Crocodiles. Here you can view numerous crocodiles basking in the sun. The Mugger Crocodile seen here is infact a fresh water crocodile that is found in the Indo-Gangetic Rivers like Godavari. Unlike the salt water crocodiles, the Muggers can crawl for substantial distances on land. This feature of the fresh water creatures has popularized them amongst the tourists.

Jawaharlal Nehru On formation of A.P.State

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On 5th March, 1956 Jawaharlal Nehru declared at Nizamabad (Telangana) that the Government of India had decided to merge Telangana with Andhra. He also assured the Telangana people that "a masoom bachchi (Telangana),ek natkhat(Andhra) ke saath shadi ho raha hai. Kai din ke baad me ittefaq nahi hone ke vaje se talaq de sakte hain". An innocent girl(Telangana) is being married off to a delinquent (Andhra). If they are not interested they could seek separation at a later day.

...Indian Express (6-3-1956)

A Message to Samaikhya Vaadis

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Dudes who want Samaikyaandhra,

"VasudhaikaKutumbam" ani nerpindi mana Hindutvam. Anduke iyyala India la ginni mataalu santosham ga unnai.

Manchiga cheptunnam inunri. Lets coexist with pride and honour in separate states. Maa Telangana State ni enta delay cheste anta Badha padtaru. Memu mimmalni emo chestam ani kadu. Meeku meere anyayam cheskuntunru.

Iyyala Telangana la andaram, ikkada unna andhrollanu gani seemollanu gani happy ga Telaganala undunri antunnam. Maaya matalu cheppi mosam chesetolla chashtalu nachchakane memu ippudu separate state antunnam.

Mari repu mem guda mimmalni gatlane etla jestam? Gasunti dikkumaalina chastalu maaku raavu. Memu gasunti panulu cheyyam.

Mastu kopam meeda unnam bhai memu. Aakali toni unnonki kopam ekvostadi. Kani aa kopamla baitollani evvarnanna emanna annama? Jai Telangana annonni evvarnanna emmanna annama? Meeru kuda Jai Telangana anunri. Maa praanalanu addam petti mimmalni kapadtam.

Leka pote emaitado meere choosinru. Naagam gaadu TDP la pedda Telangana Vaadini ani chepkuntadu. Kani "penlikoduku veede kani battalu naayi" annattu Telangana ki ok, kani mana leader CBN ani annadu. Emaindi? Janaalu Mana telanganodu ani kuda soodakunda Cheppu toni kottinru.

KCR nirahara deeksha bhagnam chesindu ani pukrloste, Arey Mana Telanganode ra bhai, Nijamo kado ani kuda alochinchale. TRS olle dorikina KCR photo ni dorikinattu Kaala bettinru. Shava Yaatralu chesinru.

Aina Meeru inka artham cheskokunda, KCR provocate cheste memu follow aitunnam ankuntunru. Nijaniki Maaku KCR is Nothing in front of Telangana. Addam oste KCR ni kuda kodtaru. Atla unnadi ippudu Telangana la Movement.

Artham chesukonri, Dayachesi addam raakunri, addam oste Telangana ollane odilipedtaledu. Bayata valla meeeda concentrate cheyyadam pedda kashtam kadu.

Iyyala Samaikhyaandhra ani ee 10 jillala bayata nunchi lolli pettetollu inka Bichchapu Chaastalu (in other words, lobbying) chese tollara gurtunchukonri. Rechagotti Kavvimpudu cheryalaku palupadite, VINAASHAKALE VIPAREETA BUDDHI annattu untadi. I Humbly request you to MIND IT.

Iyyala Andhra praantam valla aasthulu dwmsam chestunnaru ani cheptunnaru. Ikkada unna GOVT aastulu anni mee andhrollaye na? Telangana Vaadulu evvaru kuda pvt aastulaku nastam chestaleru. Maa peru chepkoni meere asunti galeezu panulu chestunru.

Cinema setla gurinchi topic ochindi. News la andaru daani meeda commentlu etc lu chestunru.

Iyyala Cinema industry Telangana gundelo(Hyderabad lo) undi. Enta mandi Telangana vallu unnaru daantla? Mee Cinema industry la maaku panoni post kuda istaleru. Mee cinema industry valla maaku, telangana ku, ochina laabham endi? Laabham pakkak pettunri, kaneesam gauravam istunnara? Maa Bhasha ni ekkiristaru. Goonda galla toni, comedy galla toni, aula gani characterla toni Telangana bhasha matladistaru. Deenni emani artham chesukovale? Memu paisal gatti soostalema? maa deggara free ga soopistunnara? Aina maa ollu emanle. Light deeskunru. Ponile kalakarulu saraswati upaasakulu ani odili pettiniru. Kani eppudaite Mohan Babu gaadu, chiru gaadu ekva-takva matladinro, appadinundi vallani target chesinru. Meeru adagochu, "Migitavallu(cine industry la) em annaru vallani enduku target chesinru?" ani. Mee cinema olle kada "Memanta oka family, madanta oke maata" etc ani antaru. anduke cine industry, which has never done any good to Telangana, ni as a whole ga target chestunru.

Aa Madhya chusinam, old city la Telangana vaadulu Jr NTR shooting ni target chesiru ani. Daani gurinchi chaalasepu chaala mandi toni tv lalla matladichchinru. Andaru daanni Khandinchinru adi tappu annaru. Asalu jarigina vishayam endi ani oka TV odu aa cinema Producer ni adugute aaina emannado telsa? "Koddi mandi telanaga vaadulu ochi aandolana chesina maata nijame. Kani vallu kaneesam lopatiki kuda raaledu. Meme Bayataku velli, memu Telangana ki Vyatirekam kadu ani cheppagane vallu happy ga velli poyaru. Idanta 15 nimishala vyavadhi lo aipoindi. Aa taravata memu haayiga sajaavuga maa shooting cheskunnamu" ani annadu.

Ante, Anni TV channel lu, 15 mins lo aipoina dani gurinchi 15 hrs dicussionlu petti leni poni konalalo amsinchi, pariseelinchi, arthalu, pedarthalu teesi, SMS poll lu pedtu, TRP ni penchukune prayatnam chesi, atleast aa film producer maatalu 2nd time kuda repeat cheyyaledu.

Deeni oka impartial mind toni chooste, ANDHRA DOMINATED TV channels anni kalisi Telangana vaadula paruvu teese prayatnam chestunnaru ani anochu. But we are not saying that.

Let the Film industry(as a whole) come out and say that they are not against Telangana. Once they do this, you'll find all disturbances vanishing. Adi odilpetti memu Teeskunna cinemaalu addukuntunru Em budhi raa meedi?

Ippatikaina poyyindemi ledu. JAI TELANGANA anetollu haayiga telangana la undunri. Meeku atla anabuddhi aitaleda? Norumuskoni mee panulu evo meeru cheskonri. Ekva-takva matladi mee jeevitalu paadu cheskokunri.

India la unna vaadu evadaina Jai INDIA anaka pote mana andariki enta kopam ostado, Telangana la unde todu Jai Telangana anakunte maaku ante kopam ostadi.

Jai Hind,
Jai Andhra, Jai Seema &
JAI JAI TELANGANA

Rgds,

His XLNC

T-Cong MPs Stay Away From Parliament

2011-08-01T08:13:00.001-07:00

In an embarrassment to the Congress, 10 party MPs from Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh, who have tendered their resignation on the separate statehood issue, today stayed away from Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session.

The MPs, including senior party leader K Keshav Rao, decided not to attend the session and were closeted at his residence.

Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar said the Telangana Congress MPs who have resigned their posts will not attend the session.”We want a separate Telangana state. That is our only demand. So, we are not attending Parliament,” he said.

While 9 MPs are from Lok Sabha, Rao is from Rajya Sabha. Congress has 12 MPs in Lok Sabha from the Telangana region.

The lawmakers are scheduled to meet Congress General Secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad in the evening and hold further consultations.

