Separate Telangana - An endless Saga

Published in The Viewspaper http://theviewspaper.net/separate-telangana-%E2%80%93-an-endless-saga/

Introduction

I was standing in the balcony of my house, having tea and thinking of today’s day of work, when I saw Mr. Sharma’s kids playing on the road in front of our building. It not being a Sunday, this was a rare sight and so I curiously asked them why they were not at school. The reply which came made me feel dumb, as it was not something that I hadn’t heard of in the past few days and should have easily guessed, “Telangana Bandh”. For us, office goers, it meant no roadside food stalls in breaks, no restaurants for lunch, most importantly no buses, no autos or I might say few high charging auto drivers to take us to office. This has become a regular occurrence in Hyderabad and needless to say, a painful one.

Historical Background

The history of Telangana issue goes way back to 1953 when the States Reorganization Committee was formulating the division of Indian states on the basis of linguistic grounds. With a rich resource base but less developed economy, people of Telangana were not very keen on a common telugu speaking state for fear of exploitation. After a lot of considerations and arguments, it was decided to go with a larger state for the time being with promises and constitutional safeguards made for the prevention of any injustice against the people of Telangana. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister termed it as a matrimonial alliance with a “provision for divorce”!

As feared, the alliance never worked, with Telangana facing the brunt of exploitation in every field. Since then there have been continuous requests, protests and movements by those wanting a separate state, followed by guarantees and promises, committees and constitutional amendments by those proposing to stay together. One such violent protest was during 1969 which had to be stopped by army action.

Post 2004 protests

Just when the separate Telangana emotion had subsided, the political parties in Telangana made it the driving wave for their electoral campaigns and thus came the emergence of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). In November 2009, TRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) went on a fast unto death demanding a separate state of Telangana. There after it lead to chaos in Andhra Pradesh assembly, with pro Telangana MLAs resigning on any move which went against the formation of separate Telangana and MLAs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema resigning on any move towards division of states. Many cases of suicide among pro Telangana students of Osmania University were reported to pressurize the government further.

Srikrishna Committee

To find an ultimate solution to the issue, a committee was setup in December 2010 to study the entire situation and propose a long term solution to this problem. The committee came up with six solutions, two preferred solutions being, keeping the state united or bifurcation of the states with Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana and a new capital for coastal Andhra. After so much of struggling and trouble shooting, we were back to square one with no party agreeing upon any solution and the protests and Bandhs continuing till date. It has not just disrupted the common man’s life but also caused a lot of revenue loss to the government.

Points of contention

The two major rivers, Krishna and Godavari have always been a major reason of grievance, with Telangana never being happy by the allocation of water to their region. Another point of contention is the government jobs in Hyderabad being taken up by people from coastal Andhra and their students bagging most of the seats in prestigious educational institutes. Though these are of concern to common public, but not so much for someone to commit suicide.

A game of politics

From a bird’s-eye-view, in the end everything appears to be a game of politics. People of Telangana are hoping to get power by formation of a separate state, while people of coastal Andhra dread diluting their position of power. The developed state of Hyderabad has become the major bone of contention for being a rich source of revenue and the immense employment opportunities that it provides. Forget about the concept of global world, what happened to the concept of “May the best man wins”?

Hyderabad being the biggest IT hub after Bangalore, it has a large base of non-telugu speaking people working with software giants and other multinationals. If they decide not to risk their lives and move away from Hyderabad, this would soon be followed by multinational organizations which are already re-considering their plans of setting up new offices in Hyderabad. This would ultimately lead to loss of the revenue these politicians are craving for. It is high time the government takes some stringent measures to prevent this from happening. Started by politics and aggravated by politics, we will never be able to find a solution to this seemingly endless problem unless active and constructive politics overtakes selfish needs.

Tourism Pollution - A crisis

Published in The Viewspaper http://theviewspaper.net/tourism-pollution-%E2%80%93-a-crisis/, a painful saga of the side effects of tourism, emphasizing the need for "sustainable" tourism in India..

