By MS Shanker : 

Amidst rumors over early assembly polls, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the BJP are determined to whip up regional passions yet again in a bid to win over the electorate.

Come September 17, a royal shown down is on the cards.  Reason;  the erstwhile Hyderabad state got annexed into Indian states after police action called “Operation Polo.’  The ruling TRS and the BJP are at each other throats as they made it a bone of contention over whether it should be observed as ‘Integration” or ‘Liberation” Day.  

And, the ruling party, which has a discreet alliance with the AIMIM, would not like to hurt the Muslims' sentiments and hence had been celebrating September 17 every year as ‘Integration’ Day. Before that, Congress never gave much importance and bothered to celebrate it undivided Andhra Pradesh. But, the BJP, which sees an opportunity to seize power in the state of Telangana as the anti-incumbency against the ruling TRS is on rise, wanted to celebrate, ahead of state assembly polls, as ‘Vimochana Dinam” (meaning Liberation Day).

It had been the saffron party election agenda for quite some time. Even the PM to HM to the party chief of the saffron party had been promising the people of the region that if their party voted to power, it will celebrate it in a benefitting manner.

But, its decision to hold this year had come as a rude shock not only to the ruling TRS but also the Congress and AIMIM. In a surprise move, the Centre has announced to celebrate state Liberation Day on September 17 on par with India’s Independence and Republic Day celebrations here at Secunderabad parade grounds in which Indian armed and para-military forces to take part. While on Republic Day and Independence Day, the concerned state Governor and CMs respectively receive the ‘guard of honor, on the proposed “Liberation Day” it’s the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Perhaps, the BJP wanted to send a strong message that it was the first Union Home Minister Sardar Patel, who took the initiative to annex all erstwhile princely states into Independent Indian state, much against the chagrin of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Even the ‘Operation Polo’ that was launched by Sardar Patal on September 13 and successfully executed on September 17, was reportedly opposed by Nehru. But, Patel went ahead with his mission which was also known in this part of the region as the famous ‘Police action’.

The last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali, was reluctant to join the Indian state after independence and showed more inclination towards the Jinnah-headed Pakistan.  That peeved the India’s ‘iron man” Sardar Patel to take such an extreme step to forcibly annex Hyderabad into an Indian state.

The state BJP is jubilant as at last the long pending people’s dream to celebrate the Liberation Day on September 17 as many Hindus were reportedly killed by the last Nizam’s private army Razakars’

“It is wrong to accuse us that we are whipping up regional sentiments for political gains,” argues the BJP’s state unit chief spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao.  He reiterates that the promise to celebrate Sept 17 as ‘Liberation Day’ had been on their party’s ‘election agenda’ for quite some time and the allegations of the Opposition, especially the ruling TRS, is unjustified.

“Did we oppose when they whip up regional sentiments during the separate statehood struggle and finally achieved in 2014? Is it not a fact that the BJP had played a responsible role in fulfilling the aspirations of the region for self-rule then? How can anyone blame us when the fact remains that the erstwhile Nizam state got liberated as the last Nizam was reluctant to join Indian states and had plans to get annexed to newly formed Pakistan on a religious basis? Is it not a fact that Nizam even donated Rs 20 crores to the first Prime Minister of the Pakistan government and expressed his willingness to join him? How can TRS forget the atrocities perpetrated by the Nizam’s private army Razakars on gullible Hindus?” asked Rao angrily. The BJP has also announced year-long celebrations of the ‘Vimochana Dinam” across the state.

On the other hand, the TRS decision to observe it as ‘national integration’ day is understandable. It has to depend winning elections heavily on its ‘all-weather ally’ AIMIM. The reason; in as many as 25-30 assembly constituencies in the state have a considerable number of Muslim votes ranging from 10-15 percent. Without AIMIM support the TRS or Congress can dream to come to power. To counter the rightist BJP’s Parade Ground mega event, the TRS had plans to celebrated three-day national integration day across the state by holding massive rallies and public meetings. 

Against that backdrop, the BJP feels it got a golden opportunity to polarise Hindu votes this time around as the people are vexed with the KCR’s appeasement politics. On many occasions in public meetings, KCR also exceeded his brief with jibes like ‘Hinduvulu-Bondhuvulu” to nail the rightist saffron party.

But, the ruling TRS feels otherwise. “Past is past. Why did the so-called atrocities committed by the Nizam’s private army Razakars be raked up time and again?  For that how can anyone dare to castigate the entire Muslim community? Is it not true that still feel some good work of the Nizam who ensured of Hindus welfare?” argues the TRS party MLA Hanumantha Rao. 

Interestingly, the Congress looks unconcerned as it is preoccupied more with Rahul Gandhi’s mega ‘walkathon.’. “Ours is a secular party and we believe in unity and integrity of the nation. The TRS and BJP are playing dramas ahead of the elections. We feel people are not so naïve and gullible to see through their intentions,” was the opinion of the senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity.