Even as the spin doctors are out to prove how Telangana developed 'much more' than other parts of AP and are asking for 'outside experts' to evaluate the 'manufactured backwardness' of Telangana, scholar, economist and a former member of the Planning Commission Prof Bhalchandra Mungekar has nailed their lies by reeling stats about how Telangana is grossly discriminated against. How could there be equitable growth when out of 433 decision-making departmental heads in the Secretariat, hardly 7-8 from Telangana find a place, wondered Prof Mungekar, who in 2004, was handpicked by the Prime Minister to look after education, labour and employment, social justice, and tribal affairs for the 11th Five year plan. Mungekar is also one of the chief architects of NREGA.
Delivering the 14th Prof G Ram Reddy Memorial Lecture at the Centre for Economics and Social Studies (CESS) on `Regional dimensions of new economic paradigm: The case for Telangana’ in Hyderabad on 6 March, Prof Mungekar went on to say that attaining separate statehood is the only way out for Telangana now that all agreements/accords to safeguard its interests have been violated. This statement is all the more significant, coming as it is from Prof Mungekar. He was heading a committee overlooking development in Naxal-prone areas, with other members of the committee being the PM's then internal security adviser M.K. Narayanan and the union home secretary.
Mungekar made the following observations in his hour long lecture:
- Even SCs of a region, who do not believe in caste, would be forced to demand a state 10 years from now, if they are pushed against the wall by ignoring their just aspirations for bettering their lives. That is how social and economical aspirations manifest in a democracy.
- For those who turns up phobia and propaganda on 'viability, sustainability' of new states, it would serve well to see whether India satisfied those very parameters while it was demanding independence! It is people's aspirations and resolutions that matter.
- The Prof. reminded that SRC clearly mentioned that 'One language, One state' rule is neither justifiable nor practicable.
- Regional disparities arise from lack of secular process of economic development. Leon Trotsky's 'Uneven and combined development' was frequently referred to.
- How prophetic Fazal Ali sounded 5 decades before as those very reasons for which he recommended Telangana remain a separate state have now become the foundation for the demand for demerger!
- Fazal Ali's usage of word 'Colony' in the SRC report while reporting Telanganites fears about merger was considered a little over-the-top considering the decade the report was written in, but looking at what Telangana turned out to be, the word now looks prophetic and very apt! The Prof. further extended analogies of Telangana, Andhra with the situation in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Examples of 'internal colonies'.
- The professor ended his lecture quoting Marx about how those in power in society would never voluntarily relinquish power and so the Telangana peoples' movement hence should persevere and stick to the present non-violent way it is moving in. He advised caution with the anti-Telangana forces which would look at every opportunity to impose violence on the movement and suppress it then with brute force.
- More importantly, Prof Bhalchandra Mungekar stressed Telangana movement is more about attaining justice than statehood and that once the statehood is attained, no sections within it should replicate the same discrimination now Telanganites on the whole are complaining about. If that indeed happens, the Prof said in no equivocal terms that he would be back in the same spirit for fighting on behalf of those fighting for justice.
The Professor said his lecture copy would be submitted to the Shree Krishna Committee in support of the cause of Telangana.
TELANGANA VIII: My letter to Sri Krishna Committee (SKC) - A case for demerger of Telangana
TELANGANA VII: Grossly discriminated against: Prof Bhalchandra Mungekar
TELANGANA VI: Why Telugu news channels bar coverage?
TELANGANA V: Plutocrats unleash terror over OU students
TELANGANA IV: Shri Krishna committee a crude joke
TELANGANA III: A case of Tyranny of Majority
TELANGANA II: Statehood at Midnight
TELANGANA I: Telangana Movement and the Plutocracy: The Gathering Storm
My posts on Telangana:
