HYDERABAD: A proposal by the Congress government to change the Telangana government emblem has pushed it headlong into controversy, resulting in a slanging match that erupted between the two sides — one seeking changes that include removal of ‘signs of monarchies and dynastic rule’ in the current emblem, and the other making it clear that the emblem has nothing of that sort.
At the heart of the issue appears to be a desire by the A. Revanth Reddy led Congress government in Telangana to what it said is making “amends” to what it perceives as “wrongs” committed in presenting the state to the rest of the world through the emblem. For the opposition BRS, whose government designed the emblem — the first for the state of Telangana after its formation in 2014 — this has been seen as nothing sort of blasphemy, and it was first off the blocks condemning the proposal and rallying public opinion against the move.
Revanth Reddy had previously made it clear that the state emblem reflects dynastic rules of the bygone past in Telangana region, and that such symbols should have no place in the emblem. Instead, it should be one that reflects the entirety of the state and its people, and as far as he is concerned, the existing emblem does not meet these standards.
But if the Chief Minister believed it would not be a tough task to complete to put his stamp on the state in what he called redefining Telangana pride, the strong blowback from the BRS which accused him of attempting to rewrite the state’s history, with other non-political voices joining in, appears to have forced him onto the backfoot with him saying on Thursday that any decision on the change will be taken only after detailed discussions on the matter in the Legislature.
Though no decision was taken, a facsimile of one of the emblem designs reportedly under consideration that was bereft of Charminar and the Kakatiya Thoranam, immediately received severe flak from some non-political voices too.
Author and political analyst, and a person with vast experience in the government, Mohan Guruswamy, commenting on Facebook on the issue, said the “new Telangana state logo does not reflect any of the ethos or history of the region. The dominant influences on the region in the past half a millennium were the Kakatiya dynasty of Orugallu (Warangal) and the Qutub Shahi rulers of Golconda who founded Hyderabad. The Thoranam (ceremonial gate) and Charminar in the old logo perfectly captured our history and antecedents. This is what gave Telangana its unique identity. The new logo is neither here nor there. It could belong to any other state or state organisation. The Revanth Reddy government will do well to immediately jettison it.”
