HYDERABAD: The tagline for the next phase of Telangana statehood agitation spearheaded by TRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao was 'neellu, nidhulu, niyamakaalu" (water, funds and jobs). Rao in 2001 declared that he had launched the statehood agitation since the region was discriminated by Seemandra rulers in allocation of water, funds and jobs. He said Telangana state will get its due share of these only after a separate state is formed and sought the support of the people of Telangana to achieve these three goals.
Responding to the call given by Rao, employees from the region, who felt discriminated and humiliated, rallied behind him, ignited the statehood agitation with their pen-down and indefinite strikes, lunch-hour demonstrations, vanta varpu (mass cooking programmes inside government office premises) and played a key role in achieving the statehood for the region.
The employees’ unions, especially Telangana Non-gazetted Officers (TNGOs), Telangana Gazetted Officers (TGOs), Group-IV employees, teachers and RTC employees hit the streets and built pressure on the then state and central governments to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and carve out Telangana state.
Their major concern was violation of GO 610 and filling up of posts in Hyderabad and its adjoining areas with Seemandhra natives. They felt it equally disgusting that many from Seemandhra were securing postings in Hyderabad and Seemandhra regions through transfers. GO 610 envisages the repatriation of non-locals working in various government departments who were appointed in Telangana against the allotted quota. Telangana employees were also upset at their colleagues from Seemandhra region getting undue benefits in transfers and promotions and landing up key posts. They were also angry at the domination of Seemandhra employees in Secretariat and other HoD offices located in Hyderabad.
All these factors led to severe resentment among Telangana employees, who joined hands with KCR to achieve statehood for Telangana with a strong belief that they will get justice only if Telangana state is formed. Based on a call given by Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC), Telangana employees unions joined the historic "Sakala Janula Samme" in 2011. With their indefinite strike that lasted all of 42 days, they brought state government administration to a standstill in the state. All government services were paralysed for 42 days.
Telangana employees had spearheaded the 1969 agitation by going on strike for 38 days on the same issues. They withdrew the strike following the assurances given by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that the Centre will take steps to ensure jobs for locals in Telangana. N.T. Rama Rao brought GO 610 in 1985 to repatriate non-locals working in Telangana region to their respective districts in Seemandhra region.
According to Swamy Goud, who led TNGOs during the KCR-led agitation, “Six lakh employees took part in this agitation for one common goal. The TNGO existed from the time of Nizam rule, as ‘Telangana Sarkari Mulazim Union.’ The agitation was going on but when KCR floated TRS for the purpose of achieving statehood for Telangana, the movement gathered pace.” he added, “People were vexed with Andhra rulers. Our NGO’s took a firm decision from the beginning. We were certain that unless a separate state was formed our problems would remain unresolved.”
Goud said, “TNGO’s took part in all the agitations for the separate state. They were the only ones who took an active and full-time participation.”
G. Deviprasad, the then TNGO’s general secretary said, "After the withdrawal of the 1969 agitation, the governments failed to honour the promises made to Telangana employees. They were subject to harassment and discrimination by Andhra rulers, who wanted to suppress Telangana voices. Their failure to implement GO 610 clearly exposed the governments’ prejudice against Telangana. On October 9, 2009, Supreme Court gave a judgment, making Hyderabad a free zone for employment which gave equal rights to people of Seemandhra to get jobs in Hyderabad on par with Telangana locals. This created severe concern among Telangana employees. Three days later, on October 12 we called for a ‘Chalo Assembly’ and to lay siege to the Legislative Assembly. This was a major success and boosted our morale. The movement flared up then onwards."
He added, “We involved all the unions. Public meetings were held. We organised Udyogula Garjana in Siddipet on November 21, 2009. We went on pen-down strike. For the first time in history about six lakh employees, including contract and outsourcing staff, took part in the pen-down strike, which continued till then Union home minister P. Chidambaram’s statement in favour of statehood to Telangana on December 9, 2009.” Narender Rao, Telangana Secretariat Employees Association, leader said, “There was a clear discrimination against Telangana employees in the undivided state. The prominent positions were occupied by Seemandhra employees. They looked down upon us and made a mockery of our dialect. We felt suffocated. Government employees from Telangana region were ready to sacrifice their jobs to achieve statehood. Towards achieving this they joined the agitation."
