HYDERABAD: The initial euphoria being over, the leadership of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is mulling over the imponderables facing them in giving a thrust to the agitation it is talking about.

TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao has given up his indefinite fast to shift the scene of action to Telangana from New Delhi. However, a section of the leadership is not sure whether the brief post-resignation action is enough to spur the youth -- its main target -- into action.

Sources in the party admit "the resignations of Mr. Chandrasekhara Rao and A. Narendra from the Union Cabinet could at best silence critics who dared them to put in their papers. We wonder whether any further gains could follow because of the decision."

Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao feels, "It must be a prolonged and sustained agitation - a peaceful one that intensifies and takes the movement to its logical conclusion."

`Major challenge'

Party ideologues are unsure whether they will get the required support from the student community this time like in the Jai Telangana agitation in the late 1960s. Preferring anonymity, party leader said "a major challenge before us is to convince the student community as many are career-oriented and do not take to the streets so easily on political issues."

"The changed profile of careers and increased levels of aspirations have led to dollar dreams. Those in professional courses may even dislike prolonged agitations. The previous agitation witnessed ugly violence in which nearly 400 persons lost lives. There will be no such possibility this time."

The AASU (All Assam Students Union) agitation is one of the models that the TRS leaders are looking at as they feel they have the support of the intellectuals like lawyers, doctors and teachers of the region. "Employees also will support us. However, this could be useful only when students en masse take the onus", they say.

Another worry dogging the party is the question whether the Muslims would support the TRS' cause for separate Telangana.

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