Telugu people strike the right balance in political dynamics

BUDDHAVARAPU
RAJESWARA PRASAD
Senior Journalist

Bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state into Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh states is a fait accompli, regardless of the disaffection it had caused among sections of people in both states who still pride on their common Telugu moorings.

Although politicians had roused passions in the run-up to the division of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, triggering bouts of animosity and hard feelings among some groups of people and excitement and joy among other groups, the post-bifurcation cooling off period seems to have brought together all sections of people in the Telugu states.

That way, nothing is permanent in politics. Things get transformed, as per the demands of the situation, positively or negatively. Time is indeed a great healer and in its flow everything that is negative gets washed away. Minds fouled up by politicians get cleansed and people once again mingle with renewed bonhomie. It is this renewed harmony, after a long gap of eight years, which is striking the right balance ahead of the next elections in both the Telugu states.

Due to the pervasive harmony among people in both states, a true spirit of political accommodation is taking place among political parties as well as their leaders. Noticeably, the parties that had been written off in the two states have of late been getting a wide welcome from the very people who had once shunted them out. Reflecting true democratic spirit of the people of the states, they are now welcoming KCR-led BRS in Andhra Pradesh and Chandrababu-led TDP in Telangana.

Politics of hate have no place in a democracy, much less in a vibrant democracy like India. And the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh mirror this, going by the recent political developments.

The year 2002 has struck the right balance in the Telugu states towards the fag end. The balance can be termed as both political and emotional. From a dismal situation of heavy mutual recrimination among people and political leaders eight years ago, to a promising one in which there is mutual accommodation among people and leaders, the two Telugu states have come a long. They now honor each other, having discarded many things that had contributed to bifurcation. Now the party that is credited for the realization of the Telangana dream has become a national party and a party that left Telangana, after bifurcation, is getting unexpected welcome from the people of the state. Time seals every emotion also.

If we closely observe the response Telangana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhara Rao is getting in Andhra Pradesh and Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu’s successful re-entry after TDP’s rout in Telangana, a perceptible change in the mindset of people of both states and leaders as well strikes us. This change is politically proactive and emotionally accommodating for both national parties. In a sense, it is very much desired, given the injustice the states have been facing, since their separation with regard to their projects and other financial issues.

No amount of political emotion or regional sentiments can come in the way of people who take it upon themselves to chart their progress. This is what is happening in the Telugu states. The people in the two states are no longer captive to their regional feelings and political sentiments and the political leadership must accept the fact and mend their ways of thinking and reform themselves. For the sake of the development of the states and for realizing what they had lost over the last eight years, this congenial ambience and positive political atmosphere should help the leaders to march ahead.

Political parties may be having their own ideologies and ambitions, but when it comes to achieving a common goal they should act obligingly. The reset of the present political setup will come of much use for the leaders. The Congress party, which helped create Telangana, is facing existential crisis in both states. With no regional sentiment on the card, the coming elections in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will see a fight among four national parties viz. BJP, Congress, BRS, and TDP. Who will tie up with whom is quite irrelevant now, but the fact remains that a healthy political regrouping among the parties is on the cards. With TDP no more an untouchable party in Telangana and with BRS getting a welcome in Andhra Pradesh, the coming year holds a very encouraging political prospect that was unimaginable until a few months ago.

How TDP will fare in Telangana and BRS in Andhra Pradesh is a question that time will answer. It is quite ironic that Digvijaya Singh, who had played an instrumental role in the creation of Telangana, is moving heaven and earth to sustain the Congress party in Telangana and the very party that had ferociously fought for Telangana has to struggle to establish itself as a national party.

While TDP, which had lent its support to the creation of Telangana, is widely received here, the Congress lost its political ground in Andhra Pradesh. As the people of Telangana changed their minds and started receiving TDP, will the people of Andhra Pradesh also welcome the Congress, generating political interest?

People are realizing political realities more than the leaders of the political parties. People are no longer ready to tolerate discrimination in the guise of regional sentiments. They want results that are sustainable for both states.