Political Doldrums-The naked reality of AP bifurcation.
The other day a friend of mine asked me this: To which region do you belong-Andhra Pradesh or Telangana? For her, it was only a question, but for me and those 84 million people of this fourth largest state by area and fifth largest state by population, it is an emotional issue. I gave her the answer she wanted, but I was searching for many, myself.
The state of chaos and confusion that is omnipresent in the state, be it in Seemandhra or Telangana, has caught the national interest. With protest rallies, bandhs, rasta-rokos, burning effigies, taking out funeral processions, hunger strikes, competitive sloganeering and protest marches taking the centre stage and a temporary logjam in the developmental activities, the state as a whole has come to a standstill with simmering tensions and frictions being fuelled by the provocative speeches by various state and non-state actors. No immediate relief seems to be in the sight, atleast in the near future. Thanks to the ruling class at the Centre, today we fellow co-habitants of the same geographical entity no longer feel the common thread of brotherhood which existed, "once upon a time".
While the demands of both the regions are just and legitimate, resorting to mutual slandering is no commune bonum and those protesting should realize that there is no panacea for this problem as their demands simply overlap. So, what do we do? Should we stop protesting while the other region goes away with a large chunk of cake? No, certainly not. I am no averse to that classic democracy one-liner: In a democracy, everyone has a right to protest.
While, achieving the end, i.e., securing or opposing bifurcation, is justified as an end in itself while the means being illogical-the shoddy way in which this "emotional and sentimental issue" has been handled is highly deplorable. The arson visible on the streets, the complete blackout of Seemandhra region, lynch mob fighting the riot police and vandalizing public as well as private property indicates anarchy is the rule of the street. Schools and Colleges are being shut down in the name of protests with non-state actors dragging children on to the streets, putting their future in serious trouble only for gaining political mileage. Children, who are too premature to understand the politics of this contentious issue, as quoted almost everyday in the regional dailies, are being increasingly involved in these protests.
I was shocked upon being asked by a small kid as to which region did I belong to? This instance is enough to indicate the deep divide that has been ingrained in such young and curious minds of tomorrow, be it of any region. There was a reason why Constitution restricted Universal franchisee to be exercised after a certain age of attainment of maturity (18 years in India). And as far as the question of "whether the framers of the Constitution were right or wrong in their decision?" arises - I leave it to the fine sense of judgement of those who are now leading this mass protest against bifurcation.
The next crucial issue is the political mudslinging which, instead of pacifying the protests, are rather fuelling it. One fine morning you get up from your bed, still groggy, and reach out to the newspaper and find out that a so called "champion leader" issues diktat to the Government employees of the "still one & the same State" and of Seemandhra descent to leave the State capital post bifurcation or face dire consequences. His mindless remarks don't stop there- he surprisingly announces that those domiciled in the region for more than 7 years or so would be considered to be the "citizens of the new state" and would not be harmed. Aren't all the people, irrespective of the state to which they belong, citizens of India first? The Part III of the Constitution of India Article 19-22 guarentees "Right to Freedom" which reads that "a citizen of India shall b entitled to freedom of speech and expression........, freedom to reside and settle in any part of the country of India and the freedom to practice any profession." Well, his ignorance about this supreme law of ours is bolstered by his conspicuous continuous absence from the Parliament. Don't Parliamentarians have attendance shortage stuff, of which we felt so terrorized during our college days. Another "learned, non-political protagonist" of the movement from the part of the world, who is said to have been instrumental in rejuvenating the movement was quoted as saying "The dream of Seemandhra people is like those of a beggar wanting to have a dinner at Taj hotel."The justification behind making such an incendiary remark, well, I leave it to his conscious.
Even social media platforms are replete with jokes being circulated about the political leaders, outrageous comments and incendiary posts that reflect the anger in the hearts of people. A PJ goes like this - "The crucial issue before Sonia Gandhi before taking a decision on Telangana- After the state is divided, would the roaming charges for mobiles be applicable?" Innocent, but absolutely thought provoking.
With the recent decision of Union Government constituting a GOM on Bifurcation, it has set the wheels rolling for a process from which there can be no backtracking. And while it treads the path to chalk out the 29th State of the Union of India, I wish they employ their political astuteness and legislative shrewdness to ensure that the concerns of both the states are equally addressed and doesn't end up to be a mere eye-washing exercise. While this happens, political leaders from both the regions should do some soul-searching for their actions and their impact on the lives of the people who have to bear the brunt, both pre- and post bifurcation.
