Inukonda Thirumali
Preface
We, the people of Telangana - peasants, tenants, laborers, students, unemployed youth, employees, women and industrial workers; and our unorganized friends like watchmen, drivers, rag-pickers, street-dwellers, daily laborers, masons, painters, and venders, - hereby declare what sort of Telangana is needed for our well-being. We came to know that our constitution makers outlined what is the “Justice”, Nyayamu, to us. The constitution has recognized us as a special category of people who needed special attention under articles 340 (BCs), 341(SCs), 342 STs), and 38 (the people who need justice), 39 (the citizen – men and women) 41 (unemployed, the old and sick), 43 (workers - agricultural, industrial and others), 45 (children) and 46 (“Weaker sections of people” and SCs, STs). Articles under the Directive Principles directed the elected Governments to providing free education, medical facilities and employment to all able-bodied and many more. We have been voting sincerely expecting such ‘Justice” but the political parties did not make such principle as part of their governing agenda.
However successive generations of leaders we have made became very rich possessing modern bunglows, huge lands and roaming in Innova cars. We don’t know why they move with police escorts and gun-men at the cost of the government as if we are goondas and terrorists to harm them. They are promoting their families as leaders of their parties and constituencies. We have no chance of becoming people’s representatives but only their kith and kin thus political justice is eluding us. We didn’t get share of enormous wealth we collectively generated and they established hegemony over the resources. Our inherited family lands are taken away by the governments, and even seized by the powerful politicians. Thus there is no economic justice in sight to us. Democracy our national leaders promised us has become blessing to the superior castes, capitalists, businessmen, gangsters and miss-appropriators of public wealth. Further there is no security to our personal wealth from the goons. The gangsters are ruling over us with the blessings of the power-holding leaders. Democracy on the other hand has become a curse to us.
We sincerely voted to Telangana party to bring about changes in our lives but all promises remained hyperbole. The Telangana Government just followed the same liberalization policy the Andhra businessmen introduced. The seizer of our land for irrigation purpose is humbly followed by the present Telangana Government under guidance of the businessmen and contractors. The party leaders became rich earning sufficient assets for generations of their decedents. Further they are ready to spend their ill-gotten money for getting power at national level. Today, we feel, the TRS becomes BRS to run away from us to Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra and so on. Therefore we, the mass of people, wanted the possible future Representatives and political parties and political activists of all brand come forward in pursuance of the Justice the Constitution makers visualized. We are appealing to our brethrens to design a policy keeping our needs and welfare in view.
Isn’t Bangaru Telangana resulted in capitalists’ and businessmen Telangana? Is Telangana model of development only to rehabilitate the landowners with lakhs and even crores of rupees as rythubandu? Is it not resulted to irrigate their lands? Is it to bring elected panchayats under upper caste led Village Development Committees? Another serious problem is villages are passing into the control of “hooligan leaders”. Rythubandu denied to the actual cultivators – tenants and small holders. This caused differentiation between the cultivators and land owners. The capitalists, businessmen and landlords favored economy, we desire, shall be replaced by the people oriented policy. Otherwise there is possibility of Telangana entering into another violent movement. Telangana is known for people’s movements, now, we have to work out people’s model, a new planning to replace the liberalization/privatization schema of the country. You may call it people’s Manifesto.
Our Present Telangana
Telangana’s consistent movements and massive popular participation in 1940s was against the feudal dominations, and then we also continued against the consequences of the developmental strategies initiated by the Andhra business interests. The rise of the popular movements during the Telangana movement in the form of professional/caste organizations have brought in the questions of not only separate Telangana but also our liberation from the caste ascendancy.
Many, in fact all, in the lower wrung identified their own castes and sub-castes’ aspirations to fight for Telangana. One may notice the organizations that were instrumental in making Telangana a success. We all raised the issues of our community rights and performed roles with commitment in the movement. As such the organized groups were ignored, marginalized and thus we could not become a political force to play political role to achieve our class/caste objectives. No political party understood this dimension to make us a political force. That of course became advantage to the Telangana Party.
Anyhow Telangana is achieved. Telangana, as a state, has survived in the Indian union that is more important to us, as the critiques expressed such opinions that it would not survive as a state. The subaltern people who fought for Telangana have shown such maturity to protect it.
