Hyderabad, July 31: The formation of Telangana is certainly good news for the entire population in the region. However, the Muslims living in the region have no reason to celebrate as they are most likely to lose benefits of four per cent reservation in jobs and education, at least for a brief period, immediately after the formation of Telangana State.

The present four per cent reservation was given to the Muslim community based on the report of Backward Classes Commission which identified 14 sections within the Muslims who are economically and socially backward. However, this report was prepared based on status of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh wherein they constituted 9.086 per cent of the total population, as per 2001 Census. After passing through several legal hurdles, the Andhra Pradesh Government started implementing Muslim reservation subject to the final judgment of Supreme Court.

However, the formation of Telangana will drastically change the situation. The BC Commission report which was made the basis for introducing the reservation would stand invalid as it represents the status of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Muslim population in Telangana State will be 11.827 per cent while in Rayalaseema-Andhra (State) it will be reduced to 6.947 per cent. Therefore, the process to give reservation to Muslim community will have to be repeated again by constituting new BC Commissions in both the States.

If all goes well, separate state of Telangana will be a reality in the next six months. If Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao is good at keeping his promises, then Muslims in the new state of Telangana will get 12 per cent reservation in jobs and employment. Since his party is likely to be merged with the Congress, it is difficult to say what the Congress High Command would decide with regard to Muslim reservation. Further, the Rayala-Andhra Government will have adopt a new policy to give reservation to Muslims who will constitue just 6.947 per cent of the total population in the State.

The moment Telangana becomes a reality, the Muslim Reservation policy will become null and void. Therefore, the analysts say that the Muslim organisations should take immediate legal steps to ensure that the reservation benefits continue till the new governments in both the States settle down and devise their new policies.

Hyderabad, July 31: Ministers and elected representatives from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions are busy finalising the strategy to reverse the decision of Congress High Command of formation of Telangana State.

The ministers from Seemandhra region on Wednesday held a marathon meeting with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to discuss the future course of action in view of Congress Working Committee’s decision to grant statehood to Telangana region. According to sources, a majority of ministers wanted the mass resignations strategy to be adopted to pressurise the High Command. However, a few senior ministers were in favour of stalling the process of Telangana formation through different means.

With just a few months left for the General Elections, some Seemandhra ministers were of the view that they should delay or drag the process at every stage to ensure that the Telangana Bill does not get introduces in the 15th Lok Sabha, whose term expires on May 31, 2014. Since Congress High Command is completely in favour of Telangana and it has made its opinion public, the ministers felt that it would not reverse its decision immediately fearing political repercussions. However, by delaying the process, the Telangana issue could be dragged to the next government.

The Seemandhra ministers will meet the Chief Minister again at 7 PM on Thursday to take a final decision.

Meanwhile, the elected representatives from the Andhra and Rayalaseema region have conducted a meeting at 12 noon on Thursday at MLAs’ Quarters to discuss future course of action. Based on their decision, the Seemandhra ministers, along with the Chief Minister, will finalise the next strategy.

Hyderabad, July 31 : Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan on Wednesday appealed to youth in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema not to become scapegoats in vote bank games being played by political parties.

Addressing a media conference, Dr. JP referred to the report of a youth committing suicide in the wake of the Delhi decision to carve out Telangana as a separate State and said there is no place for suicides, hatred and enmity in democratic polity.

Dr. JP said all mainstream political parties have used youth as pawns in their political games. As a result, the economy of the State and the brand equity of Hyderabad have suffered enormously. The youth of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema should not repeat the mistakes of their counterparts. “Don’t cut your nose to spite your face,” he counseled. Constitution of a new State is not a catastrophe. The drawing of a line on the political map of Andhra Pradesh is not going to make any change in the lives of people. It cannot be compared to the partition of India and Pakistan. Indians, as per the Constitution, can live and work anywhere in the country. The bifurcation of the State is not going to abridge the rights of people of any region.

Dr. JP said the Lok Satta Party welcomed the decision of the UPA and the Congress to respect the long-standing aspirations of Telangana people. The Lok Satta Party has always welcomed the formation of Telangana as part of a comprehensive and amicable solution that protects the interests of all regions.

Dr. JP pointed out that the way Delhi took the decision to form Telangana rather than the decision itself hurt people in other regions, especially in Rayalaseema. Delhi should have associated all the stakeholders in arriving at a decision instead of giving the impression of riding rough shod over them. He hoped that the Union Government from now onwards at least would change its style of functioning in taking the decision forward. The Center will be violating the spirit of the Constitution and harming the federal set-up in the long run if it chooses to ignore the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and imposes its decisions.

Dr. JP underlined the need to draw up special plans for the development of Rayalaseema, north coastal Andhra and backward regions in Telgangana. It should create the climate to attract investments to Hyderabad, which is one of the engines of growth in the country.

Dr. JP said that the capital of the residual Andhra Pradesh should be located in tune with the wishes of the people of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema after full consultations with them. However, steps should be taken to ensure that development is not confined to the capital as it happened in the case of Hyderabad. Hyderabad has become the political, economic and cultural capital of the State because of excessive focus on it.

