For 58 years, Andhra Pradesh celebrated November 1 as its Formation Day. As that date approaches this year, the residuary state is in an existential dilemma: should it continue to celebrate Nov. 1 as its Formation Day, or switch to June 2, the day Telangana cleaved away from it?
In the immediate aftermath of bifurcation last year, few were in the mood for a celebration on Nov. 1 as the division had left the state with empty coffers and without a permanent capital. There were fewer takers for the suggestion that the Formation Day celebrations be moved to June 2.
However, question did trigger a debate: some said the decades-old tradition of celebrating Nov. 1 as Formation Day must continue because technically the state of Andhra Pradesh remained, albeit in a shrunken state; some suggested June 2 should be adopted as a signal of resolve to build upon the truncated entity. However, saddled with too many challenges, the TDP Government chose to let the day pass by.
A proposal was also put to the government to switch the Formation Day to October 1, harking back to the birth of the original Andhra State which was carved out of the Madras Presidency on that day in 1953.
That first Formation Day was celebrated in the presence of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with a rendition of the song 'Ma Telugu thalliki mallepu danda' by singer Tanguturi Surya Kumari, a niece of the first Andhra chief minister Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu. However, when the Andhra and Hyderabad states were merged to form the first linguistic state of Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956, October 1 lost its prominence.
The song continues to be in vogue in post-bifurcation Andhra Pradesh but the government’s commitment to Nov. 1 is in doubt, although it still remains AP Formation Day on record.
Sources said the administration has sought a directive from the Chief Minister's Office on the arrangements to be made for November 1 but no response has been received so far.
With November 1 just two days away, officials have no clue whether the Government will give a quiet burial to November 1 as AP Formation Day.
While Andhra Pradesh nurses its wounds of bifurcation, Telangana went about celebrating June 2 as its Formation Day with week-long celebrations.
