Telangana Now Liberated After 10 Years: Governor

Hyderabad: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan indulged in some tough talk directed that the BRS on Friday and declared that Telangana was free of “oppression” and spoke of how the state, after the recent elections and change of government, was “now liberated from autocratic rule and dictatorial tendencies,” and how institutions were “degraded to serve individuals” in the last ten years and that the new government would not be a “feudal rule.”

The Governor’s address to the joint session of the State Legislature was clear in terms of how the Congress government viewed the BRS administration. Friday’s address was the first by the Governor to the Legislature after formation of the Congress government.

The Governor said the election verdict by the people was to “liberate themselves from the 10 years of repression... Telangana is breathing the fresh air of freedom and liberty now. Telangana is liberated from autocratic rule and dictatorial tendencies.” She said the people had made it clear that any repression would not be tolerated, and that the election verdict had become a “cornerstone for civil rights and democratic rule.”

She said: “The iron barricades that divided rulers from the people have been dismantled. I feel proud to say that the glass houses and obstacles have been removed and the true people’s governance has begun.”

Dr Soundararajan, who also spoke about the government planned to keep its promises made to the people, said the “new Cabinet… is a judicious combination of experience and the new, and is led by a young leader. I am of the firm opinion that the combination of youth and experience in the Cabinet would fulfill its promises and reach its goal.”

She also said the government would “have no qualms about taking constructive criticism from the opposition parties” and assured that “our government will not discriminate with regard to development” and “legislators from any party can seek help and copperation for the development of their constituencies.”

There were several very pointed barbs that could strike deep into the BRS’ collective will in her address, including a point she made about institutions.

“In the last nine and a half years, all the institutions have been destroyed. The institutions and organisations that should work democratically have been unfortunately degraded to serve individuals,” she said. In what appeared to be yet another very pointed dig at the previous administration, she said such degradation did “not augur well” for a democracy “where institutions indulged in individual worship.”

“My government,” Dr Soundrarajan declared, “has decided to change this trend and situation. We will restore the core values of the legislature and executive… We will usher in transparency in governance and administration. The Secretariat will not be a mere decorative symbol. We will respect constitutional institutions. This is not a feudal rule. We will instill confidence in people that this is real democracy.”

She said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had made it “abundantly clear” at the time of his swearing-in that “in a democracy, rulers are people’s servants, and they are not feudal lords.” She added that the Congress government thanked all people, parties, leaders, and the “then UPA government and then then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for creating separate Telangana. On behalf of four crore Telangana people, the present government thanks Sonia Gandhi, for the key role played in the process of creating Telangana state.”