Dr. JP welcomed the Delhi decision to confer national status on the Polavaram project and said that it will benefit Rayalaseema and Telangana more than Coastal Andhra. If the Godavari water can be tapped to irrigate the Krishna delta, the Krishna water can be utilized to benefit backward regions in Rayalaseema and Telangana.

Replying to a question, Dr. JP said the Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation project is totally unviable. The Government can utilize the funds meant for the project to benefit Telangana in better ways.

Dr. JP said that formation of a new State will not bring about any transformation in people’s lives unless district governments – the third tier in the federal setup – are empowered, corruption eliminated, citizens guaranteed the right to Government services and every one ensured quality education, healthcare and employment opportunities.

State Lok Satta Party President Katari Srinivsa Rao, Vice Presidents Bandaru Ramamohana Rao and Secretary Nanidpeta Ravinder took part in the media conference. INN

Hyderabad, July 31 : Former minister Dr P Shankar Rao on Wednesday demanded that the government of Telangana State should take steps for the welfare of martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause of Telangana.

Talking to reporters in the Assembly premises here, Shankar Rao said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi has honoured commitment and gave Telangana State. Thanking the Congress president for granting statehood to the region, he said that the new government should take measures to recognise the Telangana martyrs as freedom fighters. Besides installation of their statues in villages, the government should help their families. INN

Hyderabad, July 31 : The Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Dept. of Urdu is offering Diploma & Certificate Courses in Ghazal appreciation (Tahseen-e-Ghazal) Specially designed for non-Urdu. The Department has also started P.G. Diploma in Functional Urdu, Certificate Course in Urdu calligraphy, Certificate Course in Amoozish–e–Urdu.

These courses are meant for those who aspire to learn Urdu Language reading and writing, correct recitation and appreciation of Urdu Ghazal, Urdu Calligraphy or Functional Urdu. The application form can be had and submitted in from the MANUU city Centre Room No.705 7th Floor Haj House Nampally or can be down loaded from www.manuu.ac.in. The last date for the submission of filled in application form is August 5. Those interested may contact 040 – 23008365 or 9700115517 for more details. INN

Hyderabad, July 31 : Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said that the announcement made by the Congress party on formation of Telangana was incomplete.

Addressing a press conference at his residence here, Naidu said that the CWC thought of no mechanism to decide the important subjects like River water sharing, jobs and resources. He said that the nearly four to five lakh crores would be required to build a new capital and the Centre must take care of all the expenditure. He said that the new capital should be developed on the lines of Mumbai and Chennai. He also demanded that the national project status should be given to Pranahita-Chevella.

Naidu said that the justice should be done to both the states in terms of division of resources. He said the Centre should constitute an Experts’ Committee to decide the technical aspects. However, he said that his party would give reaction after the Group of Ministers submits its report.

People from both the States are one as they speak the same Telugu language. Therefore, all Telugu-speaking people should remain united. Reacting to the reports of a youth committing suicide in favour of united AP, he appealed to the youth not to resort to extreme steps.

Stating that the TDP had sent a letter to the centre in 2008 in favour of formation of Telangana and the party still stands by it. INN

Hyderabad, July 31 : Congress leaders from Rayalaseema on Wednesday threatened to move the court against the decision of Congress-led UPA Government to create Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to reporters after having a meeting with ministers and legislators from Rayalaseema region, Ministers TG Venkatesh, Erasu Pratap Reddy and SM Ahmadullah said that they might filed Public Interest Litigations in the High Court or Supreme Court against the State’s proposed division. Stating that they were still in favour of united Andhra Pradesh, they said efforts would be made to defeat the Telangana Bill in the State Legislative Assembly and Parliament.

However, if the Parliament passes the Telangana Bill, then the legislators from Rayalaseema were of the view that they should accept the ‘Rayala-Andhra’ State only if the region gets due share in Krishna waters and capital is built in Rayalaseema. However, if their conditions are not accepted, the leaders have decided to launch a movement for Greater Rayalaseema, Venkatesh said.

Venkatesh complained that the Rayalaseema region was always subject to injustices. Citing an example, he said that the Telangana was given Hyderabad while Polavaram Project in Andhra was declared a national project. What about our region? It got nothing,” he said. INN

New Delhi, July 31 : AICC General Secretary and in-charge for AP Congress Affairs Digvijay Singh on Wednesday justified making Hyderabad as the common capital for the two States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to reporters here, Digvijay Singh said that there was no harm in sharing a capital as it would need some time to create a new capital for Andhra Pradesh. “People need to understand that unless a new capital is formed, Hyderabad will be the joint capital. Ultimately, it will be in Telangana,” he said.

Digvijay Singh was reacting to the objection raised by Telangana Rashtra Samithi on making Hyderabad as the common capital for the two states for 10 years. He said the new capital would be created for Andhra Pradesh with the central assistance. INN