India is my Country and all Indians are my...

Disclaimer: For long, I have had my reservations on the demand to carve out separate Telangana. I believe that progress and size of the state are not necessarily proportional. Political will, accountability of bureaucracy, visionary leadership and genuine love for the people transcending caste, creed and religion bring progress and prosperity to the populace of a region regardless of its size. If smaller states were to bring growth, India should be a sum of hundreds of states. However, as a correspondent who covered Telangana agitation in Osmania University which became sort of a battle ground in 2009-10,   I must admit that demand for separation of Telangana from rest of the state is the overwhelming will of the people in this region. Political agitations have compartmentalized the mindset of the people in Andhra Pradesh. Telangana-Andhra-Rayalaseema divisions have become rampant  in every sphere of our life.

Mishandling of Telangana crisis by both the Chief Ministers Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar Reddy fueled by Chidambaram's promise to carve out new a state have left political parties with only one option-support Telangana statehood or win no seat in this region. I endorse Telangana in the larger interest of the Telugus and the inevitability of prevailing situation irrespective of my past opinion.  I urge the readers of this article to understand that I have great respect for the Telangana movement and an in-depth knowledge of the history, sensitivity and urgency of their demand and to look at this article objectively.

In a country such as ours where diversity is a striking feature, divisions and disagreements are natural. The fact that we are a multi-party democracy, only flames these divisions for the political gains of these innumerable parties. In the recently released blockbuster, 'Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu', there are scenes to which a few self proclaimed Telangana saviors objected to. Following their attack on the office of director Puri Jagannadh and stalling the screenings of this film, what was evident is their monumental ignorance of India's political history and the context in which these dialogues were used.

Prakash Raj who played the baddie in this film is advised by his ailing father that he must rake up an emotional issue, and use that agitation as a vehicle to navigate his political aspirations.

Prakash Raj choses to use 'Jai Telugu' movement by manufacturing an artificial threat to Telugus from non-Telugus living in Andhra Pradesh. Consequence is Udupi hotels and other business outfits of non-Telugus come under attack. Protagonist in the film, Pawan Kalyan who plays the role of a TV reporter,  questions Prakash Raj's legibility to sing India's national anthem that revers all regions in the country because he loathes anything non-Telugu.

Now, people who are in the know-how of India's political history will immediately understand that this scene is a replication of Shiv Sena's attacks on South Indians in Mumbai back in 1960s. Shiv Sainiks attacked Udupi restaurants and South Indian cinema halls in Mumbai. The party workers beat up South Indians and raised slogans, " Lungi Hatao, Pungi Bajao'. In the recent past, both Shiv Sena and Raj Thackrey's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena shifted their focus on to Biharis. Slogans like 'Ek Bihari, Sau Bimari' are election anthems for these regional outfits. This case study is the basis for the scene in 'Camera Man Gangatho...'. All it takes is decent knowledge of India's political occurrences and Chronology of events to understand the context and real life basis for this scene.

Perhaps expecting common sense from our T-agitators is expecting the impossible. Self proclaimed Telangana heros who were out of media spotlight for significant amount of time, chose to own these dialogues and apply them against themselves. Political film-Pawan Kalyan-Telangana makes for perfect drama on TV and our TRP hungry Television stations ceased the moment as if it were the single biggest problem Andhra Pradesh encounters today. For the sake of argument, let us assume that these dialogues were aimed against Telangana agitators. Would someone care to explain how on earth will it hurt them if the hero asks you not to attack 'outsiders'? By being hurt, do T-agitators admit that they had attacked non-Telanganites? How on this planet will it hurt Telangana sentiments if the hero asks the villain to feel proud to be "Indian" first and everything else later? Director Shankar's statements were startling to say the least. I didn't know where to look when he declared this movie anti BC, SC, ST. The crime--Hero asks why SC, ST, BC students were living in separate hostels while they all could bond better living under one roof. One has to be as irrational as Shankar to brand this dialogue as an assault on their castes.

                                             

Nation first, state next and self later is the obvious inference from all the dialoges in this film. Blind folded by militant agitationalism and dubious intention of extracting money, what Telangana agitators have exposed is the shallowness of their knowledge. 

Democracy is discussion, debate, peaceful protest, voluntary boycott, disagreement and mutual respect. No amount of injustice justifies forced closures of theaters, stoning someone's car and casting misguided aspersions on the actors in the film. If everyone who feels hurt attacked one another, we wouldn't need courts, police stations, governments, law and order. There is strong reason to believe that such attackers and propellers of such assaults are products of political unemployment, remarkable ignorance and stoic silence by the educated class, liberal thinkers and media.

                                                         

It is imperative for all educated people to think about the path treaded by TRS and its affiliates. You either listen to us or we thrash you. You support our party or you are anti-Telangana. You dare do a cartoon on us, you are humiliating people of Telangana. You don't say 'Jai Telangana' then,  'Hyderabad mein pair nahi rakhna'. This is nothing less than terrorism. Aren't these exactly what Taliban and its likes do in Afghanistan? You either follow our rules or we will kill you. It is also laughable that such "pink" panthers don't raise their voice against MIM which is dead against Telangana state. What makes these self-imposed Telangana netas believe that they are the repositories of the people of Telangana? No human with brains in appropriate places saw malafide intention in these dialogues. Perhaps you have to be a cash-starved extortionist to discover such non-existent contexts in a purely patriotic film.

Beauty of India lies in its diversity. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Dalit, Brahmin  Vysya, Assameese, Tamil, Telugu, Tulu or Kashmiri, each of us come together to complete India. We all have the right to disagree-but that has to be within the framework of law. Unless we rise above narrow mindset and treat each others with respect, brotherhood and equality, we are never going to be a super power. Speed is irrelevant if we are travelling in the wrong route. Let us protest violence of goons in the name of Telangana. Let us uphold freedom of speech and right to expression. By remaining silent, you are proving Sri Sri correct who once said,

" Kontha Mandhi Yuvakulu Vrudhulatho Samaanam". Speak up before they come after you!!