Hyderabad: The Congress government has taken a diplomatic stand with regard to celebrating September 17, the date when Hyderabad was annexed to India in 1948, as ‘Praja Palana Dinotsavam’ or ‘People’s Governance Day’.
This was evident in the speech of chief minister A Revanth Reddy on the occasion, where he declared that every year this day will be observed as named, celebrating the transition from monarchy to democracy.
“September 17 is a crucial day in the history of Telangana. People have different opinions on how to observe the day. While some called it liberation day, other called it a day of national integration. After coming to power we did a deep analysis and came to this conclusion,” the Telangana chief minister said.
“On September 17, 1948, the people of Telangana demolished the monarchy of the Nizam and marked the beginning of democracy in the state. There is no scope for playing politics in this. It will be stupidity to view this day from the standpoint of gaining political mileage. Our people’s government felt that one section calling it liberation and the other calling it national integration for their selfish gains was only diluting the sacrifices made by the martyrs. Therefore, we decided to add the people’s aspect to it and called it people’s governance day,” Revanth further clarified.
Officially known as Operation Polo, as Police Action in local parlance, September 17 marks the date when the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad was annexed through India through a military operation in 1948. It was initiated after negotiations between the last Nizam Osman Ali Khan and the Indian Union broke down post independence. The BJP-run Centre has however decided to observe it as ‘Hyderabad Liberation Day’, while the previous BRS government last year decided to call it ‘National Integration Day’.
The Telangana chief minister also mentioned revolutionary poet Dasaradhi Krishnamacharya, as he spoke about how writers on one side, and revolutionaries on the other, had fought against “monarchy, dictatorship and feudalism” under the Nizam’s rule 76 years ago. It may however be recalled that in Telangana a communist-led peasant rebellion has overthrown the feudal landlords. Known as the Telangana Armed Struggle (1946-51), it was led by several CPI leaders.
“The great armed revolutionaries fighting against the autocratic rule of the Nizam king, ending his monarchy and breaking the shackles of slavery happened on the land of Hyderabad on this historic day. That struggle was not waged against a caste, or a religion. It was a rebellion against the monarchic ways by the people who fought for freedom and self-respect,” the chief minister underlined.
Revanth said that the decision to celebrate the day was not taken for the Congress party or to realise any personal aspiration.
“If we carefully see the map of Telangana, it looks like a fist with all the fingers closed. It represents a struggle where all the fingers denote that all castes and religions are united in Telangana. Is someone tries to spur controversy to break this unity it will be an unpardonable crime,” Revanth cautioned.
“This fist should always be the guiding light on the struggle against the feudalism and dictatorship. In the last ten years Telangana suffered under the rule of a dictator. To break those shackles September 17 acted as an inspiration for us,” he added.
