December 2009 Declaration and the Formation of Telangana State, June 2014

 

Question: December 2009 Declaration and the Formation of Telangana State, June 2014

Introduction

The journey from the December 2009 declaration to the formation of Telangana as India's 29th state on June 2, 2014, encapsulates a saga of regional aspirations, political maneuvering, and mass mobilization. Telangana, comprising the northern districts of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, had long nurtured a distinct identity shaped by its history under the Nizams, feudal agrarian structures, and cultural syncretism blending Telugu folk traditions with Deccani Urdu influences. The demand for a separate state stemmed from perceived economic neglect, cultural marginalization, and political domination by coastal Andhra regions since the linguistic reorganization of states in 1956. The 2009 declaration by the Union Home Minister marked a pivotal moment, igniting hope and controversy, while the eventual bifurcation in 2014 fulfilled a decades-old dream amid intense agitations. This period witnessed a resurgence of Telangana identity, driven by students, farmers, intellectuals, and politicians, transforming a regional grievance into a national discourse on federalism and equity. The narrative unfolds through promises, protests, committees, and legislative battles, reflecting India's democratic complexities.

Historical Roots of the Telangana Demand

The seeds of the Telangana statehood movement were sown in the mid-20th century. Post-independence, the integration of the princely state of Hyderabad into India in 1948 via Operation Polo ended Nizam rule but introduced new challenges. The Fazl Ali Commission's 1953 recommendation for a separate Hyderabad state was overridden by the 1956 States Reorganization Act, merging Telugu-speaking areas into Andhra Pradesh. This "unholy alliance," as critics called it, was based on linguistic unity but ignored Telangana's socio-economic backwardness. Coastal Andhra's fertile deltas and industrial hubs contrasted with Telangana's arid lands, leading to unequal resource allocation. Irrigation projects like Nagarjuna Sagar favored Andhra, while Telangana suffered from water scarcity and underdevelopment.

The 1969 Telangana agitation, sparked by student protests in Osmania University against job discrimination, highlighted these disparities. Led by figures like Marri Chenna Reddy, it resulted in over 300 deaths and the formation of the Telangana Praja Samithi, which won 10 Lok Sabha seats in 1971. However, the movement fizzled after promises of safeguards, including the Six-Point Formula in 1973 for equitable development. The 1980s and 1990s saw sporadic revivals, influenced by Naxalite movements addressing agrarian distress. Political parties like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) occasionally flirted with the demand but prioritized unity. By the early 2000s, economic liberalization exacerbated inequalities, with Hyderabad's IT boom benefiting outsiders more than locals. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), founded by K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) in 2001, exclusively championed statehood, winning seats in 2004 elections and allying with Congress in the UPA government.