Telangana – Unity in Diversity!

Telangana – Unity in Diversity!

The Telangana region has a rich historical legacy as great warrior dynasties like the Satvahanas and Kakatiya’s have inhabited this land. The Telangana region, which was one of the core regions of the Qutub Shahi and then the Asafjahi dynasties, always had a distinct identity from the Rayalseema and Andhra coastal areas. British never ruled Telangana directly as the Asafjahi Hyderabad state was in subsidiary alliance with them.

Lest we forget the oft-repeated cliché of ‘Unity in Diversity’, India is in serious danger of being Balkanized as predicted by many Anti India voices. Telangana issue has been festering far too long and the government’s predicament is of its own making. Far too often, the T card was played during elections and was consigned to the dustbin faster than you could say Telangana! As we all know, Andhra Pradesh was created on the basis of linguistic ethnicity (Telugu language was the common thread) after the first State Reorganization Commission headed by Fazl Ali (SRC) set up in 1953 recommended formation of new states on linguistic grounds. The SRC opposed the merger of Telangana with the Andhra regions.

Quoted from the SRC report “The concerns of Telanganas were manifold . The region had a less developed economy than Andhra, but with a larger revenue base (mostly because it taxed rather than prohibited alcoholic beverages), which Telanganas feared might be diverted for use in Andhra. They also feared that planned dam projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers would not benefit Telangana proportionately even though Telanganas controlled the headwaters of the rivers. Telanganas feared too that the people of Andhra would have the advantage in jobs, particularly in government and education. Para 386 of States Reorganization Commission Report (SRC) said "After taking all these factors into consideration we have come to the conclusions that it will be in the interests of Andhra as well as Telangana area is to constitute into a separate State, which may be known as the Hyderabad State with provision for its unification with Andhra after the general elections likely to be held in or about 1961 if by a two thirds majority the legislature of the residency Hyderabad State expresses itself in favor of such unification."

This was precisely the reason that the Telangana region opposed their inclusion in united Andhra because the only common thread was the Telugu language. Telangana was never given its due as promised in the Gentleman agreement signed in 1956 between the Andhra and Telangana representatives where it was promised power-sharing, preference in government jobs, equal sharing in the resources etc. The T activists’ threatened Direct action if their demand for Telangana were not met leading to widespread violence in 1969. However, as it happens in politics of power, the vested interests are co-opted in the structure of power and the same happened in the case of Telangana movement, which started back in 1959. All the protagonists of the movement were co-opted like M Chenna Reddy who was made the CM of Andhra and he was quick to betray the T cause though he rode to power playing the same card. The intervening period witnessed a war of attrition with various political parties promising Telangana and BJP in the 90’s promised the same if they came to power. Hopes soared in 2000, when BJP fulfilled its promise by creating Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, and Chattisgarh but could not deliver Telangana because of the reluctance of the coalition partner TDP. It was a case of so near yet so far for Telangana! The BJP was ousted in 2004 and is in exile ever since and rightly so! Congress refused to fulfill the Telangana promise.

All seemed lost for Telangana as every political party supported it when needed during elections and opposed it the moment elections were over. It was a case of talking and doing nothing to initiate the process of creating Telangana state. TRS, which claims to be the sole voice of the Telangana people, lost the elections in May 2009 as people voted overwhelmingly in favour of YSR led congress.

Why did the UPA government capitulate to the fast unto death tactics of K Chandrasekhar Rao? It is not so naïve to bow down to such tactics. How did this turnaround happen? The answer seems to lie in the premature death of YSR in a chopper crash in Sep 2009 as it opened the door ajar for Telangana as he was staunchly opposed to its formation. May the State of Telangana come into existence as promised to them for the last 40 years. It is high time this issue is resolved by the government of the day as fulfilling subdued regional aspirations is oxygen to the democratic roots of our country. Let us not bicker internally as far graver challenges pose a threat to the unity and integrity of our nation!

Jai Hind.

O! Mamallapuram

The Carnival at Mamallapuram

I take great pleasure in sharing the fun and excitement we had at the recently concluded “Champions of South” meet at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram). This meet was conducted to reward the best performers in the four circles of South Hub. Ravi Mathur being the leader of the hub deserves all the accolades for arranging such a wonderful event

The day began with all the Champions arriving at the sprawling sandy beach resort on the coast of the Bay of Bengal at Mahabalipuram. The weather was the best it could have been in this part of the world, slightly warm and muggy. I, Sundeep, and Yashpal too joined the fun, ofcourse at Ravi’s expense! All of us were geared up to make the most the two days we had at this beautiful place.

