Editorial, "Weren't Indians? Condemn Chauvinism!' in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 August 2013 issue, Vol. 9, Part 2, No. 16.

WEREN’T INDIANS? CONDEMN CHAUVINISM!

It was shocking to learn about the disgusting statement of one V. Prakash, a lawyer, a founder-member of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and perhaps a dissident now having formed the Telangana Vimochana Samiti some time back, in an interview on TV5 (see the pic above) that Telanganites were never Indians before 1948, India committed aggression against the free country of Hyderabad in 1948 and annexed it though afterwards they [Hyderabadis] got reconciled to it. It is to be doubted whether this Prakash was a bit mentally imbalanced by his regional chauvinism. Anyway, it needs severe condemnation by all right thinking Indians, not just Telugus of the State. It is true, no doubt, that the Nizam of Hyderabad declared independence of the Hyderabad State in August 1947 by issuing a firman announcing that “Hyderabad would remain independent and not join the Union of India but the Government of India rejected the firman, terming it a "legalistic claim of doubtful validity". His minister Kasim Razvi unfurled the Asafia Flag and declared that the flag was the emblem of the suzerainty of God on earth” and all of us know that this Kasim Razvi was a protagonist of Choudary Rahmat Ali’s Osmanistan [which in Razvi’s conception included the Seemandhra districts too] proposal and the leader of the atrocious and hated razakars, fought tooth and nail by the valiant Telangana people in their glorious struggle against Nizam monarchy and feudal oppression and for a people’s state in Greater Andhra [Vishalandhraloa Prajarajyam]. The Nizam could not withstand the military assault [termed ‘Police Action’] of the Union, meekly surrendered and compromised to protect his status and assets to a great extent by becoming a Raj Pramukh in independent India. The corrupt and inept ruling party catered to his interests instead of punishing the people’s enemies who were cruelly suppressing the ‘Join Indian Union Movement’ launched by the revered Swami Ramananda Tirtha and militantly carried on by a vast majority of the people cutting across all parties/sections. That’s why many, including TRS officially, call for the marking of 17 September as Hyderabad Liberation Day, hence it sounds strange that an important separatist leader should stoop to such a low, ignorant level and so calls for this editorial condemnation. §§§

Editorial - "66 years of Independence: Pluses and minuses" - in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 15 August 2013 issue, Vol. 9, Part 2, No. 15

66 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE: PLUSES AND MINUSES

Even if we accept the popular conception that 15 August 1947 is the real independence day, and not a black day to mark and mourn the largest ever communal massacres in history due to the horrible mess of partition made by the British imperialists and their native lackeys, the sixty-six years of freedom ‘enjoyed’ by us does not present that happy scenario for the people of this country. Not that we haven’t made any progress nor that we have met with failures only and no significant achievements. No, we don’t take that stark negative view but yet are constrained to comment that whatever considerable growth we achieved since independence has not been commensurate with the needs and expectations of the people, nor is that much remarkable in comparative assessments in Asia or the world over, though much euphoria is now being made that we have become an Asian superpower next to our bigger neighbor China. Though we could reduce the share of the poor, as per official figures, from a high of 50% in 1951 to a low of 22% in 2012, the absolute number of the poor has steadily increased and as per World Bank reports, India is the abode for about one-third of the world poor. Likewise in literacy and health spheres, our growths are much below the world averages and India has the world’s largest illiterate population as also the highest rates of child and rural malnutrition, not to speak of the rampant diseases and child mortality figures staring us in all their fury. Even today we don’t spend even up to 2% of the GDP on public health and rank at level 136 in the world human development index [2013], steadily declining from 119 in 2010 and 134 in 2011 – now standing much below Singapore [at 19], Sri Lanka [92] and China [101]. Obviously, all this due to the rising inequalities and inequities in the developmental processes and the nasty corruption indulged in and cruel exploitation/oppression perpetrated by the ruling classes, political parties, businessmen, bureaucrats, so-called public servants, et al, with dirty corruption, grisly greed and other divisive tendencies spreading in all sections of the society too. And we feel that nothing but a revolutionary upsurge of the people for radical systemic changes to establish a socialist welfare state can achieve just, equitable and sustainable growth to bring real relief to the downtrodden millions. §§§

Editorial, TERRIBLE BLOW: TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES, in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 July 2013 issue. Vol. 9, Pt. 2, No. 14.

TERRIBLE BLOW: TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES

The decisions by the UPA Coordination Committee as well as the Congress Working Committee to grant statehood to Telangana region by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh is no doubt a terrible blow to the dreams-come-true Telugu unity state and is fraught with tragic consequences not only to the Telugu community but also to the entire people of the country. Obviously, the decisions have been taken in haste out of base electoral considerations keeping in view the forthcoming general elections by a ruling party and ruling coalition which have but a slender majority in the Parliament and unfortunately not only the separatists but even the so-called integrationists among several parties were guided by unethical and greedy considerations of power and pelf rather than the interests of Telugu people in particular or Indians in general. Though it appears as a closed chapter now and the division of the state is going to be certain, there are yet optimistic persons dedicated to the good of the state/the country who yet think that the steps taken by the ruling party/coalition are still retractable and strongly feel that in any case no ruling party/government should take such disastrous decisions in such hurry in the run for political power, especially when the general elections are round the corner. There is a powerful and popular backlash to these decisions and moves in the so-called seemandhra region and though it is not certain how long that is going to continue and how far pressurize the ruling party/coalition to rethink their decisions, yet it is an indicator to the immense discontent of Telugu people and the imperative need for the ruling party/coalition to postpone their moves till the next general elections are over to reconsider the problems more minutely. Especially, they should table the Srikrishna Committee Report and cause an in-depth discussion of its contents in both Houses of the Parliament to prepare for whatever government comes to power next to be able to take wise and as-far-as-possible-consensual decisions on this intricate problem rather than giving rise to all-round anarchy for their selfish ends – it must be noted that deleterious fissiparous movements like the Gorkhaland, Vidarbha, Bodoland agitations have sprung up again immediately on the announcement of these calamitous decisions, which does not bode well for the unity, integrity and destiny of the nation. §§§