This is an open letter to all our politicians who are supporting the division of Telangana from the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Division of states is mutually beneficial to both the entities when there is reasonable justification. When you spin off a progressive and economocally viable zone out of a chaotic and backward state, there is proven success record. Example: Jharkand from Bihar.
But it would be foolish to expect the same outcome in every case. There should be careful evaluation of consequences and outcomes. Nowhere in the world were we successful by spinning off an underdeveloped area (Telengana) from a more developed combined entity (Andhra Pradesh). The resources available for development would be split and no individual state can implement any meaningful initiatives for overall development.
To note a few examples, there are several success stories in keeping the entities combined. East Germany and West Germany combined to form a unified Germany after having been split for decades. Most european nations have merged their currency into EURO, thereby giving the US dollar a strong competition in global currency markets.
Can we take a moment to pause...think... and learn our lessons from division of India and Pakistan? Think of the progress an undivided country could have made using the time and resources spent on trying to outdo each other in the international arena. Imagine the amazing growth and development that could have happened, if we never had to worry about sharing the water resources between our countries and never had to spend a rupee on border security between the 2 countries. Imagine our brave javans not having to die in vain protecting the siachen border? Imagine not having to fight the 3 wars and channeling those resources instead towards better healthcare and eliminating poverty. Imagine not having to fight extremists and spending that money on developing tourism.
Can we take a moment to understand the motive of the people supporting this cause? There is only one section of the society that can benefit from the bifurcation. The politicians and administrative staff. These folks can now dream of running two governments instead of one doing the same work. More politicians can now aspire to be ministers and more money can be spent at the expense of people and progress.
Our forefathers and politicians of their times have sacrificied much to make India and its states a better place. In contrast, the present day politicians seem to be only interested in their personal gain and do not care if they have to split the country into several pieces in the process. The congress as a national party should strive to become the fabric that unifies the country in development. Instead, the divide and rule policy that the British once adopted is now being very cleverly adopted to maintain the party's control over regional alliances.
Humbly requesting all the elected representatives to please rise up to your duty and fight these meaningless divisions. Remember your oath of doing what is right for the country & people and prove to the world that you are leaders, not mere politicians.
-Lekha Chigurupati
The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of greatandhra.com.
