It is cultural diversity that made Telangana a rich State with a tolerant identity, revealed a book “History of Velama Kingdoms” released here on Saturday.
The book written by T. Dayakar Rao, Chairman, Board of Studies, Department of History and Tourism, Kakatiya University that focused mostly on contribution of Velama caste ruled kingdoms was published by Sri Bhagvan Publication. The book speaks volumes about the benevolent nature of Velama kings of Rachakonda and Devarakonda who were not just akin to the Nizam but also fierce opponents of the British rule.
Speaking at the meet, B. V Papa Rao, advisor to the Government of Telangana and a former IAS officer, said books which bring out the histories in the State will have to be encouraged , he said.
The book which was released had details of the Velama rule in Nalgonda district. Both Rachakonda and Devarakonda were vassal States.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 31st, 2016
For the next three days, IAS officers of the state will get an opportunity to reminisce their student life as they will be taught about Telangana’s history, culture, irrigation, finance and other subjects.
Realising the importance of teaching its bureaucrats about the needs of the state, the state government here on Monday organised an ‘Orientation programme for public servants in the context of Telangana.’
Speaking at the inaugural function, Dr Ch Hanumantha Rao, a former member of the Planning Commission of India and Professor, Center for Economics and Social Research (CESS), Hyderabad, said that in India even good things take decades to be implemented.
“NITI Aayog has been set up by the Centre for strengthening the planning process as a ‘Think Tank’ as well as cooperative federalism through greater participation of states. In fact way back in mid-eighties, the then PM Rajiv Gandhi planned to do this, but here it takes decades for good things to be implemented,” Rao said.
Rao said that to solve any issue it is important to go back to basics and see where the problem lies. Talking water problem as an example, he said, “The best way to solve water problem is by saving water.
We failed to use them economically and used up all the ground water. We failed to make better use of water bodies. So, to solve this problem, save water and to do that instead of having a uniform price, charge according to the volume used.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / June 28th, 2016
The Telangana Legislative Assembly. Photo: K.V.S. Giri / The HIndu
Telangana turns two on June 2 and the State government is pulling out all stops to make it memorable. The Telangana Formation Day also gives us an opportunity to revisit some of the key events that led to the creation of the 29th State of India.
The seeds of Telangana struggle were sown in 1955 when the recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission to retain Hyderabad as a separate State went unheeded. Telangana leaders accused the people of Andhra of “colonising the region” by grabbing their jobs and land, and the government of not investing in the region’s infrastructure. On November 1, 1956, Telangana merged with the State of Andhra, carved out of erstwhile Madras, to form Andhra Pradesh, a united state for the Telugu-speaking populace.
Security personnel patrolling on Jawaharlal Nehru Road (Siddiamber Bazaar) during a 33-hour curfew in Hyderabad on June 05, 1969. Photo: The Hindu Archives/M.A. Rahim
The State witnessed a violent ‘separate Telangana’ agitation in 1969 and a ‘separate Andhra’ agitation in 1972. The 1969 stir was primarily started by social groups, students and government employees. Following the agitations, a six-point formula was evolved by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for “accelerated development of backward regions and preferential treatment to local candidates in employment.”
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao (left) and former Governor Kandubhai Desai (right) receiving the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in Hyderabad on September 7, 1972. Photo: The Hindu Archives
Thereafter, the Telangana movement took a political turn. In 1997, the BJP supported demand for Telangana State and in the subsequent year, which saw an election, the party promised ‘one vote two States’. But the push intensified in 2001, when K. Chandrasekara Rao floated the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to revive Telangana movement. Many believed it was the creation of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) states that spurred the demand for Telangana. Three years later, the TRS fought elections in alliance with the Congress and won five Lok Sabha and 26 Assembly seats.
Karimnagar — the hotbed of the movement
During the first phase of the movement in 1969, Karimnagar district emerged as the centrestage for the intensification of agitations. While campaigning for the 2004 elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had also announced that she would respect the sentiments of the Telangana people in Karimnagar town by addressing a public meeting. Mr. Rao had contested as MP from the Karimnagar Parliament constituency in 2004.
In 2006 and 2008 by-elections too, he won from the same constituency. In all by-elections in the district, people voted in TRS candidates.
Karimnagar was the host for the intensification of Telangana statehood movement in 2009, when the TRS president had decided to launch a fast-unto-death, demanding the Telangana State. It was the same town where police had arrested KCR, who was on his way to launch his fast-unto-death in Siddipet town.
