Political Andhrapology of the Telangana Issue

Language is the basis of nation formation in Europe, and state formation in India. Telugu is spoken in both Andhra and Telangana regions, and in fact in the Rayalaseema region. Why then are the leaders and people of the Telangana region clamoring for a separate state? One has to look at the history of Hyderabad/Andhra Pradesh after independence, and the political ‘andhrapology’ of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

History of Hyderabad/Andhra Pradesh

In December 1953, the States Reorganization Commission (SRC) was appointed to prepare for the creation of states on linguistic lines. The SRC was not in favor of an immediate merger of Telangana region with Andhra state, despite the common language between the two. Here is a case of the bonding of language being overcome by historical difference.

Leaders of Telangana felt that merger with Andhra should be based on a voluntary and willing association of the people and that it is primarily for the people of Telangana to take a decision about their future. (However, the people of Telangana were never given a choice: indeed, in the most recent by-election to 12 assembly segments, they sent out a strong message for the formation of a separate Telangana state.) The people of Telangana had several concerns about the composite state of Andhra Pradesh. The region had a less developed economy than Andhra, but with a larger revenue base (mostly because it taxed rather than prohibited alcoholic beverages), which people of Telangana feared might be diverted for use in Andhra. They also feared that planned irrigation projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers would not benefit Telangana proportionately even though people of Telangana controlled the headwaters of the rivers. It was also feared that the people of Andhra, who had access to higher standards of education under the British Rule, would have an unfair advantage in seeking Government and Educational jobs. These concerns still cause worry to the people of Telangana.

Andhrapology of the Telangana issue
The people in the Telangana region are generally mild-mannered, accommodative, courteous, generous and genteel. On contrary, people of Andhra, although stylized in their speech and overly polite, are a bunch of pushy, greedy people. In saying this, I include myself in the pushy and greedy lot, being from the Andhra region myself. Over the decades, though (three decades, to be precise) I have learnt to cope with the Telangana dialect, which sounds rude, as I have learnt to appreciate the inherent nobility of the Hyderabadis.

A small example will illustrate the greed of the Andhra people and leaders the majority of water supply is from the Telangana region, yet canal irrigation disproportionately benefits the Coastal Andhra region with relative underdevelopment of Telangana.

Moreover, Telugu film makers, who are predominantly from the Andhra region, took to making fun of the Telangana dialect. One can understand the ire of the Telangana people when they hear comedians and villains in movies talking the Telangana dialect, and the heroes and heroines using the Andhra dialect.