Our parallel battles fought for our social uplift contesting the dominations. The separate state was achieved after a long battle of massive participation of all of us but instead of solving our basic needs. We the working populace from lower caste groups realized, despite our selective inclusions, the policies did not solve our basic problems nor given a sense of attaining an iota political power. What we expected however is not achieved.
There appears to be, after completion of 8 years of the Government term, restlessness is rising among various sections of our people. We have to understand what had happened during the last two terms in government and analyze the present situation to place before our mass people. As responsible citizens we must place our political ideas before the people for their considerations. It is our responsibility, we realized, to place alternative political platform chalking out inclusive politics.
The present government is following the same Andhra legacy as using one caste against the other. It established a government of the dominant communities with specific attempts to lure small community, the Brahmins. Our Telangana Party has taken inspiration from the authors of liberalization that favored only a selective few to become capitalists. Government’s efforts inviting capital in the areas of their interest have made some rich selectively and they recycled their booty into the investments in Telangana lands and real estate. In such investments they accumulated wealth. This ill-gotten wealth oiled the wheels of elections with which political power was getting appropriated.
This policy has increased disparities between the depressed communities and the above in the entire state. Is it not necessary that the lower castes/communities that are excluded in the power structure to empower them today? They are well organized in terms of caste groups but politically not matured enough to unite to make party politics. We have to unite all giving due share of participation and representation to each segment. Telangana is primarily a region of artisans, service castes, adivasis, out-castes and nomads thus their social, existential agendas shall be the primary political agenda of our effort. Fulfilling of their basic needs and their modernization, they aspired, is to be planned parallel to the present economic strategy. Further the market forces and financial agencies are destroying the peasant economy that would lead to serious dislocation of Telangana society and its economy. This is our present concern.
The castes at below as professional communities have been fighting for their community and professional rights for survival. Even during the recent Telangana movement all castes participated in similar manner expecting that separate Telangan would solve their problems. A close study of their pamphlets released during the movement would point towards this direction. But the Telangana Government built the power structure on the legacies of Andhra entrepreneurs designing the caste structure.
Telangana is following an earlier legacy of excessive integration in to the global market structures leading to plunder of local resources. The continued liberalization and privatization had superimposed class divisions on caste hierarchies drawing castes into political battles. And the State is built on a system of close connection between caste and politics.
Telangana apolitical communities were deprived of the developmental benefits that caused the disparities today widening polarization of castes. To bring harmonies and relative prosperity and well-being to all in Telangana, we have to plan new initiatives to benefit the deprived sections at villages, Mandals and State level. The new political regime, we want, has to make reverses of such policies through a possible political process to include all in the development. The policies shall have to pursue to accommodate and include all aspired sections. Even if global articulations are not possibly reversed immediately but local communities have to be integrated into a system of the village oriented economy to spread the markets downwards for local products. The small producers have to be benefitted.
Telangana cannot be built on the foundations of caste. The lower castes understand the power structure today. Caste has become a primary factor in constituting the Government. By and large it is clear that the Government is balancing the positions among the dominant castes at higher level, if not power. Building politics around castes and for their power would lead to Telangana society towards serious conflicts. Power to some, power like situation to some and only sops to some and ignoring some other would cause serious political imbalance. In the process of building this sort of political ordering is same political imitation of Andhra business strategy. Now Telangana has to learn from this experience to reorder politics so that it can plan a better development strategy.
We look into the internal limitations among the lower caste segments. The sectarian divisions within SCs failed to gain power but promoted the stooges to appear as if they are part of the power structure. The segregated Backward Castes didn’t emerge as region’s leaders. The Tribes are highly set apart. No power was accrued to them to build a political party suitable to Telangana’s social engineering. But the stooges are inducted into the government. The creation of individual leaders within the BCs to follow the leader is an inheritance from the Andhra political strategy. And large numbers of them were left out causing differences among them and consequent restlessness. Muslim exclusions in general and forest based tribal isolations and the aimless wandering Nomadic tribes are challenges for construction of inclusive democracy. Their development shall be the Telangana development. A balance has to be brought about among them to make political constituents. And all the lower castes are to be brought into politics in vertical manner.
