Recent editorial of IM Sharma in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 July 2013 issue

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. §§§