After 53 years, the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions are not willing to gift Hyderabad to Telangana.
The Telangana dream might be close to realisation, but the process could get stuck on Hyderabad. When Telangana merged with Andhra Pradesh in 1955-56, the capital moved from Kurnool in Rayalaseema to Hyderabad. After 53 years, the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions are not willing to gift Hyderabad to Telangana.
“The separate Telangana state will have to be without Hyderabad. It is the state capital and developed because of combined efforts of the people of the state,” an aggrieved Congress MLA said. Two ministers in chief minister K Rosaiah’s cabinet — D Nagender and Mukhesh Goud — agree. After all thousands of crores of investment in IT, pharma, infrastructure and real estate happened here. Though IT and ITeS attracted investment from the world over, investors in other sectors are mostly from Andhra and Rayalaseema.
The city has also seen large-scale migrations from across the state, sparking differences. “Most real estate biggies in the city are agri-rich migrants from Andhra or Rayalaseema.
They bought land from farmers of the region who failed due to non-availability of irrigation facilities,” a Telangana trader said.
What draws people to Hyderabad is its infrastructure. In fact, when the state capital shifted from Kurnool to Hyderabad, there was ready infrastructure available here. The high court, assembly, several hospitals, Osmania University and other government institutions are still housed in buildings built by the Nizams.
“For a capital to be formed in a new state after Telangana is separated, the state will have to spend hundreds of crores on buildings alone,” a Congressman from Rayalaseema said.
“Hyderabad should be a common capital to both Telangana and Andhra,” senior TDP leader Kodela Siva Prasad suggests. But, Madhu Yaski Goud, a Congress MP from Telangana, feels, “Telangana without Hyderabad is like a headless body. There is no way the people of Telangana will forego their right over Hyderabad.”
Important here is the opinion of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a considerable force in Hyderabad. But it is yet to take a stand.
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