It seems that the Union government has not clearly and convincingly spelt out the policy or rationale behind the Telangana Bill, quite a major issue and a bone of severe contention to begin with, so many years after Telangana merging with Andhra in 1956. The legal position seems to be that while it was mandatory for the Bill to be referred to the President, he was not bound to agree with the State Assembly’s opinion. This is, however, a mere technicality. There is a political and moral requirement to take full cognisance of the State Legislature’s rejection of the proposal. The States Reorganisation Commission ought to have gone into the matter in greater detail and taken note of the aspirations of the people, levels of economic development, financial resources, water resources, employment and educational concerns, capital city needs, etc. The issue should be deliberated in a holistic manner and the Bill passed only after a favourable climate is created by means of the support of all parties concerned.
S.N. Srinivasan,Bangalore