THE elders of Yanam may not support the proposal of the former French colony merging with Andhra Pradesh, but the youngsters beg to differ. They do want it to happen. For, they worry losing opportunities in the field of higher education if they continue to live in this enclave.
The town, which is close to the port city of Kakinada in East Godavari district, is located at a point where Koringa tributary joins the Godavari river. The majority speak Telugu, but they still want to be part of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Reason: the welfare schemes in the town are no match to those implemented elsewhere in the state.
However, an official who prefers to be anonymous, says there is no point in Yanam remaining a union territory 55 years after the French handed it over to the Government of India. “Yanam, which geographically falls in the premises of Andhra Pradesh, totally depends the state for drinking water, power and food supply,’’ ,” he says. ‘‘As there are no farming activity and production units, Yanam’s economy is dependent on the state.’’
Yanam was handed over to India as part of an agreement with France in 1954. As per the agreement, a few residents of the erstwhile colony took citizenship of France, and they continue to live in Yanam even today.
Bavisetti Ramakrishna, a cool-drinks vendor, says he and several of his folks would have lost all the benefits they enjoy today if Yanam gets merged with Andhra Pradesh. ‘‘We will lose all our benefits,’’ he says animatedly. ‘‘You know, I have a red ration card on which I would get rice at Rs 4 a kilo, besides sugar and kerosene. Who would want to lose it?”
This is apart from his children’s free education in schools, where breakfast, lunch and snacks are served. “The government, on its part, takes care of health needs of all the residents,’’ he notes. ‘‘Besides, there are widow pension and monthly allowances to physically handicapped and elderly people. You do not have such facility in Andhra, do you?”
There seem to be no administrative problems by being part of the UT, according to municipal vice-chairman P Suryaprakash. “The case with us is that our grievances can be settled at the office of the regional administrator. Luckily, one need not go all the way to Puducherry to get justice.”
Yanam Block Congress president M A Sirajuddin has a crucial point to add to what his fellow folks maintain. “See, our economy is dependent on decisions taken at national level. By merging the town with Andhra, no benefit is going to accrue to us.”
However, the students are worried over Yanam continuing to be under the UT. They think they are losing out on higher education opportunities, unable to compete with their counterparts in Puducherry as there is no uniform syllabus across the UT. “The Puducherry government doesn’t offer fee reimbursement in professional courses the way Andhra Pradesh does for BCs,’’ says K Vali Babu, a lecturer. ‘‘Besides, Yanam students will be treated as non-locals in professional college in AP.”
He says a lecturer in Yanam can do research in Andhra University only if he has studied in one of its affiliated colleges. ‘‘Distance education in Pondicherry University is not feasible, as one has to attend contact classes in Puducherry once in a week,” he adds.
pvkrao@epmltd.com