Personally for me, it was a dream come true as the magnificent sea water gushed towards us with froth and fury to engulf us and subsided by a mere touch of my feet as if the fizz was gone. I was humbled by the hugeness of the sea!

The breakfast spread was simple yet filling with Idlis, Appams, Vadai, Poha, and fried eggs to boot. I gobbled up a couple of Idli’s and a cup of hot filter coffee, you could nt be to the south of Vindhya’s and not have it! Ravi was at his best as the leader of the show and had lined up the items on the agenda quite meticulously. After a sumptuous breakfast, Sundeep & Ravi, presented trophies and certificates to the “Champions of the South” amidst applause and cheers. India may no longer be the T20 champion now, but it sure has a good supply of talent witnessed during the cricket match played on the beach.

Cracking the ball in this wind was next to impossible but some of the shots played by yours truly broke the wind shield and soared high and high towards the sky. Ravi was the umpire and was wearing the devil’s jacket and emerged man of the match for his umpiring skills!

The incredible “Five Rathas”, the epitome of the Pallava monolithic architecture in historical times, was next on the stop. An english speaking guide gave a download about the architecture and it was incredible to see such poor people work with great passion. I am sure all of us felt a bit for the old man who made 20 rupees per session in this heat and humidity. We went on a photo session spree as we posed in all possible positions with the great monument to capture our moments with history for posterity.

Next on the pit stop was the great Shore temple, another remnant of the great and rich Pallava architecture. It was on the shore and noise of the tides hitting the shore and a thunderous evening cloud presented a spectacle as beautiful as the rainbow! Gerard was speechless and so was I at the splendid beauty of the temple. The sun was behind the clouds, but we knew that the wonderful day was coming to an end, but the immensely popular night beach party was on everybody’s lips. All of us were exhausted by now and on returning back to our shack hit the pool and played water polo in pitch dark. It was a great relaxing exercise just the tonic everyone needed for the wonderful night beach party. Beneath the starry night sky, the entire group sat munching & humming their way to glory with sporting attempts to sing ofcourse after downing two pegs of whiskey. However, the renditions were joyful and though not worthy of remembrance, but certainly deserved an applause for the spirit of participation. People tried all types of concoctions with their drinks till midnight with the sea shore as the sole witness to the revelry. Dinner was served at the stroke of midnight but most of us had tids bits the whole evening and preferred having curd rice. We all dispersed to our rooms to catch some sleep after a long tiring but joyous day and charge ourselves for the next morning as Captain Razi Hashmy, an Ex - IAF pilot, was to arrive with a promise to make all of us diamond merchants in two hours!!

For a moment we thought we have become the diamond merchants but we were obviously fooled into thinking so by the vibrant and dynamic Captain Hashmy, whose energetic classroom session left us high on motivation and food for thought. We confronted several moments of truth while playing the diamond game and wondered why we need such sessions to pep ourselves in work and life. There could be no one else but your own self which makes you a winner in life not taking away anything what such sessions teach us. I am sure it was an eye-opener for all of us or shall we say game changer in the way we work as a company, team, and individuals. At the end of day, we are all responsible for our success and probably this was the greatest learning I took away at the end of these two memorable days. I could not have imagined that such events could have taught us so many invaluable lessons such as team work, performance, leadership, and strong work ethics. As we stood pondering and absorbing the excitement of the last two days, it was time for all of us to bid good bye to each other and ofcourse to Mahabalipuram. We headed straight to the Airport and boarded the flight which will take us back to Delhi and as I sat buckled to the seat, I said thank you Mahabalipuram for the joy you gave me!!

Friends forever across the Smog Screen!

