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Way back in 1967 Hyderabad was displaying funny looking signboards with faulty Telugu spellings. Available roadside foods were neither heard nor eaten before by a visitor. Anabshahi grapes and Pulla Reddy sweets were favorite buys for many who visit Hyderabad on special occasions. The old structures were typically Mohammedan in architecture.. The effective drainage system, small dome type light rickshaws, double decker buses were part of tourist attractions. Sweat free Deccan plateau weather contrast to the sticky coastal breeze, and absence of pigs, were a major considerations to a prospective settler. Never you could expect a Idli or Dosa as breakfast item in hotels. Various versions of Kachori, samosa and Curry puffs were offered if you are inclined to order for a breakfast.Nawabi Hyderabad goes go to bed late and wakes up only when the sun turns on head. Hindi films topped the box office collections. Telugu films are exhibited in selective theaters. Rarely jokes were applauded. and actors identified. Obviously one has to speak Urdu mixed Hindi to negotiate a rickshaw or buy a grocery. Old timers of reminiscent cultures wore typical Shervani and Mukuhmal caps but looked very poised and pensive. Few colonies and areas were predominantly lived by Maharashtrians or Kannadigas other communities being Marwari, Sindhri, Gujaratis and Punjabis. Secunderabad had sizable Tamil population.

The rural Telangana districts wore a different look. Long stretches of barren lands interluded between towns. Very rarely rice or sugar cane crops were found. Water was scarce. Towns and villages were dry and houses were build with mud. A supposedly main bazar bore a scant commercial activity. Many vegetables were not available for major part of the year. Majority of the people spoke Telugu heavily influenced by Urdu. Old timers never know to read or write Telugu, since Urdu was the medium of instructions in schools. The festivals celebrated there were not known to the outsiders. The jewelery wore by women resembled Maharashtrian accessories . Long stretches of forests covered many districts of Telangana. Many people in the area were subjected to the high handed treatment by rich landlords and poor almost lived a life of servitude under their rich lords.

The nine districts of Telangana which were part of erstwhile Hyderabad State ruled by Nizam state merged with Andhra State in 1956 comprised of erstwhile Telugu speaking northern districts of composite Madras state to form a new State of Andra Pradesh on linguistic basis.

Hesitations and inhibitions marked the formation of Andhra Pradesh . The Communist led Telangana Vimukthi Poratam or Telugu literary moments held by illustrious figures of Telangana area have had a character of their own, but little known to the people outside Telangana. Legendary figures of the regions were not familiar to the Telugu people of other parts of the state. Their habits, culture with north Indian traits, and distinct slang were totally new to the people of other districts whose culture has strong south Indian flavor. Although Telugu spoken by the people of the region had a distinctive style and vocabulary, it was almost treated as of inferior quality. It was more or less like people of two different cultural backgrounds speaking the same language joined together to form one state.

More or less decade of amalgamation did not seem to have lifted the region from it's barrenness. Comparisons were drawn. Feeling of alienation fanned and fueled by the aspiring leaders, and hatred being pumped in.The year 1969 witnessed widespread separatist agitation fought by the students and intelligentsia only to be sabotaged by the politically motivated leaders of the same region.

Years passed. The state of Andhra Pradesh consolidated much to the disappointment of separatists. Younger generations grew up in new environment learning their entire curriculum in Telug medium. In the cultural front Telugu movies, and televisions started making a strong impact. Hyderabad turned a favorite destination for industries and health care. It offered ample employment opportunities for people from both the regions.Educational institutions have spurred. Real estate boom added hues to the flourishing Hyderabad.As the rural based state had few cities of good standing, and the sole destination for most conceivable projects happened to be Hyderabad. No wonder City of Hyderabad essentially heterogeneous in character and host of numerous people from various states attracted many from Andhra districts too. Investments rolled in. It became a hot destination for many industrialists from all parts of Andhra.

Mean while the language bonded the people in invisible ways. People from all corners of the state started to know about Telangana and it's culture. It came to be a natural and integral part of their statehood. The discrimination it experienced once waned away and cultures and ethos started blending. Few hitherto unrecognizable statues of Tank Bund acquired a permanent place in the younger hearts.People started getting to know each other more intensely. The children born and brought up in Hyderabad irrespective of their place of origin have essentially become Telanganites. Children of both the regions had the common celluloid heroes and favorite songs. They studied under one roof and shared common interests. They were one with each other until one politician woke up from slumber to tell them that they deserve a separate state. The underdevelopment of the region was high lighted with stark contrasts and make believe attempts were successful.

All of the backward regions in the country over decades hardly deserved a look by the ill conceived governments irrespective of their geographic location. As a matter of fact none of the regions were consciously developed by the governments.Few pockets of unplanned development invite stiff competition for the opportunities leaving a very small space for people to choose . It is the neglect of the regions which foster the ill feelings in the larger picture. The dissidents were able to drive the point home by roping accusations of stealing of water and resources on other regions.The underdevelopment of some coastal districts and chunk of Rayala Seema smoke screened by blatant allegations by the tricky manipulators. The adjoining districts to final straits of Godavari could have been drought stricken but for the barrage constructed in 1852 by a British Engineer Sir Arthur Cotton, which did not even called for a second look until it was damaged in 1987 floods. The changing dynamics turn fertile agricultural belts turn into less attractive option, leaving no edge to any region. In the immediate post independent era projects and factories were envisaged with viability options rather than regional considerations.Cotton era was much more Quixotic and he had a grand vision of joining all the major rivers of India( One tenth of his vision by the subsequent governments could have improved lives of millions) In present day India regional distribution was felt necessary though baneful to the national interest. Undoubtedly the holistic perspective of development is suffering in the hands of quick fixers.Our lack of astuteness in identifying the ensuing water problems will necessarily create antagonism between people in coming years.
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The agitation gathered momentum from the calculative Nirahara Diksha by a leader who can be attributed with the credit of sentiment arousal. The villages and semi urban areas are echoing with sentiments, uproar leading to self immolation. Hegemony over region's resources, and clamor for improving their living opportunities topped agenda. The moment might have been sparked with some motive, but at the end of the day it is reverberating with anguish and vehement decry from every section of the society. When the desire for freedom and self rule is so expressively let out by every one, right from the child to ninety year old it is a moral binding on every one in the government to look into the matter with seriousness. Guns can never ensure eternal peace. Cordial relations with hidden bitterness in the heart can not make people bind together forever. The feeling of guilt which is necessarily visiting every person in other regions for no apparent fault of theirs does not make them brave. Obviously they have tough task of building new capital, projects, infrastructure a head. Lot of uncertainty is ahead of them. Take a lesson that concentration of every possible skill, infrastructure, and industry in one place can make you vulnerable.