The movement had spread like a wildfire after his arrest in Karimnagar and several youth had committed suicide for the cause of Telangana.
Following the continuation of his fast-unto-death while in a hospital, the Union government had announced the formation of separate Telangana State on December 9, 2009. However, the government had again gone back on the issue on December 23, 2009.
About 17 pro-Telangana students had launched a fast-unto-death in front in the Osmania University campus after the Centre backtracked on the statehood issue.
Osmania University students staging a protest demonstration over the statehood issue. File Photo: G. Krishnaswamy
Sri Krishna Committee report
On February 3, 2010, a panel headed by Justice (Retd.) B.N. Srikrishna was formed to “bring about a permanent solution” to the statehood demand. The panel met 30 times, visited 23 districts and 35 villages and held interactions with about 100 organisations.
The report of the Committe for Consultation on the Situation in Andhra Pradesh was released by the then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, to representatives of political parties from the State on January 6, 2010. It said, “The united Andhra option is being suggested for continuing the development momentum of the three regions and keeping in mind the national perspective. With firm political and administrative management it should be possible to convey conviction to the people that this option would be in the best interest of all and would provide satisfaction to the maximum number of people in the state.”
Click here to download the full report (PDF- 7.1 MB)
Click here to download the summary. (PDF- 846.5 KB)
Click here to download the Appendices to the report (PDF- 10.4 MB)
___________________________________________________________________ The Hindu Editorial
The Editorial, dated February 15, 2010, said that “carving out smaller States is too important and complex an issue to be taken in the heat of inflamed passions and under the pressure of political agitations.” It called for peace and non-violent means to get to the bottom of the issue. “Those clamouring for a separate Telangana will surely help their own cause by extending full cooperation to the Srikrishna panel, instead of vitiating the atmosphere again by instigating violence or asking elected political representatives to resign. All stakeholders must ensure that the panel succeeds in its rather difficult task of balancing the interests and concerns of different sections and recommending a plan of action towards a solution, as set out in the terms of reference.” More…
In December 2013, the Union Cabinet approved a Bill for the creation of Telangana State with 10 districts, paving the way for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The Cabinet had broadly approved most of the recommendations made by the Group of Ministers constituted to consider the contentious issues.
The Cabinet’s approval came after the Congress Core Group decided to adhere to the Congress Working Committee’s decision on a Telangana with 10 districts. Meanwhile, Osmania University in Hyderabad was slowly becoming the nerve-centre of the Telangana agitation. Student activists continued their agitation along with political leaders in the struggle.
Passage of the A.P. Reorganisation Bill
– The A.P. Reorganisation Bill was passed in 2014, listing out the specifics involved in the process of bifucation. Some of the salient features the Bill were:
– The Bill envisages Hyderabad as the common capital. The Andhra Pradesh Governor will be Governor for both successor States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
– The common capital includes the existing area notified as Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Centre shall form expert committee to suggest a new capital of Andhra Pradesh within 45 days.
– The Centre will set up an apex council for the supervision of Krishna and Godavari rivers on water sharing.
– 25 Lok Sabha seats to be allocated to residuary Andhra Pradesh and 17 Lok Sabha seats to Telangana.
– Residuary Andhra Pradesh will get 175 Legislative Assembly seats and Telangana 119.
– Existing admission quotas in all government or private, aided or unaided institutions of higher, technical and medical education shall continue for 10 years during which common admission process shall continue.
– The Polavaram Irrigation Project will be declared as a national project and the Centre will take under its control the regulation and development and the Tungabhadra Board will continue to monitor the release of water to high level canal, low level canal and Rajolibanda diversion scheme.
– The High Court at Hyderabad will be common for both States till a separate High Court is set up for residuary Andhra Pradesh.
– Any dispute, regarding financial assets and liabilities, shall be settled through mutual agreement failing which by the Centre’s order on the advice of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
– All properties situated outside existing Andhra Pradesh will be apportioned between the successor States on the basis of population ratio.
– Greyhound and OCTOPUS forces of the existing Andhra Pradesh will be distributed after seeking opinions from the personnel and each of these forces.
– The award made by the 13th Finance Commission to the existing State of Andhra Pradesh will be apportioned between the successor States by the Centre on the basis of population and other parameters.
