|
All colleges in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh have been closed
for two weeks. Critics of the Congress government say that's the only
action that has been taken in response to a movement that's gaining
momentum - one that asks for a separate state of Telangana.
The face of that campaign, K Chandrashekhar Rao or KCR, as he's known,
is still on a hunger strike. KCR, who is the chief of the Telangana
Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is being monitored closely at a Hyderabad
hospital. His party says it's running out of patience while the
government ponders its stand on the Telangana issue.
"Nothing short of saying yes to Telangana state. Nothing more than
that, nothing short of it," states Prof Jayashankar, Telangana
ideologue.
That warning has Andhra worried. Officials also fear that any
deterioration in KCR's health will lead to violence on the streets. On
Monday, student groups that support KCR joined TRS workers in setting
vehicles on fire. That led to Thursday's decision to close colleges for
a few days.
"What all has to be done, the state government will look into it,
depending on the situation. If necessary, the Congress party will
intervene depending on the situation," says D Srinivas, President of
the Andhra Congress Party.
So what happens next? "KCR is in a catch-22 situation because if he
withdraws his hunger strike, he will invite severe criticism from
non-TRS sections within the Telangana movement and he cannot move out
politically. If he continues with his fast, his health does not
permit," offers K Nageshwar, a political analyst.
KCR and the TRS didn't deliver huge results in the recent Lok Sabha
elections; but Rao is being offered support by non-TRS groups in his
campaign. Proof that the sentiment for a separate Telangana is strong,
and the government will need to take a stand soon, something it has
avoided steadfastly so far. |