The MPs resigned on July 4 in protest against the Centre”s delay in announcing the formation of a Telangana state, but Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari have not yet taken any decision on them. [PTI]

NDA Will Raise Telangana Issue in Parliament

2011-08-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Opposition NDA will raise the Telangana statehood demand during the Monsoon session of Parliament and would ask the UPA to fulfil its promise of initiating steps for creation of a separate state.The assurance was given by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and NDA convener Sharad Yadav to a delegation of leaders and activists from Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh.
The delegation led by senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya and Telangana Joint Action Committee convenor Kodandaram met Swaraj and Yadav and apprised them of the situation in the state.
“We told Swaraj what is happening in Andhra Pradesh, especially in the Telangana region and she promised us that she will surely raise the issue during the forthcoming session,” Dattatreya told PTI after the meeting.He said Swaraj is planning to give Calling Attention notice to raise the issue.
“She assured us that the issue will be highlighted in Parliament. She also told us that the BJP would expose the Congress’ motives on the issue,” he said.Dattatreya said the Centre should go by its December 9, 2009 statement in which it said the steps for creation of a Telangana state would be initiated.He said Yadav also assured them that JD(U) would raise the issue in Parliament and pressurise the Centre to immediately announce formation of a separate state.

All Telangana Forces Should Unite: Ajit Singh

2011-08-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh today expressed confidence that persistent efforts of Telangana supporters including students would definitely result in realising the goal of separate statehood.
Speaking at a pro-Telangana meeting organised at the Osmania University, Ajit Singh, a supporter of a separate Telangana, exhorted the students to keep their agitation peaceful adding political process is the only way to achieve any goals in a democracy.
All groups and parties fighting for separate Telangana should unite to achieve their goal, he suggested.
Supporting the demand that the separate Telangana should have Hyderabad as its capital, Singh said metro cities like Mumbai and Kolkata are part of Maharashtra and West Bengal respectively though they had substantial population other than the native people.
Hyderabad would, after all, continue to be part of India even if separate Telangana is formed, he said.
Claiming that the Centre was perhaps hoping the separate statehood agitation would die down with time, he observed that the Telangana stir would not subside.
He was speaking at a meeting of the ‘Telangana Consultative Committee’ which favours bringing all those fighting for separate statehood on to one platform.
Freedom fighter and Telangana supporter Konda Lakshman Bapuji, MLC K Dileep Kumar and others stressed the need for keeping the separate statehood agitation going. [PTI]

8th Chapter of Sri Krishna committee submitted to Govt. of India keeping it a secret document.

2011-07-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

1. INTRODUCTION

This detailed note covers the likely immediate backlash/ law and order situations that get created in the State on the submission of the Report at the end of the month as a reaction to the perceived course of action by the Government of India on whatever option may finally get exercised. The note also discusses some major long term internal security related issues. The assessment given in the note is based on ( i) analysis of certain relevant memoranda given by the political parties and other groups ( ii) information gained through interaction with different political parties/ groups at State level and during field visits ( districts and villages) ( iii) discussions held with Senior Officers of the State Government including that of the Police Department with District Collectors and Superintendents of Police and with other sources and ( v) own experience.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 The demand for a separate Telangana State had been existing even before the creation of the State of Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956 after the merger of Telangana areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad State with the State of Andhra that had been carved out in 1953 out of the Madras Presidency. Prior to the merger and with a view to provide safeguards for protecting the interest of Telangana, an agreement called ‘ The Gentleman’s Agreement’ involving the leaders of both the regions was signed in February, 1956. However, discontent over the ab- initio non- implementation of some of the key decisions ( ibid Chapter 1 of Report) in the Agreement resulted in a major “ separate Telangana agitation” in 1968- 1969. This agitation which was mainly spearheaded by the students started in Warangal District in December 1968 and spread to other regions of Telangana receiving support of various parties and organizations of the region. In the wake of this agitation there was large scale destruction of public/ private property. Besides, reportedly it resulted in the death of 57 persons with 217 persons injured as per the figures based on Andhra Pradesh police inputs). The agitation was, however, brought under control after a few months on account of the strong stand taken by Smt. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister. The Government of India promised to undertake remedial action against the violations of the Agreement and P. V. Narasimha Rao belonging to Telangana region, was made Chief Minister of the State on September 30, 1971.

2.2 On 28th March, 1969, the Mulki rules were held invalid by the High Court.

However, the Supreme Court declared them constitutionally valid on October 3, 1972 giving rise to a situation where jobs occupied by the Andhra People were required to be vacated. The reaction to this development was that it led to a strong ‘ Jai Andhra movement’ in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in late 1972. This movement also witnessed a high level of violence resulting in 69 causalities. Among these, seven Government personnel were killed and 66 injured. Around 350 citizens were also injured. This movement was also contained through firm handling with the intervention of the Government of India. P. V. Narasimha Rao resigned as CM on January 10, 1973 and President’s Rule was imposed. A political settlement was worked out and a Six Point Formula ( SPF) was agreed upon on September 28, 1973 by both the regions. A Presidential Order was promulgated on May 3, 1975 which provided for accelerated development of backward areas, state level Planning Boards/ Sub Committees for backward areas, reservation for local candidates for non- gazetted posts/ educational institutions, discontinuation of Telangana

Regional Committee and Mulki Rules.

Accordingly, the state was divided into Six Zones and Hyderabad was included in Zone 6.

However, for the State Secretariat, directorates, commissionerates and state level offices located in Hyderabad, recruitment was done treating Hyderabad as a free zone i. e. anybody in the state could compete. Over a period of time, there were violations in the implementation of SPF and GO 610 was issued ( December 30, 1985) to rectify them.

The Girgilani Commission appointed by the State Government pointed out in 2004 that there had been several instances of violations of the GO 610 during the previous 30 years and recommended corrective action. AP High Court also issued direction for implementation of GO 610 within 3 months. The Government issued 4 GOs, out of which GOs 72 and 116 were not implemented, while GOs 399 and 415 were issued and later cancelled.

The implementation of GO 610 in the last 4 to 5 years, however, has been reported to be satisfactory with a major part of the grievances redressed. Recently, the Supreme Court cancelled ( October 9, 2009) the transfer orders of some police inspectors ( as per GO 610), holding that Hyderabad being a cosmopolitan city should be treated as a free zone.

Subsequent to this order the Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed a Resolution on 18.3.2010 as quoted below: “ This House resolves to request the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to obtain the approval of President of India to Clause ( 1) of Para 14 of the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment ( organization of Local cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruit) Order 1975”. ( The above resolution has been forwarded to Government of India.) 2.3 Meanwhile, simmering discontentment among Telangana people over nonimplementation of various protective provisions for Telangana was highlighted by Telangana Rashtra Samithi ( TRS) which was floated on April 27, 2001 by K Chandrasekhar Rao ( KCR). In 2004 general elections TRS entered into an alliance with the Congress Party with a commitment for creation of Telangana as a separated State. TRS joined both the State and Central Government, and the issue was included in the Common Minimum Programme of UPA- 1. The GoI appointed a Cabinet Sub Committee headed by Pranab Mukherjee on January 5, 2005 to evolve a consensus on the issue. However, the Pranab Committee could not arrive at any clear cut conclusion and reportedly suggested appointment of a Second States’ Reorganisation Commission to look into the issue. KCRejected the suggestion and withdrew from both the central government and state governments in protest. Between 2004 and 2009 KCRepresented the Karimnagar Parliament seat. Sensing adverse mood of the people towards the failure of KCR he resigned his seat in 2006. He retained his seat in the keenly contested bye- election by a huge margin. Many protagonists of Telangana campaigned extensively for that election. Subsequently, KCR started losing support within the party and yet again he enforced bye- elections in four Lok Sabha seats and 16 assembly seats. The outcome of the bypolls was a huge set back as KCR lost many seats held by his partymen. The percentage of vote share obtained by the TRS attracted the attention of TDP and its leader Chandra Babu Naidu to explore a possible tie- up. The TDP which fought the 2004 general elections on the plank of united Andhra Pradesh has reversed its decision to take advantage of the strong sentiment prevailing in the Telangana Districts.

At the time of general elections held in 2009, TRS joined the TDP’s grand alliance. The congress party contested without any allies.

The Telangana Congress leaders asserted that Smt. Sonia Gandhi, would take an appropriate decision on Telangana at an appropriate time.

The TRSuffered big electoral defeat winning just 10 seats for the state assembly and just two seats for the Parliament. The Telangana protagonists deserted the TRS and KCR. Only after the demise of former CM YS Rajasekhar Reddy, the state politics ran into instability bringing back the demand for Telangana state.