Rural Markets to Replace the Capitalism
The artisans still a constituent a part of the rural economy. The waver, basket maker, carpenter, goldsmith, potter, cobblers are part of the economy. However they are not in a position to compete the mechanized products. The weaver is landed up in vicious circles and kept away from the market. Dhobi and barbers remained essential to the villages and they are forced to serve the village for usual remunerations. They are not allotted shops and given free power in the towns and villages. Wages, instead of remunerations not yet determined by the market that would have widened the rural markets and improve their living conditions. The same caste based justice still enforced by the Village Development Committees in certain areas. Such unconstitutional bodies are shadowing the elected Village Panchayats. Thus old service system based on caste ethic was getting enforced.
Setting up of local malls for the local needs depending on the local products and essential products would endure the rural economy. The urban products like phones, plastic chairs, baskets, soaps, washing powders, pens, and notebooks could be made available in these malls. Some of them could be made locally by the unemployed. For example the jute bags are made in the small towns. The rural markets would flourish further with pulses and grains, and such markets may cater to the needs of urbanizing villages and small towns. A market for milk and milk products, just like Amul was developed that is meeting the needs of urban dwellers. The farmers would be made free from the hold of the urban merchant. More mills, factories, soap manufacturers, tailors and repairers would come up in the rural areas. The nomads are procuring plastic furniture and soaps and washing powders from the cities for selling in the rural areas. They are selling mirrors and combs roaming on foot, may have to get space in the shops. And blankets, medicines, fashion material also invaded the rural areas from the urban merchants.
Nirmal paintings and other artistic pursuits could be brought into wider market networks. Nomads are making mats, toys, and patams that have urban market could be brought into government induced market network. The local malls would become nucleus of rural exchanges in primary products. Traditional artisans might become producers of various needs. The sops cannot build the economy. Economy is to be built on sound principles of production, consumption and exchange. Markets shall be made free from the cronies. World over small and micro enterprises are designed to meet the challenges of capitalist onslaught on them. Opulence has to spread in to the country side. The social ordering is to be organized in secular fashion to carry on the market tasks. This planning from below as part of the rural market system would be permanent feature of human development. But the capitalism with concentration of capital has widened the class conflicts. These conflicts may be seen world over today. Capitalism is only transitory just to move to next social system. There is possibility of violent outbreaks against it. We the ordinary mass of people want capitalism must go as it led to the extreme concentration of social wealth and did not end the poverty.
Haven’t People Become Others on Their Own Land?
Telangana state is a pride of the people. Such Telangana elected the TRS for being part of the Telangana movement. The electorate did not look at the candidates but only at the party in the first election. The people closed their eyes voted for Telangana party (got 88/119seats) expecting to integrating them into governance. Till today despite all their support the people’s oriented needs have not attracted the attention of the Government. Policies form above keeping the leaders’ interest was initiated without even experts’ team. Capital intensive water grids, Kakatiya missions are taken up making contractors rich. Water grids for drinking water supply to every household have been taken up keeping more the contractors in view. The functioning of such projects are questioned by the experts.
Instead of power sharing as expected, the charities were announced for dalits, B.Cs and Nomads to engage them in debate. In the due course various Bhavans for SCs, Lambadas, Yadavas, and Brahmins are announced to build in Banjara Hills, Jubli Hills areas. As usual ration cards, pensions and loan wavers have been promised and granted in certain cases. These are common sops not satisfied in a situation of high aspirations. These are part of populist measures the poor would be naturally more concerned about a long drawn solution. These have been election promises. Whether fulfilled are not the people protesting with political maturity of share in power. The dissent is taking the form of protest and the critiques are rallying behind the pretests that would be part of politics to influence the elections.
The government rather has taken inspiration from the authors of liberalization that helped only selective favored people. Government’s effort shall not remain only inviting capital in the areas of their interest. That has made rich selectively they recycled their booty into the pockets of politicians. The policy to make more money by the ruling political dispensation to hold on to power is understood by the people.
Telangana was a massive movement of extensive mass base and the leadership was smaller and narrower at the apex. In the Telangana movement the activists imagined that they get due share in political power and governance. They did not raise sectarian or sectional issues in the movement though the issue of prajaswamika or samajikanyaya Telanagana was imagined and debated. From the beginning the TRS was scared of mass upsurge, and to control them. The Telangana leadership brought in selective leadership in government from all other political streams. The actual fighter became the others in their own Telangana.
