Of 'stakeholders' and 'investors'

HYDERABAD: With the formation of Telangana state, one presumed that the elected government would be empowered to act in the interest of the long exploited population of the region. Regrettably, that appears to have been a grave misconception if one were to go by what has been reported in the media as to the outcome of the meeting convened by Delhi at the behest of the developer of Hyderabad Metro Rail.The role of the nascent state's administration in the project, it seems, is no more than that of a bunch of clerks charged with the responsibility of reporting 'progress' to the central government on a fortnightly basis.
Reports of the meeting also suggested that the central government and L&T, the concessionaire, were the only 'stakeholders' in the project. Despite giving up acres of its prime public space for perpetual exploitation, it appears that the city and the elected government of Telangana will have no say in the matter at all. Any lingering misconceptions regarding who controls Hyderabad and Metro Rail were put to flight by the MD of HMRL who stated that, "The Centre is very keen on the progress of the project, and works would not be hampered from any quarters whatsoever." The deafening silence of the Telangana government on this challenge to its authority is worrying. The chief minister's views on the alignment of Metro Rail and its going underground in heritage sensitive areas were largely perceived as the first assertion of popular Telangana sentiment. The move had succeeded in rekindling hope for a beleaguered city and was hailed as a positive change in favour of protecting what little remains of it glorious heritage after decades of unchecked destruction and damage. It is sincerely hoped that the CM lives up to the trust reposed in his government by the masses of Telangana and continues with determination in his endeavor to safeguard the region's culture and heritage.
Though ominous, the case of Metro Rail is not the sole instance of unrelenting rampage being perpetrated against the city and its cultural assets. In a recent development, the Andhra Pradesh government was accused of 'defacing' the historic Assembly building by a Telangana MLA. The incident raises a number of very pertinent issues regarding the basis of allotting space to the two governments. It also highlights the cumulative failure of the Telangana leadership in accepting, without any spirited defense, the continued presence of Andhra administration in the city.
Even school-going children are aware of the importance of learning lessons from history and about the wisdom in emulating the actions of wise and learned leaders from the past. One has to look no further than the creation of the Andhra state itself for a precedent. C Rajagopalachari, the renowned statesman who was designated as the 'keeper, of his conscience by Mahatma Gandhi, remained unmoved by even large scale disturbances and stood firm in his refusal to concede Madras to Andhra. The commission subsequently set up to carve out a Telugu speaking state from the erstwhile Presidency, excluded Madras from the Andhra region. However, as in the case of the present division, the commission recommended that Madras should serve 'as the temporary capital of Andhra State to allow smooth partitioning of the assets and the secretariat'. Rajaji remained adamant, refusing to allow Andhra to have Madras even for a single day.
The docile submission to central dictates and the resulting ignominy of having to bear the continued presence of Andhra administration in the city will prove detrimental to both Hyderabad and Telangana. A precursor of what lies in store was highlighted in the bizarre actions of the AP Greyhounds, a unit of AP Police, who stripped a building of all its fittings and fixtures; including ripping of the commodes, when asked to hand it over to the Telangana government. A senior official of AP claimed that "whatever was invested during renovation has been taken" as it belongs to AP. Last heard, the 'hounds' had literally turned gray in their attempts at tracing and recovering the loads that were dropped down those commodes!
On a serious note, the fight for emancipation of Telangana seems to be far from over. The sooner that the Andhra administration moves out the better for one certainly needs to be wary of a people who go about denuding buildings with a claim of recovering their 'investments'. Imagine what the grand old Assembly building will look like, if and when it is eventually handed back sometime in the coming decade. It would be prudent on part of the Telangana government to insist that the heritage building and the city are vacated by the AP administration before any further 'investments' are made.
(The writer is a well-known heritage activist)