The announcement over the formation of State of Telangana made by the union government on 9th December, 2009 had generated unrest among the Seemandhra people. The union government had constituted this committee to examine the demand for a separate state of Telangana as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of a united Andhra Pradesh.

3. PRESENT SITUATION

3.1 The demand for a separate State of Telangana has its root in the perceived discrimination against the people of Telangana by the Seemandhra leaders in the fields of education, water and irrigation resources, job opportunities including employment in Government and issues of development, besides the unfulfilment of some key assurances given in the Gentlemen’s Agreement particularly pertaining to political space for Telangana ( e. g. CM/ Dy. CM).

Different communities/ groups have their own perception on benefits which may accrue to them from the formation of Telangana. In addition, there is a strong emotional factor attached with the demand for a separate state.

The people of Telangana believe that the problem of discrimination against their region that has existed hitherto can only be overcome by having their own independent identity.

3.2 The student community and the unemployed youth feel that the creation of new State will lead to increased employment opportunities for them, as the government jobs in Telangana region will then not go to the Seemandhra people. The student community is already campaigning for 42% reservation in Group- I posts for those belonging to Telangana and boycotted classes/ examinations and organized bandh on the issue on September 4 and 5, 2010, respectively.

Telangana lawyers also see a separate State as an opportunity to get more appointments to the posts of Public Prosecutors, Assistant Public Prosecturors and Standing Counsels in the New State. They, under the banner of Telangana Advocates Joint Action Committee, started an agitation on September 13, 2010 targetting judges and advocates belonging to Seemandhra region demanding a 42% reservation in the said posts. There has been a long standing demand for appointment of the Advocate General hailing from Telangana. The government employees of Telangana also welcome the formation of a new State as they feel that this may lead to faster promotions.

Government employees belonging to Seemandhra region, though generally opposed to the formation of a new State, are not coming out openly against the demand for Telangana, fearing action and witch- hunt by pro- Telangana political parties in the eventuality of a separate State being formed. The expectations of the farmers have also been raised that they will gain both in terms of availability of water as well as power, in the new State. Several caste groups, especially those belonging to backward classes and minorities have also been allured with promises of free education at all levels and increase in reservation for them in government jobs in the new State.

3.3 The Muslim community, especially the All India Majlis Ittehadul Musalmeen ( AIMIM), the main Muslim political party of Andhra Pradesh, is apprehensive of the fate and status of the Muslim community, in the eventuality of a separate Telangana being formed. This concern arises out of the fact that BJP being a strong proponent of the ongoing pro- Telangana agitation is likely to play a bigger role after the formation of a new state. The AIMIM, however, has decided against openly opposing the formation of separate Telangana, fearing a backlash, both against the party and the Muslim community, in the event of the new State being formed. Besides, many Muslims residing in various districts of Telangana are also strongly supporting the new State. Their grievance of not getting adequate jobs and loss of land held by them is noteworthy. Accordingly, AIMIM has diluted its stand of completely opposing Telangana and is now indirectly supporting the formation of a new State albeit, comprising the erstwhile territory of the Nawab of Hyderabad, viz.

Telangana region along with Rayalaseema ( Rayala Telangana) as a second option in case keeping the State united does not work out.

However, this may not be acceptable to the Andhra leaders who would lose Hyderabad completely and also face hardship in securing rights over river waters.

4. POSSIBLE OPTIONS

4.1 The committee has discussed six possible options in the concluding part of the Report not recommending the first three and giving preferential order to the remaining three. The backlash/ law & order problems and the internal security related issues in case of each of the six options/ scenarios ( as listed below) have been covered in this paragraph.

Scenario 1) To treat the movement as a normal law and order situation to be handled purely by the State with usual support from the Centre Scenario 2) Creation of a separate State of Telangana with Hyderabad becoming a Union Territory.

Scenario 3) To merge Rayalaseema with Telangana and create a new State Rayala Telangana with Hyderabad as its Capital Scenario 4) In case of a separate Telangana, creation of a larger Union Territory of Hyderabad by connecting Hyderabad ( HMDA) with Guntur ( Coastal Andhra) in South- East and Kurnool ( Rayalaseema) in the South via Nalgonda and Mehboobnagar ( both Telangana districts) respectively through creation of appropriate corridors by merging a few Mandals with Hyderabad ( HMDA) Scenario 5) To grant Statehood to Telangana with Hyderabad as its Capital Scenario 6) Providing Constitutional/ Statutory safeguards to Telangana region by guaranteeing redressal of the region’s major grievances and keeping the State united.

SCENARIO 1

To treat the movement as a normal law and order situation to be handled purely by the State with usual support from the Centre: ( a) Agitations: ( i) In view of the fact that under this option the employment and other expectations and particularly the emotional satisfaction of the people of Telangana will not be met, immediate backlash will take place in the form of violent agitations in Telangana region which may continue for a few months.

However, besides sporadic agitations on specific demands like employment opportunities, sharing of water resources etc.

may continue for a longer period. In Telangana, the backlash is likely to be more pronounced in TRS dominated districts of Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak and parts of Nizamabad.

( ii) Furthermore it is anticipated that the agitation in and around Hyderabad would be intense, since the various Joint Action Committees of students, advocates, government employees, youth and mass organizations would try to paralyse normal life in and around Hyderabad. The agitations by the coal workers of Singareni Coal Company Ltd ( SCCL) ( spread over Karimnagar, Adilabad, Khammam and Warangal districts) would adversely affect coal production. This in turn would affect the coal supply to the thermal power plants and thus the power position both at the state and national level.

The rail and road traffic in the Telangana region may also be affected. The agitations are also expected to adversely affect the functioning of industrial and other business establishments. The pro- Telangana agitators are likely to target business establishments and financial interests/ assets of the Seemandhra leaders. This will adversely affect the inflow of investments into Hyderabad thus hampering the city’s economic growth and creating public unrest on account of lost employment opportunities.

( iii) The peoples’ representatives especially MLAs, MLCs and MPs from Telangana region belonging to all political parties would be under pressure to resign as evidenced earlier. Telangana Rashtra Samithi ( TRS) and the recently constituted Telangana Praja Front ( TPF – Gaddar) would take the lead in organizing various programmes. Mass resignations could create political crisis in the state. The verbal attack of the Telangana leaders against the Seemandhra leaders is expected to increase. The divisions within Congress, the TDP, as well as the state cabinet will need to be watched and suitably addressed. Public property like government offices, road transport vehicles etc., would need to be secured as they are likely to be the target of the agitationists. Hyderabad has about 100 central institutions including defence establishments and defence research institutions that are important from the national security point of view. A separate plan would have to be drawn up for the protection of these institutions. Besides, the social, economic and political tensions, prolonged Telangana agitation would put a severe strain on the State’s law and order machinery.

( b) Maoist Violence: In the event of the demand of a separate Telangana state not being realized, some of the militant elements which have been in the forefront of the agitations may go underground to revive the Maoist movement in certain pockets of Telangana which, however, could possibly be tackled within a small time- frame with firm political will and strong administrative action.

The Maoists who are active in Dandakaranya and Andhra- Orissa Border areas viz., Khammam, East Godavari, Vizag etc., and certain forest areas of Adilabad, Karimnagar and Warangal may continue to operate along the borders with Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Orissa. Their activities might be more intense in Vizag and Khammam regions but the fall out of violence may mostly be confined to these few districts.

( c) Communal Violence : As the State has, by and large, been able to neutralize most of the Jihadi elements in the last two decades and has evolved suitable mechanisms to contain communal and factional resistances, there may not be much change on the position on these two fronts. The status quo may remain. Since the alignment of political forces on communal lines is likely to be less probable, the outbreak of communal violence would be contingent upon extraneous factors.

( d) Migration issues : Since Hyderabad city or greater Hyderabad ( GHMC) limits have been a focused area for development and investments, both skilled and unskilled labour of all the three regions may continue to migrate to Hyderabad city, putting tremendous pressure on the water and land utilization. These migrants may alter the population dynamics of Hyderabad city and the competition for employment opportunities and the subsequent frustration may lead to sporadic conflicts between people of various regions in Hyderabad city.

SCENARIO 2

Creation of separate State of Telangana with Hyderabad becoming a Union Territory ( a) Agitations: Apart from the backlash mentioned in Scenario- 1, there may be severe discontentment among the people of Telangana that Hyderabad city, which has been historically part of Telangana, has been taken away from them. Telangana without Hyderabad will be handicapped in terms of State revenues, industrial growth, employment potential, education, infrastructure and other facilities, leading to large scale dissatisfaction and unrest in the region. Hyderabad could emerge as an Island surrounded by a region that is unhappy with its residents – while the residents of Hyderabad would be dependent on the surroundings for several resources and transport. In addition, Hyderabad city which is dependent upon Telangana for drinking water supplies, and is surrounded by Telangana, may face the consequences of violent agitations of Telangana which could lead to blockade of supply in drinking water, transportation, other services etc. Hyderabad may also provide the base for agitation to both Telanganites and Seemandhra people.

( b) Maoist Violence: Telangana without Hyderabad city may face a set back with a vast chunk of its populace deprived of economic opportunities and thereby provide a fertile ground for Naxalism to flourish.

Hyderabad city may also be affected by Maoist activities, as Maoists will try to use Hyderabad city for shelter and generation of funds. Since the State would be divided, it may become a difficult task for the security forces to coordinate operations to curb Maoists activities in the urban areas of Hyderabad, in the forest tracts of Telangana and Seemandhra.

( c) Communal Violence : The political forces viz., the AIMIM and the BJP in their race to consolidate and expand their base may arouse passions causing a deeper divide between the Hindus and Muslims. This may create a favourable atmosphere for the communal forces to take charge and cause disharmony, which may have a cascading effect in other parts of Telangana and rest of the country, providing a fertile hunting ground for the terror elements. This scenario may lead to coordination problems for the security forces to carry out their operations.

( d) Migration : Hyderabad as a UT, may also have influx of migrants from other States, increasing pressure on land, water, disparities between people of various regions fuelling social unrest both in Telangana as well as in Hyderabad. The citizens of Telangana may get treated as non- locals in Hyderabad city, limiting their employment prospects and economic growth, and this frustration can lead to conflicts. The students of Telangana region would become more dependent on Hyderabad for advanced studies in professional courses and higher education, as scope for undertaking professional courses presently is rather limited in the Telangana region. This may lead to discontent among the students, fuelling student agitations. In case of a separate Telangana, the feeling is that Rayalaseema will continue to be neglected in Seemandhra.

Hence there is likelihood of starting of the demand for separate Rayalaseema and consequent agitations.

SCENARIO 3

To merge Rayalaseema with Telangana and create a new State Rayalatelangana with Hyderabad as its Capital 1. This scenario is not likely to be accepted either by the pro- Telangana or by the United- Andhra protagonists. The only groups who are likely to be satisfied are i) AIMIM, who have been saying that if a new State has to be carved out, then it should comprise the areas of Telangana and Rayalaseema and ii) certain sections of society of Rayalaseema region.

Since BJP has a strong presence, it may try to consolidate in Telangana areas and further expand its base. AIMIMay try to expand in Rayalaseema regions resulting in birth of militant communalism in certain pockets. The potentially affected areas are expected to be: Adoni ( Kurnool), Kadiri, Hindipur ( Anantapur), Madanapalli, Punganuru ( Chittoor) and Rayachoti and Kadapa town.

2. The emotional as well as the economic aspirations of the people of Telangana will also not be served, as there is a predominant feeling among the people of Telangana that the Rayalaseema leaders have taken over the commercially profitable land of Hyderabad city and will continue to dominate the people of Telangana. It is to be noted that not a single political and social group from Telangana responded favourably to this suggestion wherever the Committee had an opportunity to discuss the same with them.

3. The situation described later in scenario- 5 may also generally apply in this case too in certain respects.

SCENARIO 4

In case of separate Telangana, creation of a larger Union Territory of Hyderabad by connecting Hyderabad ( HMDA) with Guntoor ( Coastal Andhra) in South- East and Kurnool ( Rayalaseema) in the South via Nalgonda and Mahboob Nagar ( both Telangana districts) respectively through creation of appropriate corridors by merging a few Mandals with Hyderabad ( HMDA) 1. This proposal links Hyderabad to all the three regions of the State so that these regions have geographical contiguity and physical access to Hyderabad which has emerged as the key issue in the entire scheme of things.

Hyderabad may then contain the capitals of both Telangana as well as Coastal Andhra and may even cater to the possible resultant aspirations of Rayalaseema.

2. While larger Union Territory of Hyderabad to be governed on a mixed ( Chandigarh Delhi) with a Legislative Assembly and a Lt. Governor may have the advantage of addressing the issue relating to the status of Hyderabad and may even make Hyderabad Megapolis, an economic giant in due course and in the process help the border towns of all the three regions to grow substantially ( as seen in Delhi and Chandigarh), inputs received indicate that reactions to this option are also expected to be on the same lines as indicated in Scenario 2 discussed earlier and there will be, atleast for a period of time, serious agitations particularly from Telangana region on two counts namely ( i) Hyderabad not becoming exclusively the capital of Telangana and ( ii) merging parts of two districts of Telangana for creation of the larger Union Territory. The political agreement on this proposal may also prove to be difficult to arrive at thus creating other governance related tensions. In fact, Scenario 2 would be relatively easier for convincing Telanganites.

SCENARIO 5

To grant Statehood to Telangana with Hyderabad as its Capital 1. In this scenario, although the emotional aspirations of the people of Telangana to have their own State will be satisfied, economic expectations, including enhanced job opportunities which they expect, may not actually materialize. This may lead to frustration among the youth ( who are in the forefront of this agitation), professionals and even farmers. This frustration may lead to ‘ scape- goating’, leading to targeted attacks on Seemandhra settlers and their properties. The reasons for the same are given below:- ( i) The pro- Telangana political parties and forums are blaming the Seemandhra people for the neglect of Telangana region and are offering tall promises after the creation of the new State. However, the fact remains that it would not be possible to fulfill all these promises due to inherent factors. This does not imply that there would be no additional job opportunities and promotional avenues in the new State. However, these numbers are likely to fall way short of expectations.

( ii) The only way, the economic aspirations of the people of Telangana can be met is by accelerated economic development in the region. This is dependent on political stability, maintenance of law and order, availability of natural resources and of skilled manpower. However, it has been experienced in the contemporary period, that Nation and its constituents e. g. states encounter threats from a number of political, social and religious formations with ultra and radical views which tend to threaten the security of nationhood or as in this case statehood. Andhra Pradesh has been under the threat of leftwing extremists for a long period though for the present the problem has been largely contained. The important question that emerges in this context is that, whether a separate State of Telangana can sustain the state supremacy over the leftwing agitations and threats from other radical/ extremists organizations/ groups. As discussed in the succeeding sub- paragraphs, the existing scenario in regard to this issue does not offer an optimistic picture. Most of the industries etc. are located in and around Hyderabad. With the bifurcation of the state and Hyderabad in Telangana region, incidents of agitations, dharnas and even violence, are expected. This may result in flight of capital, stagnant growth and disincentive for entrepreneurs, leading to slow down of economic activity. In the short term Hyderabad may witness a vicious cycle of agitations, slow down of economic activity and greater frustration. These factors along with irrigation/ water issues would have a definite adverse impact on revenue generation and industrial development of the State and may actually offset any gains in terms of additional employment opportunities and promotional avenues that will emerge.

( iii) There is also every likelihood of revival of agitations against the formation of a new State in the Seemandhra region, including in the city of Hyderabad.

( a) Maoist violence: ( i) The Maoists are also likely to gain by the creation of a new state. The new state is likely to be soft towards them initially, given that they have over the years supported the struggle for the formation of Telangana. By the time the state realizes the Maoist menace, it may be too late for the state to handle them with a bifurcated police force contributing to a weaker response to the problem. The CPI ( Maoist) will also use political boundaries of state and districts, to their advantage. It is not without reason that most of the Maoist zones, sub- zones etc., straddle state and district boundaries.

