The Centre has done the right thing by calling an all-party meeting to find a solution to the Telangana issue. Politics is, after all, a process of conflict resolution. Condemning the Telangana movement will not bring an amicable solution. The willingness to admit and address the problem alone will lead to a positive outcome.
A. Jacob Sahayam,
Thiruvananthapuram
It is too much to expect the all-party meeting of January 5 in New Delhi to end the impasse over the Telangana tangle. The move is a small but positive step towards resolving the issue by free and frank discussions among the stakeholders.
More such meetings may be required to arrive at a solution that satisfies most of the political parties. The Centre’s move is a step in the right direction.
D.B.N. Murthy,
Bangalore
If the Centre wants the talks on Telangana not to drag on forever, it should adopt a no-nonsense approach, clearly spelling out the broad framework in which all stakeholders would work. The legitimate demand for a Telangana state cannot be wished away and delayed after decades of neglect. The bone of contention — Hyderabad — cannot be allowed to be bartered away like Chandigarh. All parties must be made to understand that two capitals for the two States with the Union Territory status for Hyderabad is the only way out of the tangle.
A.V. Narayanan,
Tiruchi
It is unfortunate that the people of Telangana, after living together for 63 years with the so-called Andhra settlers, are demanding a separate State. The objection of the people belonging to the Andhra region is that they have invested heavily in the last five decades in various fields to develop Hyderabad and they cannot leave the city to Telangana. Looking at the present situation, one feels it is better to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. The district of Hyderabad, including the Rangareddy district, can be made a Union Territory, making it the common capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The other alternative is to make Hyderabad a Union Territory and divide the State into Telangana, Andhra and, if possible, Rayalaseema with separate capital cities.
V.N. Kasturi,
Mysore
The Centre’s initiative is a step in the right direction. In fact, it should have been taken much earlier. What is ironical is that the political class which used the Telangana issue all these years for political gains is being consulted on the crisis. The Centre should consult not only the parties in Andhra Pradesh but all the national parties on the issue since a separate State of Telangana is bound to open a Pandora’s box. It is also important to allow civil society to play role in the process.
Independent views from academicians and other intellectuals should be taken and the facts cross-checked thoroughly before the Centre decides to take the final step.
Har V. Jes,
Hyderabad
A simple statement by the Union Home Minister on the Telangana issue has stirred up a hornet’s nest and plunged Andhra Pradesh into unprecedented turmoil and turbulence. Soon after Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s death, Congressmen brought the administration to a grinding halt to protest against the leadership. The situation has become worse with chaos, bedlam and anarchy ruling the roost. People of the State should have been taken into confidence and psychologically prepared for a bifurcation before making the announcement on Telangana. As it is, we have many inter-State disputes regarding boundaries and river-water sharing. If an existing State is further disintegrated, intra-State issues will become inter-State ones.
R. Sampath,
Chennai
This refers to the report that the United States has advised its citizens to be cautious during their visit to India, and to defer their travel to Andhra Pradesh in view of the unrest over the Telangana issue. Not along ago, India was considered one of the safest destinations for foreigners. People’s hospitality, the innocence of the rural folks, ancient temples, hills, valleys, rivers and a host of such things used to attract them.
But now, the same India is seen as a country unsafe to visit. It is the weakness of national parties and the growing strength of regional parties that have turned this country into a land of lawlessness.
P.U. Krishnan,
Udhagamandalam
There are reports that investors are withdrawing from Andhra Pradesh because of the prevailing unrest. A couple of examples are being advanced to buttress the claim. It must be noted that the investors have refused to invest in Andhra and Rayalaseema, not Telangana, because even during normal times, investors showed little interest in the Telangana region. The demand for a separate State is justified and long pending.
T. Raj Kumar Singh,
Hyderabad