When years of struggle came to fruition
The last general elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in united Andhra Pradesh was held in two phases on April 30 and May 7. It was decided that the counting of votes for both phases would be taken up on May 16 and election process will come to an end by May 28. It was notified that the States of Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh would come into effect from June 2.
The chief architect of the separate Telangana agitation, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, was sworn in Chief Minister of Telangana. Mr. Rao’s son K. Taraka Rama Rao and nephew T. Harish Rao, who took active part in the agitation, were among the 11 Cabinet Ministers sworn in at a simple ceremony, punctuated by slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office.
And the celebrations began, India’s 29th State was born. Photo: Mohammad Yusuf
(Compiled by Sriram Sivaraman)
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Internet Desk / June 01st, 2016
The heat is on:A policeman gulps down water during the rehearsal for Telangana Formation Day celebrations at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad.- Photo: K.V.S. Giri
One of the highlights of cultural programmes in connection with State Formation Day celebrations on June 2 will be Perini dance of Kakatiya period by 200 artistes at Lalita Kala Toranam.
The sequences in the dance reminisce preparation for war by the army based on a book ‘Nrutya Ratnavali’ written by Jayapa, the commander-in-chief of the Kakatiya army. It will be the first of its kind dance to be presented along with drumbeat, said Director of Culture Mamidi Harikrishna whose department will organise the event. A Telangana cultural carnival will be held at Tank Bund with 500 artistes performing folk arts, including Gussadi, Kommukoya, Lambadi dance, Puliveshalu, Bonalu, Kolatam, Pidathala Ramayanam and Batukamma. Noted gazal singer Talat Aziz will present Sham-e-Gazal at Lal Bahadur Indoor Stadium.
The other programmes during the day include performances by artistes of Telangana Sanskrutika Saradhi, the cultural wing of the Government, at People’s Plaza, Qawwali at Qilwat Grounds, Buddhist, Jain and Christian programmes at Harihara Kala Bhavan and all India Mushaira at Quli Qutb Shah Stadium. The Ravindra Bharati Auditorium will see classical dance and ballet on the theme “naa Telangana, koti ratanala veena”.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – May 28th, 2016
Much like the Centre, the Telangana government too plans to put out data pertaining to various departments in the public domain. On the lines of data.gov.in — the website on which the central government shares information — a single portal has been envisaged for state-related data.
The purpose of such a move is to make available to the public a huge cache of information that can be analysed or made use of. “Once such data is put up to be accessed by the public, there are endless possibilities on how it can be used for the benefit of society in general,” said Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu, founder of ‘Factly’ and co-convenor of National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI).
The Telangana ICT Policy Framework 2016, which was made public a month ago, clarified the government’s stance in favour of putting out data in the public domain. This was reiterated this time round by IT secretary Jayesh Rajan at the ‘Public Data Devthon’ oragnised by Factly in association with the Telangana government and T-Hub.
During the Devthon, groups of people demonstrated an analysis of how data from various departments, including the GHMC, could reveal crucial information regarding spending on public schemes. “Government data which can be given out to the public should be put up in real-time. Anyone can come up with suggestions or recommendations on how to rectify shortcomings in the functioning of various departments,” Dubbudu said. For instance, he said, if there were places where too many accidents were taking place, this could be analysed to come up with suggestions as to how to prevent the same.
Apart from the Centre, no other state government has put up much data in the public domain, although some annual reports are released by departments. While mentioning ‘Open data’ in its IT policy, the government said various departments were involved in collection, generation and updating of data on multiple issues collected using public funds. Such data should be readily available for citizens’ consumption. “Although individual departments share data for use by civil society and the private sector, there is a need for an open data policy that enables proactive data sharing by every department. This will not only result in greater transparency, but also help the government in better decision making,” the policy said.
According to the IT policy, the IT, Electronics and Communication (ITE&C) department, will formulate the open data policy based on best practices adopted in the national open data policy. The ITE&C department will also identify departments for the first phase of the open data roll out.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / May 18th, 2016
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (right) and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis exchanging the agreement on the Godavari projects in Mumbai on Tuesday.– Photo: PTI
Chief Ministers of both States ink pact on inter-State board on Godavari projects like Lendi, Lower Penganga, Pranahita which include barrages at Chanakha-Korata, Rajapet, Penpahad and the newly-proposed Medigadda.
Chief Ministers of Telangana and Maharashtra K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Devendra Fadnavis, respectively, unveiled a new chapter in the inter-State relations in the country by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Mumbai on Tuesday for establishing an inter-State water board on Godavari projects.