Experience shows that inter- state coordination in anti- naxal operations still has a lot of catching up to do and the Naxals have taken advantage of this weakness. Telangana is also contiguous with other highly affected Maoist areas viz., Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra States. As such it is likely that the Maoists will extend their activities from these neighbouring states to Telangana, especially the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, parts of Nizamabad and Medak in north Telangana and Mahboobnagar and Nalgonda in south Telangana. It is important to note that it is not entirely a coincidence that the increased spread of Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, has been after thecreation of these states. Increase in poverty which is a natural corollary to a slowdown in economic activity, will drive more people into the arms of the CPI ( Maoist). This may again lead to a vicious cycle of naxalism, leading to less of economic activity and greater impoverishment, which may provide fillip to left wing extremism.

( ii) An important development that has to be noted is that after K. Chandra Shekar Rao gave up his fasting protest on 30.11.2009, Gaddar organized wide spread protests and later the top leadership of Maoists including Kishanji @ Mallojula Koteshwar have organized various protests programs through students of Osmania University and other universities of Telangana. Thus, while the student’s involvement in the Telangana agitation became very intense due to the encouragement of the local committees of the Maoists, Telangana Rashtra Samithi was also forced to utilize simmering sentiment in the students. When the intensity of the agitation by TRStarted ebbing down, Gaddar floated a new front called Telangana Praja Front ( TPF) on the instructions of the underground cadre of the Maoists to sustain agitation for a very prolonged duration. This front which is totally Maoist backed and motivated, tried to project itself as an alternate to KCR and TRS. Thus, the Maoists are trying to make a come back through the Telangana agitation. The impact of possible growth of Maoist/ Naxal influence in Telangana has to be evaluated in the right perspective keeping in mind that a large number of important and sensitive industries are located in and around Hyderabad.

Although TPF had sometime back moved away from TRS, they have again come back together which is a matter of serious concern.

( b) Communal Violence: ( i) Historically speaking Telangana area has more communally sensitive areas, due to the long 400 years of Qutub Shahi and Nizam rule and Razakar movement during the postindependence days. Telangana region, most specifically Hyderaad city has witnessed many communal riots which in most of the cases were triggered by very small and trivial issues.

The Hindu passions are being incited by the right wing parties which has also contributed to the outbreak of communal riots. The pockets which are vulnerable to the communal riots are Hyderabad city, Nirmal and Bhainsa of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Bodhan and Kamareddy of Nizamabad district, Jagityal, Korutla, Karimnagar towns of Karimnagar district, Zaheerabad and Medak town in Medak district, Nalgonda, Bhongir areas of Nalgonda district, Mahbubnagar and Narayanpet areas of Mahbubnagar district, Tandur and Vikarabad of Rangareddy district.

There is a certain sense of mutual suspicion between two communities who are living in the above mentioned areas. If communal passions become an additional factor in an atmosphere where unemployment, social unrest etc. exist, it may give rise to birth of militant Jihadi elements. The intelligence wing of the State Police and the IB will be more informed on this aspect. Telangana has large number of Muslim pockets and to counter Muslim influence, Hindu fundamentalists may compete with them and try to polarize the Hindu population. This unhealthy competition between Hindu and Muslim fundamentalist groups may tend to reduce the influence of the main stream secular political parties like the Congress and the Communists in the long run.

( ii) The AIMIM, BJP, RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad have a reasonably strong presence in the Telangana Region and in general take to inciting passions, indulging in communal rhetoric etc. Both political parties ( AIMIM & BJP) will be competing to expand their bases in Telangana state and in the process will try to ignite passions creating potential for communal unrest.

( c) Education implications : Most of the major educational infrastructure in the Telangana region has historically been owned by the Seemandhra people and it is located mostly within the limits of greater Hyderabad.

The student community which is spearheading the separate Telangana agitation has been using these educational institutions for their agitational activities. This may lead to migration of the faculty as well as these institutions, impacting/ reducing the availability of local persons who can be productively engaged by the industry/ business- houses.

( d) Migration issues: ( i) Telangana region is mineral rich having deposits of limestone, and granite. The dominant industries here are thermal power stations, pharmaceuticals etc., which are mostly managed by Seemandhra people. One of the main propaganda issues in the Telangana agitation has been that once a separate state is created, the job opportunities in all these industries will be made available to the people of Telangana. Many of the owners and skilled personnel in these industries have historically been from the Seemandhra region, the inability to substitute them with sufficient number of qualified locals may lead to conflict between the locals and non- locals and also between the management and the workforce. Telangana region is dependent on coal reserves for its power generation while Seemandhra region, though dependent on coal reserves, is rapidly expanding its energy sources, viz., gas, wind, solar and nuclear. Thus, energy deficiencies may lead to migration of population, imbalance in the employment opportunities, which may become a cause for social unrest.

( ii) Farming in Telangana is mostly dependent on ground and rain water and liftirrigation schemes which require substantial amount of electrical energy. The present Government has extended free power facility to the farmers across the state which has benefitted the small and marginal farmers in Telangana region to a large extent. Some districts of Telangana region such as Nalgonda, Medak, Mahbubnagar and Hyderabad are industrially developed and hence consume substantial amount of energy. Since Telangana region energy sources are largely coal based thermal power plants, any economic imbalance may lead to energy starvation of the small and marginal farmers which will adversely affect the productivity of the land. This can cause decline in their earnings which may result in distress sale of lands and their migration to the industrial belt in the Hyderabad city. This may further cause change in the population profile, pressure on unskilled employment sector, land and water utilization in Hyderabad which in turn may accentuate inter- regional rivalry and tensions in Hyderabad area.

( iii) Telangana area is dominated by upper caste Reddys and Velamas, while the bulk of population is from the backward community, viz. Munnur Kapu, Mudhiraj, Gouds, Padmashalis and the Scheduled Caste Community of which the majority are ‘ madigas’. Historically, the political and economic activity has always been dominated by the Reddys and Velamas, and an important cause of naxalism was feudalism and discrimination by the dominant castes over the others. Even today while the leaders of the separate Telangana agitation are from dominant castes, the actual foot soldiers are mainly from the BCs and SCs, who are aspiring to acquire political space and leadership. These aspirations, if not realized may become an important factor contributing to social unrest.

SCENARIO 6

Providing Constitutional / Statutory safeguards to Telangana region by guaranteeing redressal of the region’s major grievances and keeping the State united 1. This option would not satisfy the people of Telangana having regard to the entrenched emotional feelings they harbor for creation of a separate state. Their sentiments have reached a heightened level in the recent past, were well echoed in the 12 Assembly byeelections of August 2010 and as such have to be fully addressed. The likely agitational activities have been discussed in the section dealing with Scenario 1 but it can be safely said that the intensity of agitations in many parts of Telangana by students, non- gazetted officials, lawyers, unemployed youth and even the farmers will be very high. While the emotional aspect, that of being discriminated against by the Seemandhra people is likely to remain, the extent to which the emotional aspirations ( the fulfillment of the psychological need of selfgovernance) are taken care of by the constitutional / statutory guarantees will determine the extent of backlash by the pro- Telangana people, their demand for a separate State not having been met. It is also equally important that such guarantees are articulated clearly and effectively brought to the notice of the general public of Telangana by all possible means.

2. The guarantees/ economic package have to necessarily include the following, to at least meet some of the important demands of the Telangana people: ( i) Psychological assurance that the people of Telangana shall not be discriminated against as perceived by them in the past and would be appropriately empowered in the decision making process such as the representatives of Telangana being given key positions in the government. In order to achieve this, the earlier arrangements like the decisions made in the Gentlemen’s Agreement may have to be revisited and if need be suitably expanded and strengthened.

( ii) To ensure that the statutory guarantees/ safeguards provided are properly implemented, provision should be made for taking out an Annual Report Card of their implementation as a confidence building measure for the people of Telangana.

( iii) The above Annual Report Card may also include the implementation of other recommendations made by the Committee and accepted by the Government pertaining to different sectors such as education, employment and irrigation and water resources etc. The above actions are extremely important as confidence building measures since implementation on some of the mutually agreed decisions and even Government orders has been found to be tardy and slow in the past.

3. The impression that the Telangana people have been somewhat let down in view of the fact that though earlier an indication had been given that the process of creation of a new State would be initiated and now since this will not be done in case the State is to stay united, has to be dispelled in a suitable manner bringing out that it is in the best long term interest not only for the people of the State but also for the people of Telangana. It is to be effectively instilled in their minds that this option is the best possible solution under the circumstances, not only for the State but for Telangana as well. Towards this end all/ most of the stakeholders/ important leaders of the State and media have to be brought on the same page, primarily through an active interactive process.