My hands were barely visible on that fateful December evening. It was a typical Delhi winter evening with a thick envelope of smog with acrid smell of low hanging pollutants threatening to enter my nostrils. We were speeding towards Gurgaon and all of a sudden, we were fogged to our utter shock and fear. The comfortable warm environ of our car gave way to moments of anxiety and fear. I muttered, Meeta, “Shall we go back; I can barely see the steering wheels. How in the world are we going to make it ever to Gurgaon in this dense and opaque cloud of smog?” Not to be deterred one bit, Meeta retorted, “Gurgaon it is that we are heading come what. I am not heading back to home on a 31^st night to watch Doordarshan and its cheap programs featuring grotesque comedians and forgotten artists”. I relented as I quickly realized it is futile even thinking to hit the road back to Delhi. My experience of driving in these conditions gave a glimmer of hope that we might make it if we are not lost in the sea of smog. With prayers on lips and caution as my motto, and a trailer’s tail light we moved along. After few nervous and silent moments, the sleek sedan jumped on its haunches. Meeta blurted, “Prad, there was something on the road and you drove on that.” My heart was in my mouth and I felt like a criminal who has just finished off one of his prey’s. The car came to a screeching halt and those few seconds were the longest of my lives. I visualized being handcuffed, shoved and pushed around by the cops like an ordinary thug!

Should we get down and check for signs of life in that motionless object? Was that a man or a dog? Those seconds of indecisiveness seemed like hours. I mustered strength to get down and check the lump, which was lying motionless. I was alive again, it was a bundle of clothe probably dropped by an oblivious two-wheeler driver who would have been too focused on crossing the sea of smog. We managed to reach Swapnil and Avantika’s place at the stroke of midnight! It was an indeed a new year to us. It was an achievement and I boasted the same to Meeta who shrugged it off by the wave of her beautifully manicured fingers. This was to be my first rendezvous with a beautiful young couple on New Year’s Eve! All the smoldering tensions/anxieties of the highway withered away the moment we were ushered into their cushy pad in a plush locality. We nibbled on some tid bits and a home fixed Blood Mary forever etched in my memory as one lump of thick red viscous something, which Meeta gulped down with great difficulty. Soon the Bloody Mary was beginning to have bloody effect as our spirits soared high…We had made a modest beginning soon to blossom into a close knit bond of friendship. However, the proverbial twist was round the corner as our friends from Gurgaon were to embark a long and arduous journey across the seven seas to seek a better life for themselves. It was a short and delirious period of bonhomie and joy de vivre. As is it said, short and simple is always sweet. Before, the relation could metamorphose into a lasting bond or witness its full bloom, the cruel hands of fate intervened.

As I sit sipping piping hot tea on another December evening, I reminisce about our fateful rendezvous couple of years back. It brings a whiff of nostalgia and a smile to my face and a thought what could have been. A journey pregnant with such promise yet unfulfilled….Oh! our friends across the smog screen!!!!!

The Long Winter Nights

Oh Jesus! it is that time of the year, when the chill in the air sends a chill down the spine and you shiver your way to work....For most of us the word "long winter nights" signifies darkness, despair and sadness. Our country is also facing long winter nights with dawn far far away. All the mass communication screaming down our throats proclaiming India's progress towards greatness are blissfully oblivion to the litter and garbage and general shabbiness that dots our urban and rural landscape. WHY IS MY COUNTRY IS SO UNHYGIENIC? Why do we so easily overlook the all pervading dirt, strewn poly bags, human urine, defecation, and generous droppings of bovines strolling our roads, alleys, and all public places....What a shame? How can we call ourselves as an emerging country if we cant even project a neat and clean landscape? Why is it that we are so indifferent? Why have our scientists/engineers/economists failed to provide any solution to this malaise? It is said that, if the food looks good, it tastes well! Similarly, if the towns and cities are clean, the country will look good!

We need a revolution to break the mindset of our civil society who spit sputum on the roads and paint all buildings with their red paan spit. All of us are far too familiar with the restrooms and washrooms at public places for me to waste time in describing the horrible unhygienic conditions.

Can we please stop talking big about acquiring permanent membership at the security council, 9 % GDP growth, and Hosting Olympics and other such preposterous and grandiose statements. Does Dr. Amartya Sen or that recent Noble winner from India have an answer to this horrible state of being? Will Dr Manmohan Singh, an able prime minister, show us the way?

Till we have an answer to this terrible state, the long winter night will continue for India and no power in the world will respect us for our tremendous achievements in various fields.....

Ahoy India & Pakistan – Dossier Diplomacy

In light of recent skirmishes with Pakistan over the 26/11 massacre, the word dossier has assumed epic proportions. Till Mumbai happened, the humble word Dossier had been buried deep in the annals of vocabulary and is now making a spectacular comeback. According to thefreedictionary.com, the word Dossier means “a collection of papers containing detailed information about a particular person or subject”. It has become a new pseudonym for pusillanimity err..Diplomacy. We common citizens have been subjected to a barrage of dossier exchange between the two estranged countries. It is the latest entrant in the dictionary of diplomacy, another first to the credit of our Foreign Service babus, who have mastered the art of diplomacy as evidenced by the magnificent success of the recent Joint Statement, another word much in vogue.

The constant carp regarding Pakistan makes for a nauseating saga on how not to manage foreign relations. Pakistan, never to be left behind in bluster and false bravado of the cheapest kind, has hit back with their own version of dossiers which pales into insignificance the one’s created by our erring babus. These dossiers come straight from the stable of the lunatic medieval ruler of India, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, who was an embarrassment to the Tughlaq rulers. His policies were like these dossiers. Dossiers were never supposed to occupy such prominent place in the small matter of governance but they have arrived and will be a tool for future warfare. Today, it is the two South Asian friends; tomorrow it will be our Arab and Palestinian friends, then the Chinese and Taiwanese. Imagine, US sending dossiers to Osama Bin Laden with evidence of his involvement in 9/11, and getting a dossier in response denying the charges. Obama will invite Osama over a can of beer to sort out their difference on the dossier! We might as well do away with Diplomats, as dossiers can easily replace them. No need for recruiting such talented people for such an easy task. All you need to do is to send dossiers to countries through couriers/fax etc. Soon, as it happens in India, institutes will offer a diploma in dossier management. Going by the current trend, it promises to be an extremely rewarding profession in the near future as our relations with all our neighbouring countries are in complete disarray and imagine the need for people who are trained in conceptualizing dossiers, writing them and responding to the queries by the recipients. Soon we will have a national competition on Dossier making similar to the immensely popular spelling competition in US, Spelling Bee, where contestants, usually children, are asked to spell English words.

How long this dossier soap continues is anybody’s guess. Sample the extent to which the dossier diplomacy has trivialized what happened in Mumbai. The other day, our eminently affable minister, surrounded by the omnipresent media was at his eloquent best when faced with questions on yes again the recent dossier (apparently the nth one sent by India). The reporter, “Sir, what is the response of Pakistan to the dossier sent recently?” The minister quipped, “We are waiting for the Pakistani dossier for the response.” The second question, “Sir, has Pakistan assured of any action on the perpetrators of the 26/11 attack?” The minister, rather grim faced, replied, “Pakistan has assured to answer the same in their dossier which is expected any day.”

The long held Indian tradition of debates, arguments/discussion so passionately deliberated by the Nobel Laureate, Dr. Amartya Sen, in his well known book “The Argumentative Indian” could be the fore bearer of the Dossier Diplomacy. Dr Sen argues that there has been a long tradition of debate and discussions beginning from the earliest civilization in the subcontinent. This healthy practice created a conducive environment for democracy to take roots in our nascent nation and ofcourse the British Raj played a significant role in the development of democratic conventions.

For most of the Indians, the word dossier reminds us of the terrible Mumbai massacre and of course the equally terrible response of the government. To be fair to the government, they can’t go to war with Pakistan on each and every pesky issue that plagues the two countries. Dossier Diplomacy could show the way in the absence of the choice to go to war. We might have versions of Dossiers like missiles...Dossier – I, Dossier –II etc. May be the best practices can be replicated between the center and the state governments. Now on the state governments will send a dossier asking for central assistance to tackle drought, Maoists, and other such issues.

Why has the word dossier assumed such frivolity? To us it signifies weakness in the face of adversity. It typifies vacillations of our governments when a decisive response is needed. Answer to this paradox is not going to war but with all and sundry but to resolve problems left behind by history. All issues which could have been solved 20 years ago with tact and acumen have festered far too long and the nation is paying a heavy price with no ends to our problems in sight. The government has failed to address the basic needs of its citizens and no wonder they have resorted to arms to be heard. It is so easy to brand someone a terrorist these days. There have been genuine cases of people resorting to terrorism when they have been denied justice or have been wronged. Pakistan has taken advantage of our internal problems to meddle in our affairs with impunity and thinks that it can get away every time. Why cant the government solve all outstanding issues with Pakistan and all other neighbours is a question in the mind off all Indians. Why relations with all neighbours including Pakistan have deteriorated over the last twenty years? The government is empowered by the people of India to deal with all their problems and it is their bounden duty to answer these questions.

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