The other political parties are also taking opportunist positions weighing in terms of electoral successes therefore they did not stand for the politics based on sharing power with people. They have been taking political stands for electoral benefits instead of principles of justice. Any party/leader may ally/join the ruling party at any appropriate time.
New Planning
The State cannot function in sectional manner it shall govern in holistic, developmental and transformative manner given the social nature of Telangana movement. We are therefore concerned about the long term needs and state policies and eventual, and possible fall out. The young Telangana state has to be inclusive and transformative. Every section, or at least aspired sections have to become integral part of the political system. Concept of “Our rajyam” is in debate to integrate all at the margins. At the same time, for practical reasons, the development – urbanization, investments, industrialization – would have to continue to avoid immediate economic crisis.
At the same time the need of artisanal transformation is a challenge to Telangana. Weavers neither gave up their profession nor entered into market freely. This needs deeper attention. There is little connection between the village and the weaver both in parallel connected to the urban markets. They must create chains of urban and semi-urban market structures. As we all know there is demand for their products but the problem is marketing. The large number of service personnel, nomads and agency tribes are yet to fully integrate into the social system to get into open markets. Their failure to ingrate has made them to subsist on the margins without entering into consumer market.
Our tasks: The small farmer’s farms have been brought into the vortex of trade during the periods of globalization. Cotton, groundnut and mirchi have become chief commercial crops of even small landholders. Jowar and maize have become commercial crops. The agricultural inputs have become costly and unavailable. Chemical fertilizers have become a primary component to be bought. The farmers have to stand in queues during the busy agricultural season. The commercialization of agriculture needs is easy availability of money in the absence of public finance. The farmers therefore are depending on private finance. Banking sector is not yet friendly with farmers. Rural banks are not friendly financers to farmers and rural producers. The prices are trader’s friendly they would depress and inflate as per their convenience. The ideologues of liberalization never attempted to free the sellers’ market from the hold of merchants and urban traders. They are the chief patrons of corrupt practices; they bribe the officialdom and the political parties. The farmers on the whole in Telangana still illiterates, cannot imagine the vagaries of market. Further they have no reserves to finance their agriculture nor knew the marketing mechanism. Every industrial unit has a market department, but every farm cannot have a market wing therefore government has to buy products from them. But the farmers consider market economy would solve their needs. They knew money became essential part of life. Farmers need money to meet educational needs of their children and daughters’ marriages. In this vicious net they are committing suicides.
The debt accumulated in their households has become hurdle for agriculture to stand on. Loan weaver is an agrarian need. Even the British wiped out long accumulated debt through Debt Conciliation Boards then the agrarian transition has taken place during the inter-Wars. Similarly the present agrarian debt is hurdle to agricultural progress. It should be treated a social malady, it shall be wiped out to proceed for the furtherance of economic progress.
Munificence did not lead to development of the underprivileged without transition to new Telangana. Small markets for artisans and small peasants have to tilt the economy and village professions have to stand on their own. The makers of mats, the toys and the earthen pots have to become part of the economic planning. They have to enter into market to accumulate and to bring about change at grassroots. Participation in wealth creation and dispersal through exchange is a natural solution to meet the challenges of inequalities. On the basis of these aspirations and needs we attempt to imagine and predict the future of the samajika Telangana. This would be the task of our rajyam to bring about socio-economic transformation.
Telangana Political Articulation
There is no dearth of money or wealth in Telangana today due to the widened tax base and expansion of commodity tradeand land markets. Trade has grown, the business expanded and various taxes are collected. The internationalization of economy has benefited the contractors, businessmen. Such budget is in the hands of the governing class. But the allocated budgets are not spent for the people. Our politicians who enjoyed power are richer than the business people. They can travel on charted flights for family occasions. Of course business people are joining politics, they think perhaps, how long they drive from the rear seat. Therefore generated wealth has passed into their pockets. The rich has become richer and the poor has become poorer thus relative poverty is increasing at the same time. The privatization is increasing through which the social wealth is passing in to pockets of a few capitalists and political class that is power. We have reached a stage of irreconcilable conflicts on the resources. Telangana might fall into this political tussle and we the under-represented have to become political alternative to spend the wealth in uplifting the depressed and underprivileged.
