HYDERABAD: Affiliate bodies of the Telangana Joint Action Committee (T-JAC), which had spearheaded the movement for a Telangana state, have begun dissociating from the umbrella body, which the civil society bodies suspect as a concerted plot by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
While some large employees and civil society bodies saw their top leaders joining TRS immediately after Telangana formation and securing plum government positions, many others decided to continue their role of fighting for the aspirations of Telangana people.
With dozens of civil society outfits joining hands, after a hiatus of more than a year, against the government's omissions and commissions, the ruling TRS, experiencing an uneasy phenomenon, unleashed pressures to weaken T-JAC, allege its representatives.
TJAC 's Chairman Prof M Kodandaram says they will continue its fight for realising the aspirations of the Telangana people pertaining to water, funds and jobs and pressure government to fulfil promises made during the agitation, apart from playing the watchdog's role.
Mallepalli Laxmaiah, chairman of Telang ana Vidyavanthula Vedika, one of the active members of T-JAC, said, "The creation of Telangana has only resulted in selfrule but not in democratic rule. We think the civil society bodies in Telangana should now strive for an other round of movement towards achieving a democratic Telangana." T-JAC's representatives view that most aspirations voiced during the agitation were not finding a place in policy perspective post-Telangana formation.
Accordingly, after a lull of more than year primarily aimed at providing adequate time for the ruling TRS, they took up the cause of Telangana people on various forums including the courts. Some key issues highlighted by the civil society bodies include indifference of the TRS government to rising suicides by farmers, distress in rural areas owing to drought and undesirable power purchase agreements, says Kodandaram.
The civil society bodies and opposition parties accuse the TRS government of turning increasingly intolerant and attempting to scuttle their bids to scrutinise several policy actions and inactions of the government.
Nearly half a dozen affiliate bodies of T-JAC, comprising govern ment employees, officers, industrialists and lawyers, over last few days announced disassociating from the umbrella body, claiming there was no relevance of continuing the lobby since the long cherished statehood was attained.
"The TRS government appears to be attempting to brush under the carpet many critical issues like far mers' suicides and severe drought conditions apparently fearing negative image," says Prof Kodandaram. "The government machinery has failed in building confidence among the farmers and rural folk."
Refusing to comment on the decision of some affiliate bodies dissociating from T-JAC, Kodandaram told ET, "We strongly view that it is our responsibility as a civil society body to fight for the cause of Telangana people and uphold democracy . We will continue to voice people's concerns over the government's contentious policy actions and inactions and suggest possible improvements."
