Monday

Separation of Andhra / Telangana and Non-Separation of Sri Lanka / Tamil Eelam

The present ruling Congress party under Sonia’s leadership has proved time and again that it lacks democratic decision making capability and basic common sense to solve sensitive issues be it within India or outside India. Recent flare up of events in Andhra – Telungana is one more feather in its “clown” cap. Many political observers accused Congress has a tacit hand behind the recent Sri Lankan government’s genocidal war on Tamils. In the final phase of the war alone, hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians have been killed and many more maimed due to unrestrained use of banned weapons on the densely populated civilian areas.

Autocratic Sonia?

Though actual tension mounted in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh when TRS Chief K Chandrasekhara Rao took to fasting and further flash point reached when his health worsened, Sonia announced that she would make an initiative to split the Telangana from the Andhra pradesh as part of her election promise. Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement pledging to begin the process of formation of a separate Telangana state led to wild scenes of celebration in the Telangana region, and its main proponent Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K.Chandrasekhara Rao, called off his 11-day fast.

The central congress government nod for Telangana triggered varied reactions, from jubilation to disbelief to angry resignations, and led to a domino effect with another regional faction demanding carving Andhra Pradesh into three parts. Cutting across party lines, the leaders, including legislators from the ruling Congress, opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Praja Rajyam, made it clear that Andhra Pradesh could be divided only if their region was also made a separate state.

This would mean that the present state has to be divided into three states - Telangana, Greater Rayalaseema and Andhra. “Andhra Pradesh should not be divided but if you are dividing it, form Greater Rayalaseema alongside Telangana and make coastal Andhra a separate state,” said T.G. Venkatesh, Congress legislator and convener of the Forum for the Rights of Rayalaseema. The people of Rayalaseema, comprising four districts, complain of backwardness and neglect by successive state governments. The people of the region are not ready to merge with Andhra in the event of formation of Telangana state.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana promise plunged the state into political chaos after 93 legislators and many MPs, cutting across party lines, resigned to protest the central congress government’s decision. Assembly Speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy told reporters that 93 legislators from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions and belonging to three parties have submitted their resignations to him. As many as 53 legislators of the ruling Congress, 29 of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and 11 of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) have submitted their resignation, he said.

Insensitive Chidambaram!

The Home minister P Chidambaram conceded that, the demand for a separate Telangana state in Andhra Pradesh showed how people felt neglected despite speaking the same language. But when he is wise enough to understand the sufferings of the Telungana people why didn’t he understand the problems faced by the people of Tamil Eelam?.

In Sri Lanka, Tamils and Sinhalese are speaking two different languages and follow different religious and cultural practices. They are more uncommon than common. When he accepts that Telungana people are neglected from the rest of the Andhra pradesh why doesn’t he recognize that Tamil people are neglected in Eelam?. However Eelam Tamil people are not just neglected, but they are suppressed and systematically ethnic cleansed by the Sinhala majority.

Even after seven months of the end of the war, scores of Tamil civilians are still in internment camps. Extra judicial killings, missing persons, sexual abuse on women are daily occurrences in the so-called liberated areas of Eelam by the Sri Lankan security forces. Several western nations and the UN have called for the inquiry of possible war crimes carried out by Sri Lankan armed forces.

The Congress government has a poor track record of understanding peoples’ problems. Instead of solving the pressing issues through democratic process, it always takes on an autocratic approach. For instance, on what grounds did Sonia announced that Andhra could be split it in to two pieces? Who had given Sonia authority to announce Andhra will be split? It seems like she announced this verdict as part of her birthday gift to the people of Andhra. By announcing the split she has brought immense suffering and loss of lives and property damages to the tune of 200 crores to Andhra Pradesh.

India is a democratic country. Any sensitive and pressing problem should be solved only through the referendum. The best solution should come from the people. They are the owner and stakeholder of democracy and not autocratic Sonia or Chidambaram.

Alarmed over the spate of resignations and protests, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said the resolution on forming a Telangana state would be tabled in the assembly only after consultations. Appearing to play down the enormity of the move, Rosaiah advised MPs and legislators not to get agitated over the issue and resign as the process of moving a resolution had not even started. These statements are more of a reactive nature to safe guard the Congress government instead of being  a people friendly, thoughtful and civilized approach. The Congress party should inherit true democratic policies from the developed nations. In the western countries, leaders never give their nod to such type of sensitive issues openly. They will always consult ruling and opposition parties and the various stake holders of the problem. In most of the sensitive cases final decision will be given to the people in the form of referendum to choose their decision.

More than 30 lives have been lost and 200 crores worth of property have been destroyed due to the immature behavior of Home minister Chidambaram and Sonia Gandhi’s open announcement about the splitting of Andhra Pradesh. These two should bear the responsibility of these human losses and property loss.

The people must decide whether they need Separation or Integration. Rulers are only facilitators and their role is to full-fill the needs of the people. They don’t have the authority to give any final verdict. People who are living in the Telangana and Eelam Tamils are the one to decide about their future and method of governing system. Allowing the separation of Andhra and Telangana and imposing non-Separation of Sri Lanka and Tamil Eelam are another senseless political duplicity of the Indian ruling Congress under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.