Special Status to AP State was promised by the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh while the State was bifurcated by Sonia Gandhi’s Congress and Modi’s BJP closing the doors of the Parliament and without heeding to the majority of the population of the State.
Well, it was done and became part of the history. While there might be lot of anguish and helplessness on the part of AP people, they decided to move on. But, what is causing more heartburn now is the willful deceit of the governments of the State and the Centre in fulfilling the pledges and implementing the deals made while bifurcating the State. Besides Special Status, they promised assistance to a build a new capital, Special Railway Zone, and many other sops for accepting the bifurcation.
People of the State are disheartened and feel cheated by both the governments. While Manmohan Singh promised five years of Special Status in the Rajyasabha, his successor Narendra Modi insisted that he would provide the State with ten years when he came to power and his associate in the State Chandrababu urged for fifteen years of the same in several public meetings is still fresh in the minds of the public.
Now, both Chandrababu and Modi say Special Status is not a sanjeevani, and not required. The benefits of the Special Status are numerous and would help the state immensely is what all the economists say, but Chandrababu suppresses their opinion using his heavily biased media.
It’s not clear if Chandrababu and his party are getting compensated backdoor for not raising the issues of Special Status, Special Railway Zone, and others or, Modi has a file on him that he is using to blackmail him, but the way he is diluting the issues of immense importance to the State and threatening the public of dire consequences if they agitate makes people to wonder if he has lost his sanity or if this is his usual behavior, that we can derive from his very beginnings and all along his political career. Chief Minister of a State threatening the people for raising their voice in support of the scuttled promises of the governments is a matter of real concern. But, his behavior has similarities to his earlier actions if people care to look back on his career.
Chandrababu was mentioned in the book written by his co-brother, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao as the culprit who flamed the violent bus burnings that rocked the agitation to protest the sanctioning of medical colleges by N Janardhan Reddy. And not to forget the bus burnings and violent protests fanned and encouraged by Chandrababu in the case of Paritala Ravi’s murder. The latest scheming of willful sending YSRCP deserters into the rally taken out by YSRCP president, YS Jaganmohan Reddy knowing very well that the people would taunt them is an example of a crooked politician relying on crooked strategies. His vision was never to be a statesman but to be low level politician, and it shows in every of his actions.
Chandrababu himself led and participated in several protests while in opposition and on much trivial issues and he was granted permissions by the governments and accorded security. Why is that he would ban similar protests and threaten participants on even more important issues? Is there a reason for him not leading an all-party delegation to achieve these important goals for the sake of the people in the first place? Is he scared of Modi or has Chandrababu become insane or is he satisfied with riches that he is making anyways? Is it justified for him and his government to trample on the people of the State when they raise their voices against the unjust and cheating governments?
People may have had it finally and there may not be an escape for him this time.
Gurava Reddy, Atlanta
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of greatandhra.com.
