Photostat of Editorial, DIVIDED WE FALL!, in 31 October 2012 issue of LAW ANIMATED WORLD

Editorial, 'DIVIDED WE FALL!' in Law Animated World, Vol. 8, Pt. 2, No. 20, 31 October 2012 issue

DIVIDED WE FALL!

On the eve of the Andhra Pradesh State Formation Day we once again warn our readers as also Telugu people all over the world that the hard-won unity of Telugu people after decades of people’s struggles in several fronts and the credit of being the first reorganized State formed on linguistic basis must not be dissipated on flimsy grounds and that deliberate distortion of history exacerbates regional animosities all the more. Especially it is sadly ridiculous to hear the slogans of ‘betrayal day’ hurled at that glorious event which took place five and a half decades ago. Our intense search into all the news items post 1 November 1956, or for that matter post 5 March 1956 when the then Premier Nehru announced at Nizamabad the decision to form a united Telugu State merging the then Andhra State and the then Telangana region of Hyderabad State, did not yield us a single protest event/sentiment that such unity was any kind of betrayal of people of any region. On the contrary, we found the then MLA of Nizamabad, Mr Davar Hussain, exhorting the people of Telangana to heartily work for unity, specifically observing that “though people of Nizamabad were till then Telanganaites [he meant ‘generally in favor of separate Telangana’], when Premier Nehru announced the decision in favor of united Andhra [Vishalandhra] State, there was a general ovation with not a single voice of protest from the people. It is in that spirit that Telangana people should now work for the unity and progress of the country” and that is quite laudable and exhilarating. We also remind our readers that the entire Telangana cultural and social renaissance movement was conducted successfully under the illustrious Andhra Janasanghams and Andhra Mahasabha and the star leaders of the Telangana renaissance and Telangana peasant struggle were all dedicated to the unity and progress of the entire Telugu people without any regional bias. The first Telugu book to bag the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award was ‘Andhrula Sanghika Charitra’ (Social History of Andhras) by the great Telangana leader Sri Suravaram Pratap Reddy, who always fought for Telugu unity and development. We earnestly appeal to all the people of the State, especially of Telangana region, to realize that in our amity and unity lie our progress and prosperity but nothing but sure decline and fall would result from our mindless antagonisms and conflicts §§§