A Decade Of Million March

March 10 would ring bells and take back people to memories of Million March held on the Tank Bund in Hyderabad in 2011, demanding carving out of separate Telangana from united Andhra Pradesh.

It is a decade since that violent protest was staged by pro-Telangana activists and political parties and their only demand was separate state that would stand as a mark of their self-respect.

Yielding to the pressure and protests by pro-Telangana groups, the separate state was carved out three years later when the Congress-led UPA government was in power and AICC president Sonia Gandhi was at the helm of affairs.

TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who championed the cause of Telangana, was voted to power in the Assembly elections held in the fledgling state.

The TJAC, which led the Telagana agitation, had been sidelined after formation of the state and Prof. Kodandaram, who led the committee, was completely forgotten and new people came into the scene.

KCR’s children, K.T. Rama Rao and K. Kavitha, rose to prominence in separate Telangana with both of them being given plum posts both in the party and state. The opposition parties slammed KCR for making it ‘family politics’ and KCR’s family becoming richer by the day.

They also criticised KCR for dumping the promises of Dalit CM, self-governance, Bangaru Telangana and better life in the new state. The Congress leaders faulted KCR for breaking his promise of merging the TRS with their party, once separate Telangana was carved out.

Dissidence started brewing from many quarters like farmers, government employees and others too. With KCR being unilateral in taking many decisions and his party leaders resorting to heavy corruption, the Opposition parties raised a hue and cry over the shady deals.

In a bid to throttle the voice of the opposition, KCR allegedly tried to empty other political parties, attributing ulterior motives. In addition, the opposition parties, TDP and Congress, lacked proper leadership and this worked to the advantage of KCR, who easily reduced both parties to a minority.

However, the BJP bosses, who are over ambitious to have their presence across the country, emerged as an opposition party that could cause inconvenience to the TRS, by winning two polls back to back.