Telangana - A Historical Perspective

Telangana - A Historical Perspective

The history of Telangana since the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 is one of humiliation, breach of trust and exploitation of its people and resources. This has stretched the patience of simple, trusting and peace loving people to the hilt. The popular and broad based demand for a separate statehood for Telangana is again in the forefront.
In fact, the demand for separate statehood for Telangana started even before the formation of Andhra Pradesh and continued since then. It never ceased to exist and never faded from public memory but suppressed with periodic assurances which were never fulfilled.

Before independence, Telangana was part of the princely state of Hyderabad, which consisted of Telugu, Marathi and Kannada speaking regions. At the time of independence,

Hyderabad State continued to retain its separate identity. Following the intervention of the Union Government which was popularly termed as the ‘Police Action,’ Hyderabad State was merged with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948. From 1948,

Hyderabad State remained under the administration of the Union Government till general elections were held in 1952.



During this period, a number of people from United Madras State and other
States were brought in to run the administration. The officials brought in from outside the State had no empathy for the people of the State and they behaved more like rulers than civil servants meant for serving the people. The integration of the State with the Indian Union did not make any difference to the people of the State and they continued to be treated with disdain and apathy. The people who came to the State from United Madras cornered all the important jobs much to the consternation of the people of the State. The Administrator of the Union Government being outside the State made the matters worse.

The feelings of local people were so intense about being alienated and being denied of their rights that a ‘Non-Mulki Movement’ started in 1952 against the continuance and
domination of people from outside the State. More important, this gave birth to the fears
and apprehensions in the minds of the local people about what could happen to them if
they were to merge with the neighbouring State of Andhra. This movement lasted over a
month and students from all the regions of the Hyderabad state spontaneously
participated in this popular movement seeking employment of people from within the State
in government jobs. Four people laid down their lives when the government attempted to
suppress the movement with force. The purpose of recalling this episode is to bring home
the point the damage that can be inflicted by an indifferent administration with no
accountability and a government that does not represent the will of the people. In a way,
the demand for a separate statehood for Telangana had its roots in the mulki agitation.