4. Some opinions have been expressed that this situation can also be exploited by the Maoists on the plea that unless an armed / violent agitation is carried out by the people of Telangana, Government of India will not create Separate Telangana. This call by the Maoists may attract unemployed youth both in rural and urban areas to join the movement and hence needs to be watched.

5. CONCLUSION

5.1 In view of the background of the complex situation, it would be seen that under each of the scenarios listed above, there is a high possibility of immediate agitational backlash in different regions of the State. While a strategy for handling medium and long term internal security dimensions, as discussed in the foregoing paras, that may emerge can be developed as the final decision on the issue is taken by the government, the need of the hour will be to handle the immediate backlash. In this context, the fact that TRS, the most vocal and aggressive amongst the political parties, has held the ‘ Telangana Maha Garjana’ rally at Warangal on December 16, 2010, reportedly attended by nearly 5 lakh people and has also plans to launch a civil disobedience movement after December 31, 2010 while initiating the action under ‘ Maha Yudham’ ( a massive war ) if Centre does not announce a separate Telangana, has to be kept in mind. Now since Telangana Praja Front ( Gaddar) and TRS have come together the situation has become even more serious.

5.2 The most important requirement for addressing the law and order problems that may arise in our view will be i) political clarity in terms of the future course of action and ii) the need for effective governance. The following mechanism is suggested to control the law and order situations that may emerge soon after the report is submitted and becomes public. The mechanism essentially should cover three areas i. e. i) political management and sensitization of political parties ii) media management and iii) high level of preparedness by the State Government ( Administration, Police, Intelligence, etc.) with needed and adequate support from the Centre.

5.3 Going by the history of similar agitations earlier, the sensitivities involved and the emotional undercurrent running across the State, the aim of this exercise has to be to take all possible actions in advance so that the possible backlash and law and order situations are contained and controlled effectively with minimum damage to human life and public and private properly while at the same time ensuring that the normal systems continue to operate and function in the State in a peaceful manner.

5.4 Role of National Integration Council ( NIC) : It is also felt that besides the action( s) suggested above, there is simultaneously a need for the National Integration Council ( NIC) to play a pro- active role in the State with a view to foster a sense of harmony amongst different communities so that the divisive conflicts are taken care of disorder and violence is avoided and the important goals and objectives of socioeconomic growth are achieved irrespective of the fact whether the division of the State takes place or not. The Committee feels that as enshrined in the charter of the NIC it has to be suitably emphasized that the social and economic justice can only be achieved if all the natives regardless of their linguistic, religious ethnic or cultural affiliations work towards this objective in a peaceful and harmonious manner. The Committee therefore, suggests that in the instant case a suitable mechanism in this regard may be devised by the NIC in consultation with the Union and the State Governments for implementation in the State in addition to the other suggestions articulated in para 5.2 above. N. B. : may also kindly see the Supplementary Note ( 3 pages) attached.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE

a) Political Management: ( i) There is a need for ensuring unity among the leaders of the ruling party in the State. There is also a need for providing strong and firm political leadership and placement of representatives of Telangana in key positions ( may be CM / Dy.CM) ( Since done). This aspect was discussed with FM & HM in September 2010. Action also needs to be initiated for softening the TRS to extent possible, especially in the context of the fact that TRS has threatened to launch a civil disobedience movement after December 31 and also initiate a ‘ Maha Yuddam’ ( a Massive war) if Centre does not announce a Separate Telangana. Gaddar’s TPF ( Telangana Praja Front) who had parted company with TRS have again joined hands with TRS. Inputs indicate that this agitation can be tackled if Telangana Congress leaders do not give an impression indicating any covert/ over support to it. Hence the Telangana Congress MPs / MLAs need to be taken into confidence and asked not to lend any form of support to the agitation. The Congress High Command must sensitize its own MPS and MLAs and educate them about the wisdom for arriving at an acceptable and workable solution. With the ruling party and also the main opposition party ( the TDP run by Chandra Babu) must be brought on the same page, the support mechanisms have a higher probability of becoming successful. The TDP must be advised not to participate in any further meetings that would be called by the Centre.

This could be an effective stumbling block for any meaningful dialogue on resolving the Telangana demand. The Andhra Congress MPs belonging to Kamma caste must be encouraged to work in tandem with TDP leadership which is now caught in a bad shape.

( ii) Further, on receipt of the Committee’s Report by the Government, a general message should be conveyed amongst the people of the State that Centre will be open for detailed discussions on the recommendations / options of the Report with the concerned leaders / stakeholders either directly or through a Group of Ministers or through important interlocutors and that this process will start at the earliest. But every method must be adopted to avoid giving finality to any discussions to drag on the matter until the agitation is totally brought under control.

( c) Media Management: ( i) Andhra Pradesh has got about 13 Electronic Channels and 5 major local Newspapers which are in the forefront of molding the public opinion. Except for two Channels ( Raj News & HMTV), the rest of them are supporters of a united Andhra Pradesh. The equity holders of the channels except the above two and the entire Print Media are with the Seemandhra people. The main editors/ resident and subeditors, the Film world etc. are dominated by Seemandhra people. A coordinated action on their part has the potential of shaping the perception of the common man. However, the beat journalists in the respective regions are locals and are likely to capture only those events/ news which reflect the regional sentiments. This can be tackled by the owners of the media houses by systematically replacing the local journalists by those from Seemandhra wherever it is possible.

( ii) Hyderabad city which is expected to be the center of most of the agitations is generally covered by those journalists who are votaries of a separate Telangana. Hence a lot of media hype on the Osmania University Students agitation, self- immolations etc. may be created. Therefore, media management assumes critical importance to ensure that only the reality is projected and no unnecessary hype is created. In the immediate past, it is observed that the media coverage on the issue has shown a declining trend resulting in a lower intensity of the agitation. Each of the media houses are affiliated to different political parties. In the Print Media all major newspapers are owned by Seemandhra people and the Regional contents published by them play a vital role. Most of the editors except Andhra Jyothi are pro- united A. P. However, similar to the electronic channels, the print media have also got political affiliations. The editorial opinions, the banner headlines, the Regional content, the District editions need to be managed to be realistic and should give only due coverage to the separate Telangana agitations. The print media is hugely dependent on the Government for advertisement revenue and if carefully handled can be an effective tool to achieve this goal.

However, the RTI Act may prove to be an impediment for the Government to deny due share of ads to publications supporting the Telangana demand.

( iii) In concrete terms, it needs to be particularly ensured that media does not: ( a) Create a Psychosis of fear amongst the public ( b) Indulge in general and baseless speculations that can create unnecessary hype of any kind ( c) Arouse communal passions ( d) Show old and irrelevant clippings of violence / violent agitations etc.

For this purpose necessary prohibitory orders under appropriate provisions of law can be issued in advance.

( d) Full Preparedness ( i) As under each of the options there is a high possibility of agitational backlash, notwithstanding the actions taken in advance as suggested in ( a) and ( b) above, an appropriate plan of deployment grid of police force ( both Central and State) with full technical support needs to be immediately drawn up. Advance preparedness in this regard would go a long way in containing the law and order situation and minimize destruction of lives and property.

It would also be necessary to have a mechanism for monitoring the situation and collection of real time intelligence with a view to ensure taking up of effective advance action to preempt any break of violence in the potentially troubled spots. The likely troubled spots ( e. g. Osmania, Kakatia, Krishna Devraya Universities etc.) and the trouble creators in the three regions must be identified in advance and suitable action plan prepared. In my discussions with Chief Secretary and DGP, the kind of equipment and weaponry to be used were also discussed and it was agreed that weaponry used should be such as not to cause fatal injuries, while at the same time effective enough to bring the agitationists quickly under control.

In a nutshell it may be concluded that the first couple of months will be critical after the submission of the Report, as speculative stories will thrive and emotions of people incited.

