Using the state formation day celebrations as a platform, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday put across a strong argument in favour of keeping the state united.
"There are doubts in the minds of the people that the formation day celebrations may not be held next year. There is uncertainty all around," Kiran said while speaking at an official function at NTR Stadium in Hyderabad to mark the state formation day.
Kiran said that Andhra Pradesh has achieved progress and prosperity only because the people of the state remained united.
"The massive projects like Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam were possible because of the united state. I pray to Telugu Talli to see that the state remains united in future as well," he said.
The Chief Minister also recalled former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi's statement, made on December 21, 1972 in the Parliament, pledging her commitment to the united Andhra Pradesh.
He said that the state had made rapid strides in all sectors and the successive governments could maintain law and order because the state is united.
It is interesting that the Chief Minister invoked late Indira Gandhi to drive home his point on integrated state. He quoted from Indira Gadhi's Parliament speech to buttress his point.
It may be recalled that while replying to a debate in the Parliament on December 21, 1972, Indira Gandhi had declared that she was an “integrationist" and stood for keeping AP united.
She had said: “I stand very firmly for an integrated state. There is no state in India which does not have backward areas. Relatively backward and advanced areas exist not only in all states but in different regions of the same state. The Telengana region may be a backward region but it does have better-off areas. Merely because an area is comparatively backward is not reason enough for taking drastic or irreversible decisions. There is an overall rationality in the formation of our various states and we should be very careful not to break this foundation of rationality in momentary passions.”
Ever since the Congress Working Committee (CWC) announced its decision on July 30 to bifurcate the state, the Chief Minister has been openly opposing it on the ground that it would lead to several intractable problems including disputes over sharing of river waters, power, revenues and jobs, besides the future status of Hyderabad.
The Chief Minister had last week addressed letters to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking their intervention to stop the division of the state.
He also raised the issue of future of Article 371-D under which Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions presently enjoy certain safeguards in matters of employment.
