Why Narendra Modi should tour Telangana & Andhra now

 Written by: Krishna Baalu

Recently a close aid of Narendra Modi said after the announcement of Telangana that Modi has nothing left for the new state and should focus on Seemandra Pradesh to make the most of the hurt sentiments of the region. 

 

This is a delusion. In fact, even after the Telangana announcement, Modi has got much vocation in both the regions to take up, and the timing is just to assuage the feelings of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

 

 The mood in Telangana region is jubilant and the feeling in Andhra is of deception. However, the reality is far from truth.

 

 

Nearly 800-plus Telangana youngsters have committed suicide out of sheer frustration on account of nervousness over the delay in announcing the Telangana Statehood. This fact can't be ignored or taken in a lighter vein in the backdrop of celebrations. Thousands of Telangana intellectuals are still in conundrum why Telangana announcement was not made as early as in 2004, as promised by the Congress party but why now just before elections, only after this heavy toll? 

 

Expressly the people are still in grief over the death of over 800 sons of the soil, who seems to have sacrificed themselves for the sake of Sonia Gandhi's son? 

 

KCR's TRS merger deal with Congress party! 

 

There had been a wild speculation on the merger of TRS party with Congress. The deal was ‘you give Telangana, and we merge with Congress'. The same has been reiterated by Kavita, daughter of KCR on Saturday. The very idea of a merger is nothing but murder of democracy. 

 

Once the merger is through, the Telangana state will be left with no viable opposition to the Congress party except with the moderate presence of TDP. As part of a political game, the Congress succeeded in dissipating the Praja Rajyam Party of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi.

 

As we are aware Chiranjeevi had launched the party with much fanfare on a captivating social justice plank, projecting high ideals of the Mahatma, Mother Teresa, Jyotiba Phule, but badly ended up by meekly surrendering to Sonia Gandhi.

 

 Before people of Andhra could forget this shock, any merger plans of TRS with Congress now, will not be taken by the people of Telangana any more with grain of salt. 

 

This is where the BJP can benefit.

 

Telangana is not a barren land for BJP 

 

 The RSS and the BJP have a strong presence among Telangana people since ages. Karimnagar the Telengana heartland and surrounding districts have strong followers of Sangh ideology. 

 

In 1998 General Elections 4 BJP candidates were victorious and in 1999, 6 candidates were victorious from Andhra Pradesh. Hence what is left to be done is only revitalization at this hour. The timing is apt and just. 

 

The plight of farmers and handloom weavers of Telangana 

 

The Congress party never even made an attempt to address the plight of handloom weavers and farmers in the Telangana region. Over 2,200 farmers committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh alone in the year 2011. The hapless families then were forced to send their children to contract labour work to re-pay debts. The humane angle of their plight needs an urgent succour from a caring heart as the present Congress government is pre-occupied with internal feuds and countering corruption and the YSR Congress (YSRC). 

 

Not all happy with the YSR Congress 

 

Though YSRC leaders have already visited these farmers' families, the Jagan's family commitment is not going down well with the Telangana people. People have also noted Vijayamma, Sharmeela travelling even in election times with a Bible in their hands! Here lies Narendra Modi's opportunity.

 

 Narendra Modi's itinerary can now cover districts of Warangal, Karimnagar, Medak and Nizamabad also. Modi then should interact with common man and demonstrate how Gujarat State has developed under his rule in last decade. Modi can demonstrate how his Jyotigram scheme (uninterrupted power supply to farmers), construction of dams for irrigation, promotion of drip irrigation and how his policies yielded high yields of crops of wheat, cotton, fruits and vegetables. His schemes not only succeeded in preventing farmers from ending their lives, but also ably enhance their living standards too. 

 

Coming to the plight of thousands of hapless weavers of Telangana, Modi can demonstrate how his ‘Navi Gujarat Vastraniti' us helping cotton growers get excellent price for their produce in national and international markets. The Gujarat leader can meet farmers, weavers, Dalits and interact with them down to earth. Also Modi can visit famous Vemulavada Shivakshetram in token of respect of the local traditions. 

 

Countering the communal MIM 

 

 Asaduddin Owaisi of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) has been indulging in communal politics since decades. Except BJP as usual (to some extent CPI), no other party including Lok Satta could counter him effectively. After the infamous hate speech of Akbaruddin Owaisi , the local Marxist fringe groups particularly the so called revolutionary writer Varavara Rao openly supported Akbaruddin, much to the dismay of Hindu and nationalist hearts. 

 

A short brief of MIM background is necessary to sustain my stand on why Modi should take on MIM? 

 

The MIM was founded in 1927. The infamous Razakars (a private army of over one lakh young Muslims during the partition time in the erstwhile Hyderabad state ) was affiliated to MIM party. The violence they unleashed in Telangana just before Police Action by Sardar Patel, which took many innocent lives can't be ignored in the context of growing communal trends in the present MIM party. 

 

The Congress's alliance with MIM is well known and its silence on MIM leaders' communal utterances haven't gone well with many.

 

Recent poll survey said BJP's share increased from 7% to 13% in Telangana after T-state announcement 

 

In a surprising outcome (though not for the author), the recent OutLook India survey after the Telangana, announcement revealed that 13% preferred the BJP over the TDP. This figure is not insignificant in the backdrop of huge coverage that Chandrababu Naidu got in the local media in the past years. It is high time that the party capitalises the opportunity and who else than Modi can do it for them?

 

 [Krishna Baalu is the founder secretary of Citizens for True Secularism. He is based in Hyderabad and can be reached at krishnabaalu@gmail.com]

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