Why United Andhra has no Student Fire

2011-07-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Telangana movement is driven by a solid student fervour. The United Andhra agitation has none. Sai Manish finds out why

Volatile situation Riot police charge a group of students rallying at Osmania University

JANA BAI, a tribal girl from Nizamabad district, is said to have set herself on fire during a TRS rally for the sake of Telangana, and suffered 80 percent burns in the process. Similarly, a 19-year-old from Mehdipatnam, Arige Saritha blamed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Chandrababu Naidu for obstructing the carving out of a separate state in her suicide note. There is no doubt that the real drivers of the Telangana movement are the students, especially of Osmania University.

The United Andhra Movement, on the other hand, has no comparable student fervour. At Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam, the response to the anti-Telangana stir is lukewarm. Last week, students rallied behind the United Andhra Joint Action Committee not for a political cause but out of concern for campus matters: to oppose the selling of 250 acres of Andhra University land to private developers and to ask the ex-vice chancellor to vacate the bungalow he was occupying even after ending his tenure.

Same time, same university. A group of 15 OBC students hailing from the coastal region were sloganeering outside the arts college, demanding a reimbursement of fee as the government had announced a waiver after they made a full payment. “We will join United Andhra agitation later. Right now I want my fees back,” Jagdish, a backward class student hailing from Narsipattinam, a village not far from Vizag, told TEHELKA. With the protests in Osmania University and across Telangana gaining unprecedented momentum, proponents of United Andhra are trying hard to create new voices of dissent — but invariably proving unsuccessful in thwarting the Telangana agitation.

Venkat Rathod got a job as a physics lecturer on condition he also supervised the cleaning of classrooms

If further proof was needed that Andhra’s students are shying away from politics, it was again available, same time, same place. A bus-load of teachers led by a retired Andhra University professor Jacob Sastry were shouting ‘Jai Andhra’ on top of their voices. Sastry is the founder of the Samaikya Andhra Forum that he founded with like-minded teachers in a bid to “fill the total absence of voices, except a couple of students, for a United Andhra”. That day, his cause did not attract even a couple of students.

All attempts at enforcing bandhs in support of Samaikya Andhra (United Andhra), in fact, have met with a tepid response across the Seemandhra and Coastal region. On 8 July, calls for bandhs in Ongole, near Guntur just saw a handful of students taking out processions. On the same day in Guntur, a bandh call by the Samaikya Andhra Parirakshana Samithi went unheeded, with schools and shops remaining open. This is the city which many term as “Andhra’s alternative to Hyderabad” in the event of a bifurcation.

The United Andhra movement, therefore, seems to have become a playground for vested political interests that are putting up intellectuals and gullible students as fronts in a bid to protect business interests in the Telangana region. It stands little chance against the more focussed and grassroots-oriented Telangana movement. “Everybody knows that politicians Lagadapati Rajagopal, Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and JC Diwakar Reddy are the ones instigating a counter to the TRS-led Telangana movement. Although we are opposed to a separate state, these movements are not for a larger cause and do not merit us spoiling our careers for it,” says Bhaskar Mudda, a PhD student in Andhra University.

Volatile situation Riot police charge a group of students rallying at Osmania University

Moreover, students from the Andhra region usually have illustrious careers. Most of the engineering seats in India’s prestigious institutes are bagged by students from this region, with the renowned BITS, Pilani, even earning the sobriquet ‘Little Andhra’ of Rajasthan. Students from the coastal and Seemandhara regions have also been bagging a lion’s share of IIT admissions year after year. In fact, 40 of the top 100 students in the IIT Joint Entrance Exam this year were from Andhra Pradesh, with the topper Immadi Prithvi Teja hailing from the West Godavari district.

“Even youngsters from humble backgrounds in the Andhra region are making it to top-grade institutes across the world,” says social scientist C Lakshmanan. “In the face of impending prosperity, it has become even harder to inflame passions or rally young blood for a political cause — however great it might be. A bifurcation would make no difference to them.”

In contrast, a student from Warangal (in the Telangana region) flings a stone or a Molotov cocktail to secure his future. Like 28-year-old Venkat Rathod of Hyderabad’s Osmania University, who could be seen pelting stones at policemen stationed at the university gates. Unlike most of his co-agitationists, who are primarily arts students, he has an MSc in physics. “I went for a job to the Chaitanya Junior College as a lecturer in physics,” says Rathod. “Once they learnt I was from Warangal, they told me I would get the job on condition that I also take care of supervising the cleaning of the classrooms. For 6,000 a month, I was working 12 hours a day. Then one day I could not take it any more, quit the job, signed up for a media course and joined the agitation.”

Similarly, Jayprakash Ankam, a journalism graduate from Osmania University, was shown the door when he went for a job to a media house owned by a wellknown media baron and politician. A triple gold medalist, Ankam says, “They told me they could not expect someone from Adilabad to do unbiased reporting for an audience that primarily constituted people from Andhra.” Feeling the odds were against him in the job market, he went back to university and enrolled for a PhD, where he gets a stipend. “All I can hope is that the new state is created and we will live without fear or favour in Telangana. I will do whatever it takes to achieve that,” he now says.

PRO TELANGANA students are not just raising an anguished cry against a flawed system, but a systemic bias against an entire community from a particular region. Violence, like burning vehicles, becomes a song of redemption. Many young people have died under mysterious circumstances, their bodies cremated or without any post-mortem, branded suicides by Telangana protagonists. Suicide notes have been recovered but their veracity never checked.

On the other hand, there is the indifference of students from the Andhra region, which stems from the comfort that history is on their side and that the benefits of the present will translate into a future that is yet inconceivable to their counterpart in Telangana. The Telangana student is distraught because the upper echelons in private companies take a jaundiced view of his credentials. Yet curiously, the Srikrishna Committee Report’s pitch for a United Andhra is based on the waning influence of public employment in the state.

The United Andhra movement is like an exhumed body being administered electric shocks in the hope of a miraculous resuscitation. While there are more pressing issues at hand for students of Andhra University to protest about, their counterparts at Osmania, spearheading the Telangana movement, have relegated everything else to the background for a separate state. But sadly, despite having started off the Telangana agitation in 1969, students now risk being used as gasoline in the fire when four decades down the line, they should have been the torchbearers.

Sai Manish

sai manish is a Correspondent with Tehelka.

sai.manish@tehelka.com

Samaikya Brand “Peaceful Agitation”

2011-07-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Seemandhra leaders and activists have time and again tried to brand Telangana people’s movement as violent. But, the fact remains that the Telangana movement is a peaceful people’s movement. On the contrary, it is Seemandhra leadership, which is indulging in mindless violence in the name of a united state.

Here are glimpses from the Samaikyandhra bandh call given by Telugu Desam Party in Kadapa district on 21st July. While calling for bandh in one district is by itself very absurd, the TDP activists went berserk on that day and have shown what a ‘peaceful’ Samaikyandhra movement looks like. They have attacked the RTC Bus Stand and damaged furniture there. They even attacked the regional office of the Medical and Health Office.

What is appalling is that the TDP cadre attacked several shops and business establishments. They did not spare even poor auto drivers and vegetable vendors.

Shame on these goons for putting their own people to trouble in the name of a united state.

Samaikya Brand Peaceful agitation: TDP goons attack a Petrol Bunk near Old Bustand, Kadapa

Instant Samaikya Justice: TDP goons hitting a hapless auto-driver for daring to take out the auto during bandh

Instant Samaikya Justice: TDP goons hitting an auto-driver for daring to take out the auto during bandh

Instant Samaikya Justice: TDP town leader Goverdhan Reddy hitting an auto-driver for daring to take out the auto during bandh

Heights of Samaikyavaadam: A vegetable vendor in Kadapa ‘punished’ for not adhering to the bandh call. TDP goons threw away the poor lady’s vegetables on the road.

We don’t spare anyone in Samaikyandhra: Students run helter skelter as TDP activists attack a college in Kadapa

Getting ‘High’ on Samaikyandhra: TDP cadre attack a Wine Shop on Trunk Road, Kadapa

http://missiontelangana.com/?p=1969

Seemandhra Terror

2011-07-26T22:30:00.001-07:00

Injured people – Nemmadi Venkanna and Aruna

If the Seemandhra leaders preach suicide attacks against Telanganaites, the people of that region have almost put it into practice. A dalit family from Telangana region, who were on a pilgrimage to a temple in Andhra were brutally attacked with rods. A pregnant woman, who was also among the victims, had suffered heavy injuries. This heinous incident happened at the Tirupathamma temple in Penuganchiprolu of Krishna district, just kilometers away from Telangana border. The victims had gone to the temple to perform some religious rites. A few Andhra hooligans who saw that the victims’ family vehicle had “Jai Telangana” written on it, instantly picked up a fight and started abusing them.