When Telangana was declared TRS’s exclusive advantage was that there was no political party that could challenge it’s hegemony over Telangana politics. It thus was in advantageous position, and electoral strategy was maneuvered as its leadership has come from power politics. The activists and voters have shown enormous maturity. They openly debated and resolved that we have tested all the waters flown from Musi and remained supporters of TRS. Under these circumstances the TRS leadership also had made lot of impossible and unbelievable promises like dalit CM etc.
In 2014 elections the TRS won with majority. After elections it got confidence because it was a single largest party. But it started weakening the other parties. The TRS was strengthening itself on the basis of anti-Telangana leaders who are known from TDP days. Every district has legitimate Telangana leaders; the TRS perhaps felt that they might become legitimate leaders and local power centers. The Telangana activists were completely ignored, and the TRS did not even build the party with the Telangana cadres. It inducted anti-Telanganaits or non-Telanganaits from Khammam, Adilabad, Warangal and the Hyderabad city.
Inefficient, yes-men, anti-tenganaits were given the positions. No ministry is functional particularly, agriculture, transport, electricity, education and rural development. Universities are in doldrums. The school system is jeopardized. Privatization has become a basic policy. The Government has no vision to improve the people’s lot except promises at-fit-of-a-movement.
The economic system collapsed, the financial position is poorest ever. The Government has been following the privatization, acquisition of peasant land continues. Further lands not specially owned by any one or under the occupation of the poor are fenced as government property causing inconveniences to peasant farmers. Now it depends on common resource lands to sell for making money. Privatization of lands around the urban agglomeration is taking place.
Farmers’ relation with market either for selling product or buying inputs like seeds left to uncontrolled market forces. We aspired to make Telangana agriculture more remunerative and the farmers’ survival would cause the region’s development. Certain farms must get transformed into entrepreneurial ventures. Wealth is to be created in the villages too. Peasants have to transform into modern agrarian entrepreneurs without depending on outside forces. Market reform, credit facilities shall be basic for Telangana farmer. All viable, available lands must be peasant-ized not privatized. Without this basic investment irrigation would not be useful to every class of farming community. The government must be ready to meet the challenges of de-peasantization due the growing commercialization.
The Government’s reputation has gone, in fact it is rapidly waning; discontent in the leadership developed there is talk of switching over to other upcoming political formations. Now, therefore, under such circumstances the Telangana social justice forces have to organize on their own to carry on the issues raised during the movement. They have to become a political force and an alternative party. All those who wanted samjika telangana have already realized; it is not going to happen under the present government. These are basic issues that concern us today.
No strategy was outlined to improve the quality of education in the state so far. The schools/college/universities are without sufficient staff. There is no infrastructure. Syllabi are of poor quality. Curriculum should be raised to national/international standards. The students have to get jobs in competition at national and international level. The students at all levels must be trained to compete at national examinations. Teachers’ recruitment proportionate to the students must take place and the teachers’ education is to be strengthened. Private schools, colleges, hospitals introduced by Andhra rulers have destroyed the education and health care. The Government is appearing to be bent on private universities. Therefore the public sector was ignored. Education primarily meant for the locals in the State universities but no recruiting takes place. After Telangana is achieved it would have been the first and primary responsibility of the government to focus on the education. Educational reforms are needed, and teacher education, at school and college level, shall be taken up. Scientific perspectives of education for getting a sense of equity, and fraternity, Telangana regional history, culture etc., shall be taught to them. There must be Staff Colleges to update the teachers with latest knowledge. School buildings and teaching aids and modern equipment should be provided. The same must be done at college level and additionally good libraries shall be arranged. University level, only reputed persons would be appointed as V.Cs to give academic leadership. The government must make arrangements to invite the suitable persons who make mark in their subject to teach and guide. Courses shall be developed with the help of eminent persons, and content must suit global standard, so that the students can go abroad after the courses are complete. Recruitment must be taken up regularly with scholars. Fellow positions may be created so that eminent persons could be invited for one semester to maximum of three years.
