POSTURING FOR POLITICAL SPACE

Two-nation theory that was touted to be the only panacea for the communal pitch that was raised by the Muslim League prior to the disastrous partition of India already proved to be just a tool in the hands of the communalists to divide the nation. Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s pet theme was that Hindus and Moslems could not co-exist for their cultural, civilisational and linguistic backgrounds are entirely different.
What is the position today? People who were sharing the same cultural, civilisational background were divided. India which has the second largest Muslim population in the world has become the homeland for both the Hindus and Muslims and they are in a state of peace and tranquillity, calling the bluff of Jinnah, notwithstanding occasional disturbances here and there which should be understood given the historical factors not devoid of mutual hostility.

In contrast, post-Independence leaders in India thought, though Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was not so keen, that language could be the uniting factor and hence the formation of states on linguistic basis came into existence in 1956. Just a decade after this experiment, some leaders thought that language could not be the deciding factor to keep the people united and they queered the pitch citing history of the region. That it was not genuine was proved when the demand was given up when those who were spearheading the movement were politically compensated.

Now, the same political class with a “bulgy” nose for political gains wants to divide the people and to prove that language cannot be the basis for uniting people. Praising the Nizams who unleashed Razakars on the people of the state, they would like to go back in history to decide the geography of the state turning, in the process, both Sardar Patel and Potti Sreeramulu in their graves. If Telangana state has to be formed because it existed as a separate state before the integration, what about the composite Madras State that was there till 1953. Can we afford to go back in history and restore those districts in Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Orissa to the Madras State? What KCR and his cronies have to understand is that history cannot be re-visited and cannot be re-written.

Ironically, Telugus who paved the way for formation of states based on language, it is feared, may become catalysts for undoing this concept which worked well for 53 years. But, is it that simple?

There are doubts whether the agitations by both separatists and integrationists are spontaneous though the chief minister may think otherwise. If there is no “live” telecast of the agitation for a week, there will be no “immolation” attempts, no one will climb the cell towers. Because media has become an active player in the agitational politics, an impression, should we say illusion, has been created that there is spontaneous upsurge. Had there really been sentiment among the people of Telangana, they would not have kept quiet for two decades which saw four chief ministers from Telangana ruling the state. They have effectively called the bluff of KCR in such a manner that it forced him to take to brinkmanship.

If we look at the timeline that led to the present state of the sponsored turmoil, it becomes clear that every politician, cutting across party lines, is posturing for political space.

Just before TRS leader K Chandrasekara Rao, who had mere 10 members in his legislature kitty and who shied away from GHMC polls, decided to undertake fast-unto-death, a majority of the Congress legislators was plumping for JaganMohan Reddy to become the chief minister and there was no division on regional lines within the party. All those who were loyal to late YSR stood by his son solidly. Even during the pro-T agitation, there were no apparent fissures.

However, all hell broke loose with Union Home Minister Chidambaram’s mid-night announcement. With an impression gaining ground that there is some possibility of T-dream becoming a reality, every legislator wanted to protect his/her political space in the absence of dynamic leadership in the party. If Congress leaders like Sabita Indra Reddy, Jeevan Reddy, Komatreddy Venkat Reddy, who owe their present position to the late YSR, switched their loyalties, it is not because they have turned against YSR legacy, but, in the absence of a strong leader like YSR, there is no one to protect their interests. If they fail to take pro-T stand, KCR would have emerged as the sole champion of Telangana cause. To avert such a possibility Telangana Congress leaders had to resort to political posturing and to hijack the T cause. And that is what we witness today when Sabita Reddy has a soft corner for T-agitators and Jeevan Reddy shouts at the top of his hoarse voice citing distorted history for his stand. Posturing is a sort of political insurance just in case T-state becomes a reality.

Same is the case with Andhra/Rayalaseema Congress leaders. Lagatapati Rajagopal is shrewd enough to see the crisis of leadership in the party after September 2. He wants to seize this opportunity provided jointly by KCR and Chidambaram to emerge as a leader in the coastal districts just in case there is no escape from a division of the state. Or even, if the state remains united, he wants to stand up and be counted.

While one cannot rule out the possibility of Rayapati and Kavuri joining the Lagatapati bandwagon to form a powerful Kamma lobby which lost its political initiative and influence after YSR’s ascendency, one has to understand the emergence of JC Diwakar Reddy and Jagan Mohan Reddy as leaders of the “Samaikya Andhra” movement not to leave the entire political space to Kamma lobby.

Therefore, while headless Congress is pushing individual legislators in Telangana to protect their political space and to ensure electoral dividends, it is a fight between two communities in Andhra/Rayalaseema to fill the void created by the sudden disappearance of YSR from the scene.

The same dilemma is haunting both Telugu Desam and Praja Rajyam Party. If Nagam Janardhana Reddy and Erran Naidu are in the opposite camps, it is not because they have ceased to be loyal to the party leadership. They are only protecting the interests of the party in both the regions.

Posturing for political space can be a temporary phenomenon and one can read through it. But the collateral damage is going to be quite serious and alarming. Pro-T agitators are not confining to politics. They are spreading the divisive mindset to other spheres as well. It started with film industry and now there is talk of extending to business as well. Some T leaders issue ominous warning that if pro-U leaders try to tour Telangana districts, their legs would be broken. Unfortunately, in order to sustain their vested interests, these leaders are prepared to divide the people on socio-political and economic grounds.

The only silver lining amidst these dark clouds is the independence with which the Police is functioning in the state. It is not that the Police force has suddenly become efficient. There is no real political boss to make them function in a partisan manner. Some solace indeed!