The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : `Bifurcation of State will be harmful'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

`Bifurcation of State will be harmful'

By Out Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, AUG. 13. The bifurcation of the State would be the worst thing that could happen to the people of Telangana, as the region had benefited tremendously from being a part of the integrated State of Andhra Pradesh, said former MP and Minister, Tella Lakshmikanthamma.

The veteran leader who was elected to the Lok Sabha thrice and the State Assembly twice said here on Friday that she also belonged to the Telangana region and disagreed with the argument that there was no development there. She said there was quite a lot of change in the social, political and economic scenario in the region.

Claim questioned

"When I was young, the girls were not sent to school for education and they had to wear "burkhas" when they went out. The situation is not the same today. Girls do not wear burkhas and go to school. Is Telangana region so backward today," she asked. "Hyderabad area had developed greatly and parts of Karimnagar district too were developing fast. Once Bangalore used to be considered as the most beautiful city in the country, but now everybody agrees that it is Hyderabad," Ms. Lakshmikanthamma said. This was the situation in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions too. "There are areas that are well developed in Telangana and some areas that are not so well developed in the other regions," she said.

She said that leaders cutting across party lines had made "huge sacrifices" to ensure that Telangana continued as part of the integrated State of Andhra Pradesh. The then Chief Minister, Burugula Ramakrishna Rao, sacrificed his chief ministership for an integrated State. Sanjeeva Reddy was made the Chief Minister so that the State was not broken into pieces.

Nehru's stand

Ms. Lakshmikanthamma said Jawarharlal Nehru was for an integrated State. He, along with other leaders, overruled the recommendation of the first State Re-organisation Committee and insisted that an integrated State should remain.

She said that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, and other leaders are demanding a separate State to promote their "personal agenda." The naxalites too had their own agenda, she pointed out. She said that the leaders of the separate Telangana movement would be better off if they sought a special package from the State and Central governments to develop the region.

This would be helpful to the people more than a separate state, she said.

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