Urban life no way efficient for cleanliness of cities and towns. Colonies are flooded even to small rain. Recently dog menace is threatening the citizens. Is urban ministry working? Urban affairs a serious matter as urbanization is rapidly expanding. It is to handle from multiple angels. Urbanization is not just an avenue of investment. Invitation to capital particularly foreign capital as the ministry is doing shall not be the primary concern of the ministry. Quid pro quos are generally taking place in lieu of the favor of allotment of land and so on. The Government shall know the urbanization has been a social process during the industrialization. Urbanization was meant so far clustering of slums, avenues of child and destitute labor, constant thefts consequent social anarchy and disharmony therefore it is a serious security concern also. The government should have knowledge and a vision too. Urban living, sanitation, transport and industrial centers are to be planned in harmonious fashion. Power, security and plans for handling the old age people and children are to plan. Nexus between realtors and politicians from top to bottom is deciding the urbanization. Corruption is rampant in the urban affairs in sanctioning building plans.
Middle class professions and evocations would emerge out of the developments, the Government must be able to handle. Town halls and community halls have to come up to satisfy social, cultural and recreational needs. Libraries shall be opened as educational and recreational centers for children, elders and adults so that apart from reading, debates, lecture would take place. There shall be public libraries in every big centre within 3/5 km range. Very significant aspect is no parks are nourished in Hyderabad. Public transport is bad, and roads anyhow known for traffic jams. Other towns in entire Telangana are absolutely bad. The village and towns’ relation and dependency are to be spelt out. There shall be proper inter dependency between urban and rural areas to integrate rural markets. Rural professions, small entrepreneurships should be become the basis of development. Telangana needs a planning body to advice the govt. on rural-urban dichotomy, agriculture-industry balance, employment generation and youth settlement. New opportunities are to be created to artisans and service castes. This entire transformation is to be planned.
Building PrajaTelangana
Telangana brothers and friends, democracy supposed to be, in practice, transparent to debate all interest groups. The elected representatives are on the government pay roll like employees but do not stand for fulfilling the needs of constituency’s communities/classes. However they are enjoying the salaries, personal benefits and life-long pensions. They are acting more like masters rather than people’s representatives. Therefore democracy in practice is not of the people for the people but of the leaders and for the leaders. The people' representatives representing the constituency have to raise popular concerns in the representative houses and outside but raising only political rhetoric.
The spread of education has created a class of literates from amongst the dalit and OBC sections who eventually transformed into intelligentsia established linkages between their communities and the State government. These social streams acquired characteristics of middle class raising the people’s voices. This segment is one in terms of exclusion from power and pushed to the receiving end. Some of them keep on support some party or the other during the elections just for survival. But political experiences and battles during the last decades have transformed some of them into intelligentsia with political views. They desire for political power therefore remained a force despite divisions like community, segmental and party sycophancies. All of them however today matured to understand the present political stances. They are a social force, developed to be political activists and ideologues and, we believe, accomplished to build opposition and people’s movements to constitute a political opposition. We expect them to be people’s servants like P. Sundaraiah, Vavilala Goplakrishnaiah and Gummadi Narasaiah from amongst them.
Praja Telangana means a political combination of people’s interests, particularly from below, that has not become part of the governance under the new political class. The activists have to transform as people’s “leaders” for establishing the Praja Telangana. That appears a historical need as there is possibility of a serious conflict with government, given the background of democratic aspiration expressed during the movement. For such eventuality the new leaders may be prepared. We, the people have to give up our sectarian and personal agendas come together and demonstrate people's strength as alternative agenda. Articulate our needs because the present elected representatives deserted us for their personal needs.
Thus there is need to develop new leadership for Telangana. Numbers of people are still facing court cases but their movement’s objectives are not met. Let all come forward, give up our silence. Enough is enough. Eight years of time was given to professional politicians, now time for new politics. It is time now, all have to unite and think of political alternative to meet the objectives of Telangana movement.
The present government has transformed party politics into caste politics. Briefly, in this background, read Telangana movement, TRS was formed as Telangana elite political platform to override the Praja Telangana and the agenda of empowerment. What really happened? Today power struggle is taking place between them and the people. What is heartening is on the basis of castes the power is established, it is luring all but favoring some to convert as stooges against others. Therefore we all join together to out beat such stooge politics. We must understand the issues with the perspective of Justice, a new political perspective. The policy of luring, taming caste groups would lead to concentration power in the hands of individuals and families.
PrajaTelangana is meant to the people below who have to play a leading role for more and more equitable distribution of not only land and resource but also wealth. Isn’t Bangaru Telangana squeezing the wealth? Our alternative politics of dalits, OBCs, STs, NTs, women, minorities, peasants, workers, and employees and so on would lay foundation for their democracy, a people’s democracy. Such democracy has to plan an alternative development, not capitalist one. One of the basic problems the country faces is family-fication of the party and politics; and political families accordingly becoming power houses. That is leading to concentration of power and accrual of wealth for power holding families. Family rule in small states would appropriate all power as is happening. The family is virtually the cabinet; all decisions are taken in the family.
Our Agenda
With long experience from the days of Sarvai Pappanna during the early 17th century our battle was consistent against the feudal power till the 20th century. The battle matured during 1937 to1949 to become Armed Struggle. We expected the democracy during 1st general elections would give us equal opportunity in possessing resources and governing power. We realized later the Andhra domination on our recourses in collaboration with our dominant castes was the cause for subversion of democratic process. We decided for separate Telangana and that is achieved with sacrifices of youth and the associations listed above. We are now of the opinion thatthe Telangana is not what were expected of. Telangana is captive in the hands certain families at State level and constituency level. Their farms are irrigated with State sponsored projects, and over above they are drawing multiple lakhs and even crores of rythubandu. And big landholders have patta rights so they got passbooks. They don’t cultivate the lands; and get the lands cultivated by tenants; the real cultivators are not eligible for any aid. Big landowners can live on rythubandu without cultivating the lands. Thus acquired booty is getting into real estate, construction and setting malls. The small cultivators were either tenants or not yet registered their lands on their names. This discontent is expressed against dharani portal and the Tahsildars. Even in urban life we cannot afford to buy 50 yards to make house. The rich, most of them upper-castes are becoming rich, the poor, most of them are lower castes are becoming poor. This is the Telangana model of development. Telangana model is reinstating the landholders who “suffered” under the Naxal movement. Caste differences are carried forward even into 21st century. Therefore we are giving call to wipe the increasing caste polarizations and bring down the class disparities. We needs cannot be met with mere pensions, kits and mubharks. Our children are not getting quality education on par with global standard. The same inequalities and disparities will carry forward to the next generation too. And no employment opportunities are created to us and we are expected to be chowkidars, rag-picking and garbage removers. We want therefore people’s Telangana, samajikatelangana. We resolve:
It is our turn to wipe out the caste element form politics. The lower castes/classes now shall become part of politics to wipe out the caste, corrupt and family politics. A Number of social groups are already formed aiming at party politics. Politics not a small game therefore all social groups have to join to turn this democracy into people’s democracy. All the like minded individuals and groups on the basis of the vision provided above form a single flat form to participate in electoral game. Election game is not easy play, only those who can design a strategy can win. One must secularize the masses to draw into electoral politics. Secularization of politics is possible only with the lower castes’ participation in electoral politics with ideological stand outlined above.
With this understanding our task is continuously and repeatedly interpreting the concept of social justice enshrined in the constitution. It has be our political means with which we meet various groups – social, political – form a political front. They must have representation in proportion to their population led by those who need the social justice most.
From the point of view of disadvantaged social groups we must stand for sub-divided reservations preferring those least developed in the hierarchy. We must be ready to work for political transformation without making cracks within the weaker sections.
The caste sectarianism i.e. one single caste fighting for its exclusive interests would lead advantage of the upper-castes. It is a legacy of dominant castes to take advantage of all ideologies for sectarian advantage. It separates itself from others, and expresses ambition to dominate, that ultimately goes against broader community solidarity. That would lead to strife within and that would enhances the perpetuation of the same old caste dominations. If any demand goes as per the concept of social justice it can be made an electoral issue. What is social justice is to be decided by the ideologues and intellectuals concerned in every context. However point now is to articulate 90 percent populations’ demand for social justice and social empowerment in which every social segment is a party, nobody can go for sectarian demand.
As far as the individual caste groups are concerned they shall widen into broader social and political front. We have experiences of all BC ministers who worked for their ‘his masters’ voice. I expect those politicians instead of looking for just personal benefit they should come forward to form a broader political front and lead the leaderless BC, minority, women and other weaker sections. All have to form a Coordination Committee, with the intention of forming a political front of all likeminded for the broader objective of social emancipation and political empowerment.
The rapid appropriation of wealth in the name of liberalization helped them to continue to prosper by the power holding dominant castes. That deprives the professional caste groups because appropriated wealth constitutes the elements of people’s livelihood. This has to be averted as an immediate need. We consider market is part of the development but accrual of wealth only to a few is brutal economic loot and political game. Concentrations of industrial units taken place in cities that are depressing the quality of life of the villagers and workers.