The agreement is expected to end decades of discord between the two States on utilisation of water of the Godavari and its tributaries and pave the pay for the two States to take up and complete irrigation projects which have been mired in disputes all these years, particularly pending projects such as Lendi, Lower Penganga, Pranahita which include barrages at Chanakha-Korata, Rajapet, Penpahad and the newly-proposed Medigadda.
The proposed inter-State board to be headed by the two Chief Minister alternatively every year would help work out mutually-agreeable specifications on the construction of Medigadda barrage as part of the Kaleshwaram project and a component of the redesigned Pranahita-Chevella project.
The barrage would allow irrigation of 16.4 lakh acres in Telangana and over 50,000 acres in some tribal areas of Maharashtra with the help of four small lift irrigation schemes.
A meeting of the new board likely to be held in a fortnight’s time would decide the height, full reservoir level (FRL), of the Tummidihatti and Medigadda barrages. The FRL of barrage near Tummidihatti is likely to be 148 meters while that of Medigadda could be anywhere between 100 and 103 meters.
Speaking after inking the bilateral document, Mr. Fadnavis said they had agreed for the pact with Telangana after the neighbouring State had explained and convinced it about various possibilities on taking up the two barrages on which Maharashtra had serious objections. “It’s a historic agreement by all means when several States are at loggerheads on issues related to river waters,” Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said.
“We are ready to take up construction of Medigadda barrage, if given a go-ahead by Maharashtra, immediately even as talks could continue on deciding the height of the barrage at mutually agreeable level. However, my request to Maharashtra is to keep in mind that higher the storage capacity of the barrage larger the benefits to farmers of both the States, without causing much submergence”, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said.
KCR extends invite to Fadnavis
He invited Mr. Fadnavis, Water Resources Minister of Maharashtra G.D. Mahajan to Hyderabad for the next meeting of the inter-State board to discuss and decide upon the levels of Medigadda and Tummidihatti barrages.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister recollected that efforts were on between Maharashtra and the then combined Andhra Pradesh States for an agreement on Godavari waters since October 1975.
“When neighbouring countries could have good relations, why can’t two States have such ties,” the Maharashtra Chief Minister asked stating that the agreement would benefit the people of both Maharashtra and Telangana.
It’s a historic agreement by all means when several States are at loggerheads on issues related to river waters.
K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Chief Minister of Telangana.
When neighbouring countries can have good relations, why can’t two States have such ties?
Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by B. Chandrasekhar / March 09th, 2016
Daily chores of Gond or Kolam tribe woman starts with fetching water from distant sources, cooking and working in the fields
Gond women cooking at a makeshift kitchen at Jangubai caves in Adilabad district. -Photo: by Arrangement
Adivasi women in Adilabad district, for whom deprivation is a way of life, go about their chores with their humour intact
he smile on their face does not vanish even in the most trying circumstances they encounter every day. The Adivasi women in Adilabad district, for whom deprivation is a way of life, go about their chores with their humour intact.
The day in the life of an average Gond or Kolam tribe woman starts with fetching drinking water from distance sources, cooking and working in the fields by the side of the men in the family. The latter do share the burden of the daily routine, including gathering firewood, but the kitchen is the exclusive preserve of the women.
Festivals and religious events of the aboriginal tribes, like the recently concluded Padmalpuri Kako pilgrimage, the Jangubai festival and Keslapur jatara, is a time when the positive side of these women can be seen distinctly.
They are actually in the forefront of all activity which includes carrying the sacred offerings and cooking food for the entourage on pilgrimage consisting of 10 to 20 families from a given village.
“We cook food at the makeshift kitchens using firewood which we invariably carry with us,” points out Kinaka Rajubai, a Gond woman from Indervelli mandal headquarters as she gives her reason for continuing with the age old practice of cooking on ovens using firewood.
“We even need to grind the food grains using the mortar and pestle though it consumes much time and energy,” she smiles as she apparently recalls the time she spent at the makeshift kitchen at Jangubai caves, a pilgrimage she made earlier this year.
“Only a handful of Adivasi homes boast of an LPG connection and practically none of the food processors like mixers and grinders,” states Pusam Anand Rao, sarpanch of the famous Mallapur village in the same mandal, who incidentally had led his compatriots on the Padmalpuri Kako pilgrimage to Dandepalli mandal last year.