Injured being shifted to hospital in 108 ambulance

–

Reportedly, they had accused that the Telanganaites have shut down the region under the name of bandh and came to Andhra to make merry. Within no time, a large group of Andhra hooligans surrounded the victims’ family, started abusing them with anti Telangana remarks and attacked them with rods. The brutes did not even spare a pregnant woman among the family. They had pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach. The entire dalit family was injured with one person’s condition said to be serious.

The leaders and media of Seemandhra which saw “an attack on Dalits” in the Delhi’s AP bhavan issue had not even responded to this incident. Seemandhra politicians, who even sensed a human rights abuse in Harish Rao’s attacks, have deliberately chosen to be silent over the attacks on Telangana dalits. If this issue snowballs and common people of both regions start street fighting amongst themselves, who will own up the responsibility?

http://missiontelangana.com/

Telangana JAC to lay siege to NHs in T region

2011-07-20T01:07:00.001-07:00

With the struggle for Telangana entering a decisive stage, an emergency meeting of the steering committee of Telangana political JAC on Tuesday decided to intensify the movement by laying siege to all national highways that pass through the region in the first week of August.

Political JAC chairman M Kodandaram Reddy said that the steering committee had decided to intensify the movement further by carrying out various programmes to build pressure on the Centre for introduction of Telangana Bill during the monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on August 1.

The siege in Telangana region would affect traffic on NH-9 (from Zaheerabad- Hyderabad- Kodad-Vijayawada), NH-7 (from Adilabad- Hyderabad- Mahabubnagar-Kurnool), NH-16 (Nizamabad-Jagdalpur), NH-202 ( Hyderabad to Bhopalpatnam in Chhattisgarh) and Rajiv Rahadari (Hyderabad-Karimnagar). NH-7 is the longest national highway that starts in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and ends in Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), covering 2,369 km.

However, the meeting could not arrive at a consensus on the duration of the siege. Some of them wanted it to be for 78 hours, while others wanted it for 48 hours. "The duration of the siege will be announced later," JAC sources said.

The JAC chairman said before laying siege to national highways passing through the region, they had decided to carry out funeral processions of Telangana leaders who were yet to resign from their posts on July 22. Elected representatives who did not give in to the Telangana political JAC's pressure include deputy chief minister D Raja Narasimha, ministers M Mukesh Goud and Danam Nagendar, legislators Marri Shashidhar Reddy and T Jayaprakash Reddy.

On July 25, Telangana activists would remove the name Andhra Pradesh from all sign boards across the region and repaint\ replace it with the word Telangana, he said.

The meeting also decided to target the economic and business interests of Seemandhra leaders if they did not stop spreading canards in Delhi about the Telangana movement.

The TJAC chairman said a delegation of non-politicians (intellectuals, poets, social workers, artists and academicians) would visit Delhi in the first week of August and call on all important national leaders in UPA as well as NDA to tell them about the intensity of the movement and the necessity for a separate state.

Nearly 86 employee associations have already expressed their desire to participate in the proposed people's strike beginning August 1, to bring pressure on the Centre to concede Telangana state.

telangana mahatma biography

2011-06-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Kothapalli Jayashankar popularly known as Professor Jayashankar (Telugu: జయ శంకర్, (6 August 1934 – 21 June 2011) was an Indian academic and politician. He was the present ideologue of TRS party.^[1] He has been fighting for a separate state since 1952.^[2] He often stated that unequal distribution of river water was the root cause of separate Telangana movement.^[3] He was the former Vice Chancellor of Kakatiya University and an activist in the Separate Telangana Movement.^[4]

K. Jayashankar was born in Akkampet village, Atmakur mandal, Warangal district, Telangana. He belongs to dalit (Scheduled Castes) community. He did his schooling in Warangal and his M.A. in Economics at Banaras Hindu University, M.A. in Economics at Aligarh University and Ph.D. in Economics at Osmania University, and B.Ed. at Osmania University.

Career

K. Jayashankar as a young student of intermediate walked out of his class as a protest for state reorganization in 1952. Then, in 1962, he was part of a campaign which rocked the region. He joined the movement for a separate Telangana state in 1952, when he was a student leader. He had led several agitations since 1962, transforming it into a mass movement.

As a lecturer, in 1968, he participated in the revived the agitation. He carried out his struggle for Telangana through research and academic studies, and by educating people on the cause. He is known as the original Telangana ideologue

Telangana movement

He was associated with the Telangana movement efforts to obtain statehood for Telangana since 1952, stating with Non-Mulki go back andIdli Sambar go back movement. He opposed Vishalandhra in 1954. Professor Jayashankar started Naxals Karmagara Samithi. In 1969 Jayashankar formed a team with ten members to fight for Telangana from that team Jayashankar was only survivor others died in police firing he started Telangana Janasabha. It is banned by the Indian government. He authored a large number of articles and research papers, in English and Telugu, on various aspects of Telangana Problem.

He was instrumental in forming the Telangana Development Forum (TDF) in U.S.A. in the year 1999. He was invited by the American Telugu Association (ATA) U.S.A., to speak about the Problems of Regional Disparities in Andhra Pradesh during their biennial conferences held in July 2000 and July 2002. He was invited by the Telangana Development Forum (TDF) U.S.A. to give a series of lectures on various facets of the Telangana Movement in ten major cities of the United States during July/August 2000.

He is currently is the Chairman of Centre for Telangana Studies which is engaged in research and publication relating to problems of Telangana. He is the founder member of Telangana Aikya Vedika and, at present, is on its Executive Committee.

It was Jayashankar who offered lime juice to the TRS president when the latter broke his famous fast for Telangana in December, 2009.

During his student life, he defied his teachers order to sing the song praising nizam, instead he sang "vande mataram" song and he was suspended from the class.

Teaching career

Professor Jayashankar was Registrar of the then Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) before being appointed Vice-chancellor of Kakatiya University in 1991.^[5]^[6]

(i) Taught Economics and supervised research at Doctoral Level.
(ii) Made in-depth studies on the problems emanating from regional disparities in the levels of development with special reference to A.P.
(iii)Has to his credit a large number of papers published in the areas of Economic Development and Educational Economics.
b) Administration:

Death

He died on 21 June 2011 11.15 AM after battling throat cancer. He did not marry and remained a bachelor all his life. He sacrificed his life in pursuit of a separate Telangana State. He did not marry for the cause of Telangana State. He adopted a boy from the forward community.

ooru telangana [rajigo rajanna]

2011-03-23T02:59:00.000-07:00

Farewell..!farewell.. to Andhra Pradesh

2011-02-04T06:01:00.001-08:00

Farewell..!farewell..!

   Farewell farewell my andhra pradesh
   the ''telangana'' is on move
   and if i stuck to you for long
   a brainless i shall prove!

   Farewell farewell my andhra brother
   the ''democracy'' is on demand

and if i stayed with you any more

   a ''hopeless'' i shall become!

   Farewell farewell my selfish people
   the ''society'' is on road
   and if i lived with you in corners
   a ''shameless'' i shall be forever!

   As indians we all are one
   but as states we must seperate
   this may hit as hard rock truth

but confession is needed now !

Bye bye old decades

welcome new telangana state

it may find you dumb struck further

but conclusion cant be collapsed now !

Written by

Srikanth Pusala

Business content writer

B.A.(Journalism)

srikanthpusala1@gmail.com

Telangana Vidyarthi Chaitanya yatra

2011-01-29T20:58:00.001-08:00

Telangana Vidyarthi Chaitanya yarta, the students will go on a bus yatra that will start from Jan 30 2011 and will continue till Feb 08 2011 to educate the Telanganites about the Telangana non co-operation movement which will be launched very soon.

The bus yatra will cover all the Telangana districts and will all strenghten the Telangana movement from the grass root levels, bus yatra will also educate the Telanaganites about how the TDP and congress leaders of Telangana are betraying the Telanganites.

The TRSV leader, Suman talking to the media requested all the students to join the bus yatra and educate the Telanganites about the movement and strengthen the movement.