Tourism- A tainting treasure

With rich natural vegetation, flora and fauna, long stretching water bodies and snowcapped mountains, an enthralling history and an unparalleled cultural diversity, India is a tourist attraction for many national as well as international tourism enthusiasts. Unfortunately with the growing number of people flocking these places of natural beauty, it is adversely affecting our environment. Littering of tourist places, the upcoming hotels and resorts at the cost of trees, the growing transport and air pollution have collectively led to the degradation of environment at many tourist attractions. As an Indian and more so, as a responsible human being, it is our moral duty to protect our environment from any such harm.

The tarnishing Taj

Our most treasured monument, Taj Mahal which we proudly refer to as the seventh Wonder of the World has been one of the biggest victim to this rising pollution. The fine white-marble monument built as a symbol of love is turning unpleasantly yellow due to the air borne particles from the surrounding oil refineries and the increasing traffic. Attracting around 300,000 visitors every year, this gigantic monument was completed in 1648 after 17 years of construction by 20,000 workers whose hands were cut off to prevent its duplication in future. Today, it is disheartening to see that many of the second time visitors have already started noticing the marks on this aging beauty built with such relentless dedication. To cut back on pollution, government has taken measures under which, cars and buses are prohibited from driving too close to the Taj Mahal. Visitors are supposed to park their vehicles about one and a half miles away and then take horse-drawn carriages to reach the monument. A non-corrosive and non-abrasive clay pack treatment is being carried out to remove deposits of particles on the marble which is estimated to cost around $230,000.

From tranquility to turmoil

A decade back, people used to travel to Shimla to spend a peaceful vacation in the beautiful valleys and snow clad peaks, away from the scorching heat of summer. But all that is left now are crowded places, congested traffic on roads, heaps of litter and diminishing vegetation. Same is the case with Mussourie, Manali, Rishikesh and many other tourist places. The surge in number of pilgrims has brought in considerable pollution. Ganga and Yamuna, two of our precious rivers are reeling under high levels of pollution. The rising level of pollution has raised many eyes and now people have started adopting eco-tourism to prevent the degradation of our most valuable resource – the nature.

Sustainable tourism – Need for the day

Conservation of natural resources is one concern, but the immediate concern is to tackle the harm caused by the increasing number of tourists. The littering of the once clean Juhu beach of Mumbai is not new but somehow we have not been able to find a solution for it yet. Environmentalists have insisted on solutions like burning or burying of paper and taking away non degradable polybags to ensure proper disposable of wastes. But such solutions are always easy to suggest and difficult to implement.

Mawlynnong is a remote village hidden in the greens in Meghalaya. This small place located at around 90km from Shillong is known as “The cleanest Village in Asia”. The residents of this picturesque village have learnt to live at harmony with Mother Nature and are a very good example which the urban folks should emulate. With the sustainable bamboo dustbins, separate compost pits for organic and inorganic wastes, ban on use of polythene and smoking, public toilets maintained by the villagers themselves, ritual of sweeping and cleaning of the gardens and roads every evening, this place is spick and span in every respect. Even the children there are taught from an early age to keep their surroundings clean and they don’t hesitate to pick up the odd piece of garbage on the road and put it in the bin.

This realization and seriousness is the need of the day. If this can be achieved then we sure will be able to preserve our country’s rich tourism from degradation.

Scotland of the East - Shillong

My first article on The Viewspaper http://theviewspaper.net/scotland-of-the-east-%E2%80%93-shillong/, on the place I manage to fall in love with every time I am depressed, whenever I am alone...

The city of Shillong

Located in the North-East in the state of Meghalaya, about 5000 feet above sea level, the city of Shillong is captivating with its alluring beauty and its rich Khasi culture. Characterized by rugged hills, dense forest and lush green valleys and highlands, this place is rightly called the Scotland of the East. With the first rays of the sun falling, it wakes up every morning, dressed in mist and clouds to give its companions the most memorable experience ever with nature. With a rich flora and fauna and the usually low temperatures in summer due to its hilly terrain, it acts as a perfect paradise for people trying to shy away from the scorching heat of the summers. Also known for the heavy rainfall belt of Cherrapunjee and Mawsynram this place is a must visit for every Indian once in their lifetime.