May god bless us, and the people of Andhra Pradesh.
The state of chaos and confusion that is omnipresent in the state, be it in Seemandhra or Telangana, has caught the national interest. With protest rallies, bandhs, rasta-rokos, burning effigies, taking out funeral processions, hunger strikes, competitive sloganeering and protest marches taking the centre stage and a temporary logjam in the developmental activities, the state as a whole has come to a standstill with simmering tensions and frictions being fuelled by the provocative speeches by various state and non-state actors. No immediate relief seems to be in the sight, atleast in the near future. Thanks to the ruling class at the Centre, today we fellow co-habitants of the same geographical entity no longer feel the common thread of brotherhood which existed, "once upon a time".
While the demands of both the regions are just and legitimate, resorting to mutual slandering is no commune bonum and those protesting should realize that there is no panacea for this problem as their demands simply overlap. So, what do we do? Should we stop protesting while the other region goes away with a large chunk of cake? No, certainly not. I am no averse to that classic democracy one-liner: In a democracy, everyone has a right to protest.
While, achieving the end, i.e., securing or opposing bifurcation, is justified as an end in itself while the means being illogical-the shoddy way in which this "emotional and sentimental issue" has been handled is highly deplorable. The arson visible on the streets, the complete blackout of Seemandhra region, lynch mob fighting the riot police and vandalizing public as well as private property indicates anarchy is the rule of the street. Schools and Colleges are being shut down in the name of protests with non-state actors dragging children on to the streets, putting their future in serious trouble only for gaining political mileage. Children, who are too premature to understand the politics of this contentious issue, as quoted almost everyday in the regional dailies, are being increasingly involved in these protests.
I was shocked upon being asked by a small kid as to which region did I belong to? This instance is enough to indicate the deep divide that has been ingrained in such young and curious minds of tomorrow, be it of any region. There was a reason why Constitution restricted Universal franchisee to be exercised after a certain age of attainment of maturity (18 years in India). And as far as the question of "whether the framers of the Constitution were right or wrong in their decision?" arises - I leave it to the fine sense of judgement of those who are now leading this mass protest against bifurcation.
The next crucial issue is the political mudslinging which, instead of pacifying the protests, are rather fuelling it. One fine morning you get up from your bed, still groggy, and reach out to the newspaper and find out that a so called "champion leader" issues diktat to the Government employees of the "still one & the same State" and of Seemandhra descent to leave the State capital post bifurcation or face dire consequences. His mindless remarks don't stop there- he surprisingly announces that those domiciled in the region for more than 7 years or so would be considered to be the "citizens of the new state" and would not be harmed. Aren't all the people, irrespective of the state to which they belong, citizens of India first? The Part III of the Constitution of India Article 19-22 guarentees "Right to Freedom" which reads that "a citizen of India shall b entitled to freedom of speech and expression........, freedom to reside and settle in any part of the country of India and the freedom to practice any profession." Well, his ignorance about this supreme law of ours is bolstered by his conspicuous continuous absence from the Parliament. Don't Parliamentarians have attendance shortage stuff, of which we felt so terrorized during our college days. Another "learned, non-political protagonist" of the movement from the part of the world, who is said to have been instrumental in rejuvenating the movement was quoted as saying "The dream of Seemandhra people is like those of a beggar wanting to have a dinner at Taj hotel."The justification behind making such an incendiary remark, well, I leave it to his conscious.
Even social media platforms are replete with jokes being circulated about the political leaders, outrageous comments and incendiary posts that reflect the anger in the hearts of people. A PJ goes like this - "The crucial issue before Sonia Gandhi before taking a decision on Telangana- After the state is divided, would the roaming charges for mobiles be applicable?" Innocent, but absolutely thought provoking.
With the recent decision of Union Government constituting a GOM on Bifurcation, it has set the wheels rolling for a process from which there can be no backtracking. And while it treads the path to chalk out the 29th State of the Union of India, I wish they employ their political astuteness and legislative shrewdness to ensure that the concerns of both the states are equally addressed and doesn't end up to be a mere eye-washing exercise. While this happens, political leaders from both the regions should do some soul-searching for their actions and their impact on the lives of the people who have to bear the brunt, both pre- and post bifurcation.
May god bless us, and the people of Andhra Pradesh.
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