Fine fissures evident in the aftermath of Telangana march

While it was a big success in terms of the crowds it drew to the capital Sunday, the Telangana March also showed up hairline fissures within the separate state movement and the pulls and pressures acting upon it.

Sunday night’s heavy downpour notwithstanding, a keen examination of the late events of the evening left everyone wondering why the TJAC pulled back from a post-march standoff with the police after having grit its teeth for it.

To those who watched the proceedings through the whole day, the crosscurrents were too evident to miss.

TDP supporters chose to stage their protest separately and were satisfied that it was a good enough signal of support to Telangana.

 The Congress MPs tried their best to get arrested in front of the TV cameras and were packed off to a police station from where they secured a release so late in the day that none could question why they did not turn up at Necklace Road.

 Now to the players who were at the venue.

The TRS supporters, who turned up each with a pink flag to give the evening a roseate hue, began to leave the protest venue from about 6 p.m., well before the 7 p.m.  deadline set by the government.

 As for the TRS MLAs, they took the criticism of their boss K Chandrasekhar Rao as a ruse to walk out late in the evening.

 None of them made an effort to even speak.

 Many prominent representatives of employees associations and artistes were also missing in action. Newsmen present at the spot were witness to members of the BJP and CPI trooping out soon after the rain started pouring. By 8 p. m. when TJAC chairman Prof Kodandaram sought to elicit from the crowd whether they should continue the sit-in, the numbers had thinned to a few thousands.

 According to sources, a message was then conveyed to minister K Jana Reddy that he should come to the venue and make an appeal to call off the march.

 The minister let himself be discouraged by the rain, and preferred to make the required appeal on TV channels. Then went out a veiled threat from the government side that all those still present could be arrested.

 BJP leader G Kishen Reddy, who had by then gone home and finished his dinner, hurriedly returned to the spot, only to find that Kodandaram had called it off.

 What also was not missed was the clamour by some representatives of the numerous JACs for some space in the spotlight. Most of the time was taken by appeals by Kodandaram for people to get down from the dais lest it collapse.

 On the serious side, the event also reflected the desire of the CPI and BJP to expand their political space in Telangana, taking advantage of the lukewarm response of the TRS to the march and the Congress’ preference for Kodandaram rather than KCR.

 “The professor did a commendable job in organising the march to reflect the sentiments of the people of the region,” said senior leader K Keshava Rao.

 But hardcore Telangana protagonists are also worried.

 As one observer put it, KCR has thus far been able to provide a solid political platform for the T movement.

 “But once too many players enter the scene, it is also possible that each will pull it in a different direction, leading to dilution over a period of time.”