“An LPG connection would definitely be a help to our women,” he asserts as he talks of the hardships that Adivasi women face owing to poverty.
“The incidence of eye diseases among our women seem to be on the rise since the last few years,” adds Atram Bheem Rao, of Salewada in Utnoor mandal. “The eye problems haunt especially those women who are living in the semi pucca Indiramma houses as the lack of vents has the smoke trapped inside,” he points out towards the phenomenon to buttress his contention that Adivasi kitchens need LPG connection.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by S. Harpal Singh / March 09th, 2016
Kommalapati China Akkaiah being felicitated at Laxminagar in Medak district on Friday night.— Photo: Mohd Arif
Two elders who were witness to the formation of the village felicitated on the occasion
A 90-year-old resident of Laxminagar village in Papannapet mandal, Kommalapati China Akkaiah, was felicitated by Kommalapati Venkateswara Rao (85), another resident of the village, as part of the celebrations in connection with the birth of the village.
The village came into existence in 1948, a year after the Indian Independence. The Telangana region was liberated from the Nizam rule by the Indian Government under the directions of the then Home Minister Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel.
Chinna Akkaiah and Venkateswara Rao are the only two who are alive out of the 14 families that had migrated from Prakasham and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh to Laxminagar village in search of a livelihood in the newly-liberated State.
“We sold our small chunks of land at our native places and migrated here along with our family. This area was like a forest then and we began our life by grazing cattle and slowly cleared the forest,” Chinna Akkaiah told The Hindu recalling the days when he first arrived here. For the first time in the recent past, the birth of a village was celebrated.
“We honoured the two persons who are there since the formation of the village and it feels great. Later, we also held a meeting of all the five committees working in the village,” said Yedukondalu, a resident of the village.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by R. Avadhani / Sangareddy – January 17th, 2016
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao released a book titled “Telangana Udyamala Charitra – Rashtra Avirbhavam” (history of Telangana movements and State formation) written by V. Prakash, founder of Acharya Jayashankar Study Centre and political analyst.
Advisor to Government K.V. Ramanachary, Minister G. Jagadish Reddy, State Planning Board Vice Chairman S. Niranjan Reddy, legislators K. Prabhakar Reddy and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and family members of Mr. Prakash were present on the occasion. Complimenting Mr. Prakash for penning the book, the Chief Minister said it was a great attempt to compile the history of Telangana movement.
‘Comprehensive’
“Nobody in the past had penned the Telangana movement so comprehensively as Mr. Prakash did now.
He was a witness to many incidents during the movement and studied them thoroughly,” the Chief Minister said adding that it would be a must read book for the future generations. Stating that Mr. Prakash’s book would also be useful as reference material to many competitive examinations to be held by the Telangana State Public Service Commission in the future, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao felt that it should be in the libraries in the State as well as colleges and high school libraries.
“The book reflects several aspects related to the movement as it is,” the Chief Minister said and expressed his wish that the writer pen many more good books in future.
The Chief Minister felicitated Mr. Prakash and his wife Swarupa Rani on the occasion. The writer dedicated his book to Mr. Chandrasekhar and his wife Shobha.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – January 05th, 2016
Mesram Kothmabai, a Gond woman from Keslapur village grinds red gram the traditional way in Adilabad. Photo: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu
With the onset of the poos or Pushya masam, the sacred period, the Adivasi Gonds in Adilabad have begun preparations for festivities. The period up to January 20 will see jataras of respective clans organised across the district. The most famous of them is the Nagoba jatara at Keslapur in Indervelli mandal.
The Nagoba jatara is organised by the Mesram clan of Gonds at the end of the religious month. The tribal people stick to age old customs and traditions while organising the festivities.
As part of the preparations, the Adivasi people have started collecting foodgrains needed to prepare the sacred offering or naivedyam. The exercise includes grinding on traditional grindstones only the indigenous variety of foodgrains raised in their own fields. The oil used in cooking the offerings is also obtained from indigenous oilseeds ground in traditional mills.
A Gond adivasi woman washes the mud walls of her home with liquid cowdung at Keslapur in Adilabad. Photo: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu
The Mesram clan messengers, a Gond priest called Kathoda and a Pardhan elder called Pathadi, have set off to inform and invite the clan members and others associated with religious festivities during the Nagoba jatara. The jatara will begin on January 19.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Adilabad – December 26th, 2014
