The State and Union Governments should have gone beyond political considerations to allay people’s fears regarding the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to form Telangana.
This was among the views expressed at a panel discussion on “Dealing with the Costs of Division: A Dialogue Towards Reconciliation”, organised by The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, in which the panellists unanimously rejected the idea of Hyderabad as a union territory or as a joint capital.
It also discussed the historical claims on Hyderabad city and their validity in the present context.
The panel, which included politicians, academicians and stakeholders, unanimously agreed that when there is little common ground over an issue it is the moral responsibility of the ruling party to reach out to those affected by the decision. The need of the hour is to address the concerns of the people of Seemandhra.
They also discussed ways to find workable solutions to the contentious issues that have dogged the bifurcation.
People’s movement
K.T. Rama Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi said the Telangana movement was a people’s movement for the right to self determination as provided by the Indian Constitution. Investors cannot lay claim to Hyderabad because they have invested there.
“Hyderabad belongs to Telangana. It is in the hinterland of Telangana and cannot be separated from Telangana,” he said.
B.V. Raghavalu (CPI-M), criticised the Centre for not enabling political reconciliation which is essential for finding a solution to contentious issues such as the status of Hyderabad and the sharing of river waters which can be addressed through agreement or arbitration.
K. Haribabu, National Executive Member of the BJP, said the Centre had not taken into consideration any of the disturbances in the State. It has to clear the apprehensions of the people from other regions.
The panel also rejected the idea that the capital of the new State should be decided by the Union Government. Issues pertaining to the sharing of revenues and liabilities of Hyderabad were also deliberated upon.
A fresh perspective emerged from the discussion on the benefits of a new capital for Seemandhara as a magnet for investment.
Welcoming the guests, Malini Parthasarathy, Director, The Hindu Centre, said the idea behind the consultation was to “bring together the different voices, all undoubtedly genuine in their concern, to see if common ground can be made between the various positions.”