Post Independence, the state of Andhra Pradesh was created by merging the Telangana region, a part of the princely state of Hyderabad, with the coastal region of Andhra and Rayalaseema—both parts of the erstwhile Madras state. With Madras, the major source of income of the state, allocated to Tamil Nadu, it was necessary to include the revenue-surplus Telangana to create a financially viable entity.
However, there had always been doubts about the long-term feasibility of such an arrangement. Jawaharlal Nehru had even considered the provision of a ‘divorce’ if the ‘marriage’ between the three regions did not turn out to be mutually beneficial.
Despite several agreements, laws and government orders safeguarding the interests of the people of Telangana, modern history records a sordid tale of exploitation, agitation, assurances and broken promises. The author shows how the Srikrishna Commission that was formed to look into the matter and impartially recommend a way forward ‘subverted’ the process and came forward with a predetermined solution.
Today, despite violent agitation, the surplus revenue of the region continues to be disproportionately diverted to Coastal Andhra, while land around Hyderabad is quite often illegally allocated to land sharks from other regions.
The author has painstakingly dissected the Telangana problem from its inception to the where a separate state seems to be inevitable. He has identified the political reasons for the behaviour of the national leaders in making promises and later reneging on them, and shows how this betrayal has affected the people of the region.
Gautam Pingle was formerly Dean of Research and Consultancy, Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad.
List of Tables and Map Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations
Introduction
State on the Edge Telangana and the Republic Hyderabad: Then and Now The Linguistic States: Nehru and States’ Reorganisation The Electoral Situation in the Two States Caste Politics and the Merger The Telangana Tragedy Caste War, Naxalism and the Telangana Vote Bank The Ongoing Movement and the Promises Made The Rayalaseema Region Tribal Land Rights and Demand for a Separate State The One Man Girglani Commission Muslims and Telangana: A Roundabout Journey Irrigation in Telangana: The Rise and Fall of Tanks A Summary Submission to the Srikrishna Commission The Findings of the Srikrishna Commission The Srikrishna Commission: The Truth about Its Secret Chapter The Srikrishna Commision Report: The Judgment Polling the Impossible Telangana’s Cousins: In India and Abroad Trifurcation and a New Governance Model
Postscript: The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill, 2013 References Index