Even as there are celebrations all around following the announcement of Telangana state, the parents of the youths who committed suicide for the cause of separate Telangana feel a void .
“Had our son Praveen Naik been alive, he would have definitely got the job which he desperately waited for. My son did B.Sc and B.Ed and wanted to become a teacher. He said he could not get proper recommendation to earn a job and was depressed,” said a wailing Manthya Naik of Gopathanda hamlet in Narasimhulupet mandal.
Praveen Naik hanged himself on November 11, 2009 soon after hearing that TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao was arrested by the police while on hunger strike.
Elderly couple Rosaiah and Susheela burst into tears whenever somebody takes the name of their son T. Nagaraju who died dangling to power lines in November 2009. “We did not expect such an extreme step. He watched television and learnt that KCR was arrested. He went away from home and soon we learned of his death. He left a letter stating that he was upset over the arrest of KCR,” rued Rosaiah of Sudanpalli village of Kuravi mandal. The parents are unable to comment on the announcement of separate statehood to Telangana as it neither brought cheers nor anymore gloom to their lives.
Kakatiya University JAC president Sadu Rajesh recalled the gory death of an orphan youth Musugu Karunkar of Vangapadu village in Hasanparthy mandal. “ Promising youngsters who could have been of great help to their families and society ended lives seeing the discrimination against Telangana,” he said.
The bitter criticism by Andhra and Rayalaseema leaders on the movement, personal attack on KCR and his party prompted many to committed suicides, Mr Rajesh said.