The year 2013 will go down in the history as the year that India got its 29th state, Telangana, indeed a reason for celebration, especially considering the consequences that led to that historic moment. There were disagreements, disappointments,
With Telangana expected to come into existence in 2014, the similarities between Andhra and Telangana, don't just end here.
Sreeramulu in his stubborness has inspired many new-age political leaders. In protesting against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu went on indefinite hunger
When he died after 51 days, there were violent agitations across the state, prompting then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to act. Finally, in March 1953, Nehru announced the Andhra province with Kurnool as the capital. He ruled out that Madras
The suggestion was struck down by some Telugu leaders and that led to an indefinite hunger strike in 1952 by Potti Sreeramulu, a Gandhian, who wanted creation of Andhra with Madras. Initially, his fast had no impact on the National Congress or the
Just like how Hyderabad is now proposed to be the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra for 10 years, Madras was proposed to be the temporary capital of Andhra for three to five years. If that was not possible, other suggestions by Wanchoo committee
That was welcomed by Tamilians, but protests by Telugites living in Chennai reached a new high. As the committee wasn't clear on whether Madras would be a part of Tamil province, that led to the demands to let Madras be governed Centrally. Photo:
Even the present-day demand to make Hyderabad a Union Territory bears similarity to the pleas made after the Independence to make Chennai a centrally administered area. In 1949, an INC panel comprising Jawaharlal Nehru in its report recommended
Similarly back then, Telugu people living in Chennai feared losing their investments and property if it wasn't made a part of Andhra Pradesh. Photo: People at Marina Beach.
Living in Chennai for decades, Telugites had made it their own city. That bears a similarity to the clamour for Hyderabad, post-Telangana. Hyderabad, the proposed joint capital of Andhra and Telangana for 10 years, is the most developed city in
As Chennai was the most developed city, there were wide-ranging demands to make it the capital of Andhra Pradesh. But there was fear in one section that if that happened, Tamilians would launch a claim over Nellore, Chittor and Tirupati. Photo:
Like how there is a clamour over Hyderabad being made the permanent capital of Telangana now, back then it was Madras (present Chennai) that was in the centre stage as it was the largest city in south India with a population of Telugus, Tamils,
Seventy years seem a long time ago, hence one needs to refresh memory. Be it the fight for capital, violent agitations, indefinite hunger strikes- there is so much in common between the birth of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Back then Chennai was