Political mafia is ruling Hyderabad

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The process of creation of separate Telangana state is going on in reverse direction. Usually, any government first examines a particular demand (Telangana in this case) through an expert panel; based on panel's recommendations, it consults all the concerned parties; builds consensus and then makes a final statement.

But Home Minister P.Chidambaram first made a statement acceding Telangana; then the government tried to build consensus; later, it invited all parties for talks and now it announced the constitution of an expert panel to study the demand. This reverse process has badly hit the lives of common man in the entire Andhra Pradesh.

Since the last few weeks, Hyderabad has been witnessing the ugliest moments in the history of Andhra Pradesh politics. Political leaders, businessmen, sportsmen, film makers and the general public are being forced to bow before the goons and those who are leading them. All elected representatives are being forced to resign from their posts; businessmen are suffering huge losses to due to regular 'bandhs' and film-makers are unable to shoot peacefully.

Situation has turned so worse that instead of State Government, the IPL organisers met the leaders of Telangana agitation pleading them not to disrupt the IPL matches in Hyderabad.

The law and order situation in other districts of Telangana too has turned worst. In the entire region, the small shopkeepers and daily wage-earners are the worst hit. The so-called Telangana 'freedom fighters' have terrorised everyone.

Big shopping malls have put nets around their buildings to prevent them from being stoned, the state-run RTC is not plying any buses during the 'bandh' days and after the Osmania and Kakatiya University, now the Board of Intermediate Education too is rescheduling the annual exams. Almost all the sectors, especially the real estate, and the revenue-earning government departments are hit. Chief Minister Rosaiah has already admitted that the state's exchequer is now almost empty.

Besides violent incidents, the state is now heading for a constitutional crisis. The issue of resignation of over 130 MLAs has now reached the Supreme Court. If the Telangana MLAs insist on acceptance of their resignations, then the Congress government might fall leading to mid-term polls in the state. On the whole, Andhra Pradesh is now being ruled by a political mafia.

Who is responsible for this chaos? KCR's hunger strike, violent protests by the students, or the power politics of Congress leaders? Macroscopic analysis of developments after the death of Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy indicates that all incidents of violence and lawlessness are politically motivated and intended towards either destablising the present government led by K.Rosaiah or to divert attention from something very important.

Immediately after the death of YSR in a helicopter crash, the Congress leaders started demanding that his son Jagan Mohan Reddy be made the chief minister. Even a leader Konda Surekha resigned from the Rosaiah's cabinet to press this demand. However, it was subsided. Later, parties started politicising the inefficient flood relief in Kurnool. A few days later, the Obulapuram Mining controversy surfaced.

Amidst these developments, KCR went on fast demanding statehood for Telangana. The same KCR who had to change his constituency from Karimnagar to Mahboobnagar fearing defeat in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, surprisingly found thousands of supporters in the Osmania University, who formed a Joint Action Committee in no time and started spearheading the movement. KCR's 11-day fast, Chidambaram's statement, mass resignations by Andhra and Rayalaseema MLAs, all party meeting in Delhi and now politics over suicide of students, have destabilized the state, in phases. The political analysts need to find a connection between all these developments.

The demand for Telangana may be genuine and justified, but, I believe, the present agitation is surely not genuine or at least, not everyone associated with the movement is genuine. Unlike other movements that we saw in the past in Jharkhand or Chattisgarh, Telangana movement is being run in installments. The Telangana JAC frequently changes its deadlines, takes instantaneous decisions on 'bandhs' or other modes of protests and its leaders themselves are playing the 'resign' and 'withdraw' drama.

Those supporting Telangana and also those opposing it, have some or the other vested interest and they need to be exposed. The authorities should also try to find out as to who is funding this movement. Further, the authorities should also find out as to who and what are motivating the Telangana students to commit suicide. They should simply not buy the version that the all suicides are solely for Telangana. The real reasons that led the students to take the extreme step should be thoroughly probed. This will at least discourage others from taking their own lives.

Without suppressing a democratic movement, the authorities should ensure that the political mafia is not allowed to take the entire state to ransom.