Hyderabad:
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Telangana jago, Andhra walon bhago' a slogan coined last year by K Chandrashekar Rao had given jitters to those from coastal Andhra Pradesh. This time round, however, the tone is relatively mellow.
As the Srikrishna Committee report is to be made public, people are talking about a peaceful parting of ways. A tiffin centre in Mulkanoor town of Karimnagar has recently got a new name. For years, it was called 'Eenadu' which means 'our land'. It has now become 'Telangana' - a reflection of the public mood in these areas, of reaffirming their distinct identity.
"Take Hyderabad as an example, wherever you look, you can see people from Andhra. They settled in wherever they found fertile land. We are not asking anyone to leave but we want our share and our quota in jobs," said Padala Gautam, Sarpanch, Mulkanoor.
The overriding sentiment everywhere is of being denied due opportunity, of being dominated in every sphere by those from coastal Andhra Pradesh.
In Warangal, Kakatiya University has been the ground zero of the agitation for a separate Telangana state, which is not surprising given how the Telangana struggle has been linked to the aspiration of the educated youth.
Students who have been at the forefront of the agitation, clarify that it is not a Us-versus-Them battle. They have understood that making enemies won't help their cause.
"We are fighting for our opportunities, not to stop their opportunities. Our movement is not against the people from Seemandhra staying here but against the investors, politicians who are suppressing our people," said Rajesh, Kakatiya University student.