So they (this includes even KCR’s foreign returned son) tried to prevent this from happening in Warangal. They forced KCR to budge from his levelheaded stand and soon he was spitting fire. “Does Jagan think our threats are funny? Why he is so adamant when 11 MPs are asking him not to come. Dekh lenge. We take the challenge. (Jagan did not throw any challenge, by the way. He merely said he is sticking to his original program for which he obtained permission from Delhi). We shall see what happens. Let the Congress MPs stop Jagan’s car.”
KCR suddenly thought of amounts spent on security forces on Jagan. When these parties call for bandhs, Rasta Rokos, is TRS indulging in this kind of exercise? Is there any reckoning for the losses suffered by state due to these agitations? How many proposed industries shelved? How much present/future employment is lost? How many shootings are stopped? How much material is burnt or damaged? How many man hours are lost? How much public/private property is smashed? How much amount given to dead/wounded by way of compensation? Is someone keeping count?
After a long time, Kodandaram (must be busy enlisting all (humans included?) the A-products) appeared by KCR’s side when he was issuing fatwah to Jagan. He is unable to stand either KCR’s tour to A-area or Jagan’s tour to T-area. He has been exhorting students and T-agitators to fight Jagan and create hurdles. (Ultimately they did by pelting stones, bomb threats etc. etc. After a month or two KCR would tell us how many weeks’ training was imparted to the perpetrators of these acts and how much expenditure was involved. We have to wait till then)
KCR might tell us how much money is spending on his activities, but Keshava Rao would not tell us the cost of dinner he hosted in Delhi to extract letters from 11 MPs to oppose Jagan’s tour. (Alas, if he were in Hyderbad he would have indulged in similar exercise to extract letters from MLAs too). He probably exhorted them thus –
“If Jagan’s tour goes unopposed, high command might surmise T- agitation has cooled off even in its hotbed. Your popularity is directly proportional to the heat sustained in the agitation. Every Tom, dick and Harry of you is appearing on TV channels and every statement of yours is being lapped up by media eagerly. You are being heard in power corridors and you are getting appointments of leaders in Delhi by drop of hat. If T-issue ceases to be a major issue, your relevance is gone. So, do not let it go on to the back burner.”
Promptly these MPs gave a letter to high command saying that skies would fall if Jagan visits Warangal. Who knows, they must have joined Kodandaram on prevailing upon KCR to oppose the tour. Everybody, who is somebody in T-area started getting into newspapers threatening dire consequences if Jagan ventures to step into Warangal dist.
It did not occur to anyone of them that state is not yet divided and even if it is divided in future, you can not stop anybody visiting your place. High command, in its own wisdom, chose to believe them and asked Jagan to refrain from undertaking tour. Consequentially, if some worthless organization threatens KCR not to visit A-area, Central government might ask KCR not to go there. This would be depriving him the right to spread his views in his own state. In a way, the government is building walls between two provinces of same state.
By today’s events it is proved that –
- With usage of violence, you can stop anyone exercising his democratic right
- In by-elections TRS will decide who can come for canvassing and who should not and they may even demand from the visitors to take an oath that they stand for division of the state.
- Whole thing is conforming to the tribal law – “If you are not with us; you are against us.”
This does not augur well for new state of Telengana (if and when formed). They are showing scant respect for democracy and democratic process. If unchecked, the state might slip into feudal-type of rule/dictatorial rule of Maoists.
If this idea crosses the mind of Sri Krishna Committee they might think twice before recommending separate state of Telengana.
T-leaders might be slapping each other’s backs for not allowing Jagan to tour. But if this leads to the aforesaid consequences, then today’s victory might prove to be a pyrrhic victory.
As far as Jagan is concerned, definitely this is a red letter day in his political career. He has demonstrated that he has more guts than the megastar, being prophesied as a possible rival in his own party!
And more importantly, by choosing May 28, he could eclipse Mahanadu event by grabbing headlines and stealing the thunder from major opposition party. (concluded)
MBS PRASAD
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