Save Telangana! Save Telangana resources from wholesale destruction!

We lost our rich heritage in colonial rule. We retrieved some and lost more in last 60 years. Its easy to blame Andhras for the loss of our rivers, lakes, forest, land, heritage sites, etc. We are also responsible for the loot to continue. We as people are ignorant of the mischief both outsiders and cheap insiders are doing. We are mesmerized of slogans and forget basic action, we are busy about tomorrow losing today. Talking of tomorrow’s glory and allowing loot of everything now, seems to be the boon to Andhra exploitation. Is it easy or possible to get back our resources and riches tomorrow? Can we bring back or water resources, land, forests, historic sites, culture? What we are losing, what we are allowing to be looted, what we are selling today is our identity our livelihoods and our social wealth that could be the security for our people for future. What is our struggle for the region and our pride when we sit idle as they are robbed from our people, transported and sold to the world outside? This loot is in so many forms across Telangana.

Granite quarrying in Karimnagar district is like a war with several hundred quarries all over the district reducing hills into dust and destroying fields around and polluting the environment. Livelihoods and health of our people is being looted. Evidences of history and culture inscribed on the rocks is also blasted and sold as blocks. Never in history was destruction of historic sites so massive. We have excuses that we are not running the government, we couldn’t protect them because our people are innocent, and we have sold out politicians who are chota agents of Andhra colonial plunder. But for last ten years we are continuously saying Telangana movement is in peak stage and we are going to get Telangana very soon. Could we save an inch of land, a patch of some forest? Even today we are losing jobs and huge outsourcing is happening. Why are we blind to these serious issues? There was bumper majority in recent elections and in recent local elections (sarpanch in Huzurabad) one congress person won with huge majority. Struggles of farmers in Polepally, adivasis in Polavaram and rural poor in mining area have remained lonely battles. Our people are fighting for the livelihoods, rights, resources and the future of our children. They are ignored and orphaned today by our politicians and political parties.

Friends, the current situation is very disturbing in Telangana region. Many of you are aware that large scale destruction is going on Telangana. Now it is difficult to say who is our immediate foe. Today’s news is really shocking for many of us that the world’s richest diamond company DEBERS has entered into our Nallamala forest (TV 9 has shown exclusive story on it), Mahabubnagar and Kurnool region. This company has ruined, squeezed entire Diamond zones of Africa. They destroyed several regions in the world and now they had an MOU with AP Govt. For some time we have been hearing that Chenchus are asked to move out of forests. It was for Wildlife, some said while others said it is to remove Maoists and finally it is the foreign draconian company. Sadly, we are not bothered about our tribal people like Koya, Konda Reddis, Chenchus and Gonds. Chenchus are known as PTGs (Primitive Tribal Groups). History says our language Telugu is originated from them. The Koya tribe in entire Bhadrachalam, Khammam district is going to disappear if the Polavaram project continues. We have already seen the Granite, open cast mining in Warangal, Khammam and Adilabad. Officially more than 500 granite mining permissions were given in Karimnagar alone. There is a struggle against these issues. We are contacting local parties and organisations on mining, one or two we succeed in stopping and there is long way to go.

As we are going from place to place in Karimnagar, we identified serious environmental issues due to mining. Already this district is high in respiratory problems, it happens due to the dust and blasting. We also came to know that deep mining is cutting the underground water roots and many rivers which give water to the district are drying up slowly. Agriculture is reducing in mining areas. I know, some of us in the forum here are interested in welfare programmes for poor, schools, old and disabled people. Fortunately some of our friends are talking about ‘cheruvulu’, how to create one or restore. I wish our friends also talk about what we must do with thousands of cheruvulu that are at stake today. How can we save them? We cant show our children tomorrow any hillock which is surrounded by small kuntas and cheruvus or beautiful mountains with forts and temples. Iron ore and coal is another huge destruction and no one can ever imagine the impact on our region. I am not going into to ‘age old’ problems of Telangana like Florosis, farmers suicides, weavers suicides, 610 GO etc.

Unfortunately Telangana politics is reduced to only elections and our people into only voters. Telangana people have no life, value, identity in our politics because they are seen as voters, voters without land, voters without jobs, voters who lost land in SEZ and other real estate projects, voters starving and likely to commit suicide in Dubbaka or Sircilla, voters who as a community are going to wiped out in Polavaram, voters illiterate, voters literate, and so on to make them just voters.

Anything you mention about non elections, you are bad and you are diverting the movement. Movement and politics (electoral) are different, some argue. These in isolation are useless. Politics without movement is hollow or movement without politics is incomplete, they argue. But for the common man politics or movement revolves around their lives, livelihoods, poverty, unemployment, starvation, eviction from land, displacement and so on. Questioning and arresting suffering and exploitation is politics or movement for them. The rest is all entertainment and cinema and occasional excitement seen during counting of ballot boxes. How do we make politics and movements relevant for the common man?

TRS leaders himself claimed that only movement will bring Telangana. Small example is only with movement we could bring pressure on Central Govt, only with movement we got bumper majority for all our Telangana contestants. That’s the link between movements and electoral politics. 400 and odd deaths are also part of this ‘dead’ly movement. Yes, we will win but who will save the Telangana? That is the big question. Even if we get Telangana which is doled out and drained out completely, what is the survival of our people, where do we get the water, how do we bring back our lost rights and environment? How do we get back Godavari that is looted in the name of Polavaram, the lands in the name of SEZ Polepally, open cast mining, land sold to Andhra migrants in several villages in every district, and many other threats
If we fail in our responsibility to save our resources, we are failing to save our people and their livelihoods. We are failing to protect the future of our region.

Question is whose responsibility is to protect these natural resources which cannot be created and invented. If political parties do not see it as an issue, their affiliated organisations or non-party organisations and forums seem to have other priorities? then who else will do, some individuals or small groups carry out a silent struggle or a lonely battle. Politics and media kill day after day with gossip of celebrities without end for years suppressing the struggles of the people to local news if any. People are ready to wage battle but they are seeking support from varied sections to make it our struggle. When people raise voice against this open and public robbery of environment and resources they are harassed, jailed and threatened. Some are branded as extremists. We need solidarity of all Telangana groups. Support to people struggles even if they are not led by any of the parties or led by any other group. Its time to say “People for Telangana and Telangana for our People”.

Let us keep our priorities aside before we lose the battle, and talk about the land and water. Huge population will be secured if we have these two; it cuts across the class and castes. Three ways to protect our resources: Lets join hands to educate the affected people and prepare them to fight their battle. Secondly, extend all expert advice and inputs to fight in the courts, file PILs and build support from all corners. Thirdly, launch and intensify advocacy and lobbying with similar groups in the state and the country. I am sure all of us fit in one or the other level. One can help in any way, in networking, financial and emotional support, political back up and other forms of volunteering.

Let us unite and save our land. Requesting all of you to think positively and extend your invaluable support to save or heritage and resources.

Courtesy – Sujatha Surepally – Thank you for sharing.