| | What is Telangana? Why does it stir such powerful
sentiments? What are the boundaries between the
people and the leadership? In an attempt to understand
the multilayered articulation of the demand for a
separate Telangana, we decided to speak to a cross
section of people on their participation and their
aspirations – people across political formations and
social backgrounds.
Our travels took us to small farmers, pastoralists,
intellectuals, coal miners, schoolteachers, weavers,
traders and dhobis; Muslim, adivasi, dalit and student
leaders; we attended meetings in adivasi hamlets, in
working class urban neighbourhoods and we visited
shibirams (tents) across the region and spoke to people
on relay hunger strikes.
We see quite clearly the emergence of a new politics
that is committed to deliberating over the meanings of
democracy and direct action. People’s demand for
Telangana elaborates a complex set of arguments in
relation to investment, employment, education, land,
water, and resources. But more importantly it has to do
with self-rule, dignity and self-respect, which are the
fundamental premises of the Telangana movement.
The separate state is seen as only the first step
towards democratisation.
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