I feel compelled to write this piece because yet again the Telangana issue has flared up and has started bringing with it the usual inconvenience. I have stated that it is not really important to me whether a separate Telangana State is granted or not. I once had strong ideas about it, I have articulated them and it makes no sense to go on and on about them. I am from Telangana and can live here comfortably though I would like to see Andhra Pradesh left as it is so the fissiparous or parochial tendencies don't start taking serious shape in this country. But one thing that is really difficult to fathom is the concept of bandhs. I cannot believe that these are expressions of peaceful dissent because people are forced to take part in bandhs and there is nothing peaceful about them. Just look at the fact that no bandh is ever successful in the old city of Hyderabad and that shows how voluntary bandhs are. However what is really sad in all this is that a State Capital is paralyzed for 48 hours, daily wage earners lose opportunity to earn their livelihood and one day before and one day after the bandh queues of people fight for fuel. It was pathetic to see people disembarking from trains and buses and getting stranded in railway stations and bus stations because they could not find transport or found transport that demanded the sky in return for taking them to their homes.
Equally important is the fact that patients who need emergency medicare suffer because no transport is available to take them to hospitals and this time I have personally come to know of at least two people who had to go through tension because they were not sure if they will find transport to take them to hospitals. Forget critical care, patients suffering from high fevers of various varieties have had no access to doctors since many doctors have themselves not reported to their clinics fearing a backlash. To make things worse doctors belonging to the Telangana region struck work and that is really sad. Satyagraha is the righteous anger but the expression of that is not inconveniencing others.
What is interesting this time is that there has been no immediate and spontaneous reaction from politicians of the Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions even though so many legislators from Telangana resigned. But students in those regions have decided to remind their political leaders the responsibility to posture immediately so that momentum does not build for a separate Telangana State. And what do these "students" do? Indulge in stopping of trains. My question is why are people who have nothing to do with any of these issues made to suffer? By stopping the Navjeevan Express what were the students of the Coastal Andhra region hoping to achieve. To me there is no difference between hijackers who take over a plane and threaten the lives of people if their demands are not met and those who call for bandhs and indulge in rail roko or rasta roko. These are not means by which the government is inconvenienced. I hope that people realize that there is nothing peaceful or righteous about inconveniencing lives of fellow human beings.
truely , i agree with your view sir.ever since the movement took its turn , there has been immense tension within people on what happens next and the very livelihood of the poor is the most suffering ! software people are busy with their chores , students are confusing whether to participate in bandhs due to influence from fellow so-called telanganites and loosing their valuable time, yrs of study, and exams ,i wonder what happens to their career and wishes of their parents which has gone to sky! protests are heating up lives for the past 2 yrs , the very issue of seperate state is irritating many because of bandhs and even staying in usa, i hear the problems leading to loss of time! hope their is a relief from this situation ,whether granted seperate state or not atleast we can live life in peace and let live.
ReplyDeleteArchies, Voltaire once said it is better to be ruled by one lion than by a thousand rats. He said this in the context of his dislike for democracy. In our country our politicians seem to want to prove Voltaire right.
ReplyDelete