There’s a fairly strong rumour in Andhra Pradesh that the various political parties are going to wrest the initiative from the widely respected organizations of non gazetted officers of the state and take control of the 70-day old agitation – presently spearheaded by NGO’s – against the bifurcation of the state, and that the NGO’s who have forgone their salaries for two months now would only be very happy to oblige and let the mantle pass to the political parties all of whom have had a role in the bifurcation of the state. Should that happen, there need be little doubt, given the general character of politics, politicians and political parties in India, that the agitation which was initially and spontaneously carried out by the common people of Costal Andhra and Rayalaseema irrespective of their private political affiliations, would come to a slow but definite halt and die an ignoble and unforeseen death.
The latest attempt by the state congress party to send a 17-member delegation to Delhi with the sole proclaimed aim of stopping the bifurcation process is being viewed by the common man with serious suspicion as part of an attempt to take over the current agitation and relegate the common man as well as the non gazetted officers to the background. This attempt to send a delegation to Delhi in the face of an obdurate congress high command is hardly convincing to the common man who looks at it as part of an elaborate drama.
Reacting to the protests in Seemandhra region, Congress on Wednesday demanded invocation of ESMA in the state; it is considered to be a step to the direction of intimidating NGOs – particularly the employees in the power sector – and force them to cede control of the agitation to the more malleable political class.
Tags: Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh agitation Seemandhra Telengana
