NO solution to Telangana crisis, government in a fix

On Saturday, Telangana was the buzzword in New Delhi with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Governor ESL Narasimhan flocking to the capital. But after a series of meetings held with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P Chidambaram, a conclusive decision still eludes the issue.   

Though options ranging from the imposition of President's rule in the state to a change in leadership were discussed, no concrete decision could be reached over the vexed issue.

The Telangana movement has apparently taken a different turn. According to Students Joint Action Committee chief Dr Sangam Prithviraj, the movement is no longer being controlled by politicians as it has been taken over by the people.

Reportage: Vicky Nanjappa

Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekara Rao finds himself in a spot as he is no longer the chief negotiator between the government and the people. 

"If President's rule is imposed in the state, it may anger pro-Telangana activists and the movement may turn violent. A change in top leadership is not going to help as it would make no difference to any one of us. The protests will stop only if there is a concrete announcement. The people want a proper deadline from the government," Dr Prithviraj said.

Professor K Kodandaram, chief of the political JAC for Telangana, believes that there is a need to show more grit and determination in resolving the issue.

"The government may come up with various options but none of us will settle for anything less than the formation of Telangana. The next few days will be very crucial for us and we need to continue with the protests unless there is some concrete announcement," he said.

Kodandaram defended the agitation and said that reports about activists indulging in violence were not true.

"There has been violence in some pockets but that is only due to the instigation of the government," he claimed.

"We need to wait and watch. Though the recent rounds of meetings have given us no concrete commitment, we will continue with the fight. The prime minister has not given us any assurances, but he felt that the process should be expedited," Kodandaram said.

After Governor ESL Narasimhan submitted a report on the existing situation, the government is weighing its options carefully.

While the names of Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajnarasimha and Congress leader Geetha Reddy is being considered for the post of CM, a section in the party's state unit has proposed the name of Jaipal Reddy. This move could backfire as the people of Telangana, who feel that Reddy has not been honest to the cause, have made their ire against him clear.

Right now, the top-most priority of the government is to stop the ongoing agitation.

A massive rail roko programme in support of Telangana is scheduled to start on Sunday.

Wide-spread protests for Telangana have already cost the state Rs 14,000 crore. The Road Transport Corporation is incurring a loss of Rs 8 crore a day. Schools and colleges have remained shut.

It is virtually impossible for people to enter Telangana region since the agitation has turned violent in some places.

In the political circles of Andhra Pradesh, the situation is relatively quiet and local leaders in the state are awaiting an outcome from the Union government. But the government -- which has to study the reports submitted by the governor and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad -- is bound to take some time before taking a final decision.