Centre concedes to demand of Telangana state

The Government gave into the demands of a separate statehood for 'Telangana', which will be carved out of Andhra Pradesh. The Centre blinked on the sensitive issue following several days of violent protests and a fast-unto-death demonstration by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao. "The process of forming the state of Telangana will be initiated," Home Minister P. Chidambaram, told reporters on Dec. 10 after hectic parleys in the capital. All cases against those who have been protesting would also be withdrawn, he added.

The decision to set the ball rolling on a separate Telangana state came after a meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A. K. Antony, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Andhra Pradesh chief minister K. Rosaiah, besides Chidambaram. Rao ended his 11-day-long agitation following the announcement by Chidambaram. He broke down while recalling the sacrifices made by the people of the region. He also thanked Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader L.K. Advani.

It was not yet clear as to when the ruling Congress would move the resolution in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly urging the Centre to create a separate State of Telangana. Barring the MIM, almost all parties in Andhra Pradesh have already announced their support for such a resolution. But, it could still be a long drawn process as various issues need to be sorted out. Regular protests demanding the new "Telangana" state, which would take 10 out of 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh, had paralyzed normal life in Hyderabad over the past few days. The Telangana supporters want Hyderabad included as well.

Demands for a separate Telangana state gathered steam in 1969 with violent protests killing more than 300 people till 1972. The protests died down after that for quite some time, until the regional Telangana Rashtra Samiti party, headed by Rao raised fresh demands in 2001, supported by other non-Congress groups. The massive protest rally to Andhra Pradesh assembly that was scheduled for Dec. 10 has been converted into a victory rally. The agitation across the regThe Government gave into the demands of a separate statehood for 'Telangana', which will be carved out of Andhra Pradesh. The Centre blinked on the sensitive issue following several days of violent protests and a fast-unto-death demonstration by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao. "The process of forming the state of Telangana will be initiated," Home Minister P. Chidambaram, told reporters on Dec. 10 after hectic parleys in the capital. All cases against those who have been protesting would also be withdrawn, he added.

The decision to set the ball rolling on a separate Telangana state came after a meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A. K. Antony, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Andhra Pradesh chief minister K. Rosaiah, besides Chidambaram. Rao ended his 11-day-long agitation following the announcement by Chidambaram. He broke down while recalling the sacrifices made by the people of the region. He also thanked Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader L.K. Advani.

It was not yet clear as to when the ruling Congress would move the resolution in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly urging the Centre to create a separate State of Telangana. Barring the MIM, almost all parties in Andhra Pradesh have already announced their support for such a resolution. But, it could still be a long drawn process as various issues need to be sorted out. Regular protests demanding the new "Telangana" state, which would take 10 out of 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh, had paralyzed normal life in Hyderabad over the past few days. The Telangana supporters want Hyderabad included as well.

Demands for a separate Telangana state gathered steam in 1969 with violent protests killing more than 300 people till 1972. The protests died down after that for quite some time, until the regional Telangana Rashtra Samiti party, headed by Rao raised fresh demands in 2001, supported by other non-Congress groups. The massive protest rally to Andhra Pradesh assembly that was scheduled for Dec. 10 has been converted into a victory rally. The agitation across the region is now expected to recede slowly.

Telangana region accounts for 119 of the 294 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats. Telangana is likely to comprise 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh - an area that constituted the old Hyderabad state during the British rule. It includes Hyderabad, the current Andhra Pradesh capital. TRS, which was formed in 2001 on the plank of a separate Telangana by Rao after he quit TDP, was part of the UPA after the 2004 elections. It parted ways with the Congress-led alliance in 2006, citing lack of progress on the Telangana issueion is now expected to recede slowly.

Telangana region accounts for 119 of the 294 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats. Telangana is likely to comprise 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh - an area that constituted the old Hyderabad state during the British rule. It includes Hyderabad, the current Andhra Pradesh capital. TRS, which was formed in 2001 on the plank of a separate Telangana by Rao after he quit TDP, was part of the UPA after the 2004 elections. It parted ways with the Congress-led alliance in 2006, citing lack of progress on the Telangana issue