Creating regional feelings: KCR leads the show by his diatribe against Andhras

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Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy's remarks that people in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema will suffer if a separate Telangana state was carved out has received mixed reaction. Some opposed him. Some supported him. Some said he was raking up regional feelings. He is not the first one to "rake up" regional feelings. Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu did it during 2004 elections. Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao has been doing it ever since he left the Telugu Desam to float his own political party, fighting for the cause of separate Telangana.
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2009
Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, April 19: Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao's denial notwithstanding, he displayed his rank empathy and sworn hatred towards people from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema at every conceivable occasion.

Ever since he floated the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in 2001, Chandrasekhar Rao made scores of statements whipping up regional feelings. He gave a call to "settlers" to quit Telangana.

He even went to the extent of questioning the sanctity of the Telugu Talli wondering from where it had emerged. "Evani Telugu Talli, Ekkadi Telugu Talli" (whose Telugu Talli she is and from where has she come), Chandrasekhar Rao said on October 5, 2006 in Hyderabad.

Telugu Talli is the personification of Telugu culture, tradition, land and values and she is regarded as the mother of all those whose mother tongue is Telugu. The TRS has created its own version of Telangana Talli in a bid to deride the people who believe in Telugu Talli.

Meanwhile, the Congress has come out in full support of Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, who had declared that a separate Telangana State would create problems for people in the other two regions. A new body, Andhra Development Forum, has emerged all of a sudden to criticise the anti-Andhra remarks made by Chandrasekhar Rao.

Launching a scathing attack on educational institutions being managed by people from coastal Andhra, Chandrasekhar Rao declared in Mahbubnagar on February 17, 2009 that such corporate schools and colleges would be closed down, if a separate Telangana state was carved out after elections.

"The capitalists of Andhra region have established these institutes on the pretext of providing quality education. They are exploiting parents in Telangana region. Because of these institutions, local unemployed post-graduates, who set up coaching centres, have been hit. We will close down all corporate educational centres set up by Andhraites," Chandrasekar Rao said.

The same day he declared at a public meeting in Shadnagar that when a separate Telangana State is formed, he would not allow investments from non-Telangana regions unless and until they promise to give 70 per cent of the jobs to Telanganites.

The TRS chief supported the party agitation against "Andhra meals" during June 2008. He issued instructions to hoteliers to remove all food items identified with Andhra like idly, sambar and introduce ragi sankati and jonna rottelu.

Chandrasekhar Rao talked about exploitation by "Andhra rulers" during a meeting on June 29, 2008. He described Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy as "jala donga" (water thief). He also accused that people from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema were exploiting the natural resources from Telangana like water and minerals. The TRS leader also declared that Sunkesula dam would be blasted.

According to KCR's "estimation", people from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema have amassed wealth and assets worth Rs 3,00,000 crore in Rangareddy, Medak and Hyderabad districts. "We will seize them after Telangana is separated. We will also rename Kasu Brahmananda Reddy park, as it is named after a Telangana traitor," he said.