The violence that marked the ‘Million March' called by pro-Telangana groups was unfortunate. The authorities as well as the leaders of the agitating groups did not spare a thought for the common man. Since Thursday morning, heavy restrictions and controls were imposed which created panic among people, particularly students.
It was the responsibility of both the Andhra Pradesh government and the leaders of the march to ensure that it was peaceful. Nothing can justify the violence that the agitators resorted to at the end of the march.
P.R. Reddy & G.P. Reddy,
Hyderabad
The destruction of the statues of many Telugu luminaries, including Errapragada, early poet of the Telugu language; Annamacharya, the revered saint-vaggeyakara; Siddhendra Yogi, pioneer in the famous Kuchipudi dance-drama style, and Krishnadevaraya, hailed as the great empire-builder of south India who promoted arts and literature, is a disgrace brought upon not only the Telugu-speaking people but the whole nation. What was surprising in the shameful episode was the behaviour of the police who stood watching the destruction.
Ananda Murti Vemuri,
Visakhapatnam
What happened on Thursday was undoubtedly an act of hooliganism. The pro-Telangana activists forgot that the eminent people, of whose statues they vandalised, are the pride of the entire Telugu community.
Sivani Sarvepalli,
Vijayawada
The destruction of the statues of those who are the pride of Andhra Pradesh was shameful, to say the least. Irrespective of which region they came from, they contributed to the intellectual history of the region and the country. This act, among many others, points to the bankruptcy of leadership in the movement for a separate state of Telangana.
N.G .Satish,
Hyderabad
The acts of vandalism provide an insight into the behaviour and thinking of many pro-Telangana agitators who seem to be intent on displaying their aggression. If statehood is to be achieved through such despicable acts and on the shoulders of such unruly mobs, one can imagine how such States will be governed.
Ram Yeggina,
Hyderabad
Attacks on the media, police and politicians have become routine in the pro-Telangana protests. The callousness of the leaders of the movement towards students was evident in their reluctance to postpone their march. What was least expected was the vandalism of statues on the Tank Bund. The statutes were a memorabilia of our glorious past. March 10 is a day of shame for the Telugus.
Lalitha Kammula,
Hyderabad
