The fast-unto-death by Telugu Desam Party’s Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh demanding establishment of an integrated steel plant at Kadapa entered 10th day on Friday, but unfortunately for him, it hasn’t evoked the expected response from the common people.
Though the party leadership has been making a big hungama by mobilising party workers to the hunger strike camp at Kadapa and pro-TDP media channels have been extensively telecasting the same, the people have not been evincing much interest in it. In fact, they are not at all taking the fast so serious.
On the other hand, they responded tremendously, when the Opposition parties gave a call for Kadapa bandh on Friday. The schools were closed, shops were shot and offices witnessed thin attendance. The buses did not run and people took to streets in protest. But they are not going to see Ramesh’s hunger strike camp.
What could be the reason? First of all, Ramesh is not a man of masses. He is a Rajya Sabha MP who does not have direct connection with the common people.
People see him as a contractor and a high profile TDP leader, as he never took part in public programmes and agitations. So, naturally, people have not responded so much when he took up the fast.
Secondly, appearance-wise, people are not believing Ramesh has been on complete fasting, as he still looks healthy and sturdy, without any signs of weakness in his face and body.
He doesn’t look like a man who has been without food for 10 days. In fact, his rivals have been campaigned that Ramesh put on weight after commencing the fast.
It is nothing but natural that people are comparing him with Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who undertook 11-day fast for Telangana in 2009.
Though he was admitted to hospital within two days and was admitted intravenous fluids, he became skin-to-bone within a week and presented a real image of a fighter for masses.
The Centre feared that he might die in the fasting and had to announce commencement of Telangana statehood process in 2009!