Journey to Shillong

While joining IIM Shillong for doing my MBA, I planned to reach Shillong a good three days early to take my parents across this exotic place and enjoy a long awaited family vacation.  Known for its beautiful lakes and waterfalls, the journey started with the stretch of Barapani Lake along the way from Guwahati to Shillong. With their surrounding sylvan hills and grassy down, the place is a treat with idyllic picnic settings. After spending some time enjoying nature and the exciting water sports like kayaking and water skiing, we continued on our journey to reach Shillong before sunset. After a long tiring day, all we could do was make arrangements for the next day’s tour of Shillong city and take a peaceful nap.

Places to visit

Excited to explore the city, we got up early the next day and headed towards our first spot – the Elephant falls and the Shillong peak. The two level waterfalls with fresh milky water gushing down with a roaring sound will force you to freeze the frame and hold on to that moment for eternity. The water at the foot of the falls was chilling yet we could not stop ourselves from stepping into it to experience that thrill. While returning we stopped at Shillong peak to get a view of the city of Shillong covered in dense fog and enjoy the fresh air gushing through our faces.

Our next stop was the Wards Lake. The century old, world famous artificial lake located at the heart of the city is extremely popular for its garden walks and boating. Though we could not spend much time there but the beauty of the place is worth mentioning. Next we went to the Don Bosco museum. The museum has well laid out galleries containing artifacts, paintings, fibreglass figures, emanating knowledge effectively through art. By the end of the day, I was amazed at how perfect a blend of beauty and culture was the city of Shillong.

The Paradise called Cherrapunji

The next day we planned to take a full day trip to Cherrapunji. We went well protected, expecting a heavy bout of showers. The first thing that caught our attention was the clean, fresh look that the region wore. With majestic mountains kissing the snowy clouds, and the gushing stream of sparkling water in the fall, Cherrapunji was beauty personified. We passed by many waterfalls enroute stopping at a few.  Standing atop thousands of feet at the mouth of one such waterfall, I felt invigorated and allowed myself to forget all the anxieties of the days to come. Our next stop was Mawsmai caves. At the outset, we found the cave unwelcoming, given their low roof and dark and damp environment. But just as our feet touched the cool water in the cave, we were infused with a sense of exploration and were amazed at how the rocks and water led us on until we reached the end of the cave. We continued to our next spot- the Eco Park, created by the Government of Meghalaya. We lost ourselves in the fragrance of the multi-hued flowers and admired the ecological aspect of the attraction. We stayed for a while, wonderstruck at how a place could be so impeccable. The sun started to set behind the hills, and it was time for us to leave. Despite the fact that it did not rain at all during our visit, we were soaked in the beauty of Cherrapunji- A paradise indeed!

For Food and Fashion

The vacation at Shillong was made all the more special with its unique cuisine and fresh fruits. Known for its rich meat especially pork, we really liked a spicy preparation of rice and pork cooked in the traditional Khasi style. Also we couldn’t get enough of the tasty Momos which forms a special part of the Meghalayan cuisine. And the fresh pineapple, plum and peaches were something that we had never experienced back home.

What makes the trip to Shillong an amazing experience is an insight into the rich culture of this place. Driven by the matriarchal system, people in Shillong are extremely helpful and accommodating. An interesting fact which came to our notice was that drivers here don’t honk horns and hardly overtake in spite of the heavy traffic. The city closes down at 8.00 and wakes up early with the sun. They lead a disciplined life living in peace with the nature.

Shillong is a treat for shopaholics. From fashionable items to handicrafts to guitars, it has an extensive range in all items. You have to get on to the streets of Police Bazaar at least once to see the wide range of fashionable clothes, winter wears and accessories at minimal prices. Rightly called as the Rock City of India, it houses high quality guitars at reasonable prices. We couldn’t stop ourselves from spending a few bucks for a special handicraft showpiece and hand bag for my mother and an electric guitar for my brother.

Fly to Heaven

The only troubling part of this journey is the remote location of the city. We travelled by train for around 36 hours from Hyderabad to Kolkata, followed by Kolkata to Guwahati and then finally a three hour road journey to Shillong. On contemplation, I think a flight for the same route would have been much more convenient and time saving than the train. In spite of all this, the three days at Shillong made it appear all worth and the satisfaction became deeper after the initial struggle. As it is rightly said, the joy of reaching the destination increases proportionally to the difficulties faced during the journey. Our stay at Shillong was so fulfilling that I would happily be willing to take this journey again and again.