This has irked the political parties as they are running out of patience. For how long can the people continue to have perseverance, especially when even after half a century the people of Telengana have been denied justice. This could be, one, in the form of a separate state; or, two, more money for development, more job opportunities, more irrigation facilities, more water for drinking. That is, in short, the region is crying out for development. There are two sensitive points in the Telengana tangle. Who will get the capital Hyderabad is the first sticky point as Telegnana has staked a claim on Hyderabad. The Andhra and Rayalaseema people, who have invested millions of dollars in the city, are opposed to it tooth and nail. The second sticking point is water. How would the people of Telengana get water from Krishna and Godavari? Therefore, whatever may be the decision, it should address these two concerns.

In the 2009 elections, the Telengana Rashtra Samithi, demanding a separate state, was almost routed, although it had won five seats in 2004 as a UPA partner. When Rajashekhara Reddy became the chief minister for a second time in 2009, he made sure that the opposition parties, including Teluegu Desam, Praja Rajyam and TRS, were weakened further. Had he lived longer, the Telengana issue would not have surfaced again. But it was the Congress leadership at the centre, which revived it on December 9, 2009 by announcing that the process for a separate state would begin fearing the decline in health of the fasting TRS chief Chandrashekhara Rao. Though the Sri Krishna Commission, set up to look into the Telengana tangle, came up with the solution recommending six options, the government is still struggling to find a way out. The only option it has chosen is that of delaying decision.

Historically the northern Andhra Pradesh, which includes the 10 districts of Telengana, has been part of the Telugu kingdom. After the disappearance of the Bahman rulers in 1565, it came into the hands of the Nizam, while the other parts of Andhra Pradesh were part of the British Empire. The successive Andhra Pradesh governments had not done anything to develop the region for decades. The state witnessed two ugly agitations – the Telengana agitation and the Andhra agitation. After the Andhra agitation of 1972 and the resultant imposition of Six Point Formula, the state was divided into seven zones treating the capital city as a separate entity.

Dr. Chenna Reddy also realized the futility of separate Telengana and merged his Telengana Praja Samithi with the Congress and later became the Congress chief minister in 1978. Until Chandrasekhar Rao floated his TRS in the mid nineties, Telengana issue was more or less buried.

The question of Telangana is the trickiest question that the Indian government is facing today. The ruling Congress fears that the creation of Telangana under pressure would open a Pandora box of regional demands elsewhere including demand for Gorkhaland, Saurashtra, Vidarbha, Bodoland, Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand. There is also a fear it might invite several separatist movements in the country.

The irony is that almost every party except two is vertically divided. While the TRS is for a separate Telengana the newly formed YSR Congress headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy is for united Andhra Pradesh.

The pro-Telengana leaders have almost persuaded the Congress high command that in the 2014 polls the Congress could bag at least 15 of the 17 parliamentary constituencies in the region. They argue that the Congress could also claim credit for creating a separate state and do better as the TRS has agreed to merge with the congress. But the Seema - Andhra legislators argue that the Congress would get zero in the other two regions. They point out that the YSR congress led by Jagan Mohan Reddy would sweep the polls. The longer Jagan remains in jail, the more supporters he would attract.

In such a nebulous scenario, the first thing the government and the Congress party should do is to ensure that the situation does not go out of hand. Andhra Pradesh is sitting on a volcano. The party has to change the state leadership choosing a man who could control explosive situations. Then it should to take a hard decision and stick to it. It is clear after several rounds of discussions that there is not going to be any consensus. People are not going to tolerate this indecision for long

A good option could be the Gorkhaland model for Telengana. The Telangana Territorial Administration could be an autonomous body, which will have greater financial and administrative powers. Further, an elected chief executive and members of the council would administer it. In that event, the Hyderabad problem would also be solved as it can continue to be the capital of Andhra Pradesh, which would please the Seema Andhra people.

Indecision on Telengana is not the answer. Right or wrong, the government has to take a view. The Congress has to put its foot down and force the issue. The next four months should be utilized to prepare the ground and persuade the people to abide by whatever decision the government takes. This is a stupendous task but it is not impossible. (IPA Service)