Contrary to the apprehensions of the police, the Samaikyandhra public meeting organised by the APNGOs at LB Stadium here on Saturday went off peacefully with Telangana protagonists deciding against creating trouble, while in Delhi Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde reiterated that the Telangana process is on.
As the TJAC has called a Telangana bandh, the T-activists concentrated more on enforcing it. As the day grew, tension eased giving way to a sense of achievement among the organisers, which encouraged the leaders to announce a Samaikyandhra Million March at Secuderabad Parade Grounds soon.
They made it clear that except a roll-back of the decision of dividing the state, no other alternative will be acceptable to them. “Our call to Million March is only to make our voice heard. This is not to intimidate anyone,” APNGOs Association president P Ashok Babu said, reiterating that it is time MPs and Central ministers resigned. Ashok Babu said: “Division of the state will affect the interests of employees, APSRTC workers and the students.
Seemandhra cannot afford to lose Hyderabad, for whose growth it had contributed a great deal. Hyderabad has become synonymous with Andhra Pradesh.” Before the leaders began their addresses, Samaikyandhra activists, who arrived in huge numbers form all parts of the Seemandhra with police providing them security, had a gala time inside the stadium.
Women who attended in big numbers danced and sang while Ghazal Srinivas, rendered songs. Seemandhra leader Satyavani captured the attention of the audience towards the close of the meeting with her articulate exposition of the need for Samaikyandhra. Though balladeer Vangapandu Prasada Rao arrived at the venue in the morning, he was denied entry as he was not an employee, forcing him to sing songs outside the stadium.
Several employees of private companies too tried to get inside but in vain. There were, however, two untoward incidents inside the stadium--an AR constable was beaten up by policemen when he raised “Jai Telangana” slogans. Then, in another incident, Samaikyandhra employees thrashed a Telangana activist when he showed footwear as Ashok Babu was making a point that Hyderabad belongs to every one and not just to Telangana.
Outside the venue, there was trouble for about half an hour at Nizam College opposite LB Stadium in the morning, where Samaikyandhra employees beat a few Telangana activists. At Gun Park, police chased away lawyers. A handful of students tried to storm the APNGO Home, but the police overpowered them. At Osmania University, students threw stones at police when they were stopped from taking out a procession.
In retaliation, the police lobbed tear gas shells. The students, who were arrested at various places in Hyderabad, were taken to Goshamahal Stadium, but tension built up there following the arrest of TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandram who went there to speak to the students. As the day went off without trouble, even Ashok Babu wondered if TJAC apparently had a change of mind.
“It seems TJAC leaders had a change of mind,” he said and felt that had they acted this way in the past, the meeting would not have acquired the importance it has now. Meanwhile, TRS leader T Harish Rao said: “People of Seemandhra should realise that had Telangana people not cooperated, the public meeting would not have taken place at all.”
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