Village centered agrarian sector in association with artisanal production must lead to the creation of wealth in the countryside. The days are returning to consumption of organic, home-made products produced from nature not from chemicals and machines. Roads are to be laid, market centers are to be built, and village panchayats and panchayat raj departments have to initiate the developments from below. More opportunities to the lowest and the below in social hierarchy is the task one shall be committed to. This is a great task the Telangana people have to start to make it an alternative economic planning. The people – artisans, service castes, peasants and women have to take a leading position.
Let us prepare for 2023/24 elections, what kind of attitude we adopt to the Telangana politics. The BRS has sabotaged the people’s movement by spending money in elections and established its hegemony over the State. Today on certain issues like employment, land acquisition and corruption of the ruling party as main agenda the programs are to be drawn. The main issues of power to people, particularly oppressed and excluded, is our agenda. Telangana fought on these issues, the need of democratization and inclusive government as the aim of the movement is undermined by the established parties. We the people advice the Praja Sanghalu, associations, and all sorts of forums and unions to take united stand with ideological concerns expressed here. All are diverting our agenda; therefore we have drawn this program.
Let us take caste census to make it out how far we met the objective of attaining nationhood wiping out the caste based distinctions. Let the nation know how far reservations fulfilled the constitution desired Justice.
The issues we are concerned immediately are:
Power to the people i.e. social and political empowerment of the excluded and social groups is main issue.
A people’s oriented planning and development i.e. agricultural, artisanal (including traditional service sector) based economy. And rural oriented planning. We encourage small and medium enterprises to offset the concentration of wealth.
To establish corrupt free society under the new and youth leadership who will be trained through our discussions and interactions to come to power.
What we need todayi in Telangana?
Telangana, since primarily inhabited by the lower classes that live on caste professions, laboring and servicing. Such people understood today the political leadership governing the country/state that has not come from them. The Telanagana subordinate multitudes of social groups have learnt to represent themselves as independent constituents in the Telangana electoral politics. But such organizations have yet to become a political formation of their interests independent of the political masters in power. The political formation may have to take a shape of federation of all including those who are historically excluded and downgraded. There should be proportional representation to all organizations/individuals which are concerned about the region and people such as caste associations, gender groups, and civil /political rights organizations. They should ready to elect/select a candidate for contesting in the constituencies independently. All organizations must come together at constituency level. This is a federative politics that shall be initiated hoping that would minimize the vast gulf between the leaders and the masses. This mass politics in the absence of enough modern education may have to recover their courage from conventional legacies of their innate, self-generated reasons and perceptions, and their parallel traditions with which they defended their perceived interests in the past. This would produce today the new leaders and new perceptions of politics too.
Such party should become an agency of social transformation and political empowerment. The communities and classes in this scenario do not assign the responsibility of representation to outside of their caste/class frames. The political parties, so far, have subordinated us they dictated our living conditions, under conventional dominations and caste culture. We decide to protect our lands and life lines – streams and cultivating crops. We shall collectively defend our co-dependent culture only that would guarantee our future political rights with equality. The aspired development and cultural modernization is meant for broader human and social interests in contrast to what the authors of globalization, liberalization and privatization are doing. The lands, forests, animals and streams are people’s lifelines we never compromise to externalize them. The representative institutions, administrative systems have to transform for every body’s betterment. It is for de-gendering, de-casting and to humanizing social life. The political activists and parties are needed as alternative to the existing streams of politics. Telangana a natal home for such communities of people and their communitarian resistances in the form of Armed Struggles earlier or in the form of recent Telangana Struggle repeatedly came up. Therefore at least now in 21st century the people’s regional governance must be designed primarily from this point of view. This political experiment might develop as a solution to the present representative politics built on the basis of castes. The established political parties shall come under the increasing political dynamism coming from below. This is a solution to the ill-effects of globalization and growing inequalities that are heralding the era of new politics. Caste and capitalism stood strong like wall denying democracy to the people below. We therefore intended to achieve “the Justice” enshrined in the constitution. All aspiring politicians have to come together in most democratic manner to form a united Front of the like minded.
Justice shall prevail, people’s democracy shall flourish.
Samajikatelangana jindabad
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