September 17 in history is a very significant day for Telangana, but in the present scenario, this date is far more important to political parties than the people. It was on this day in 1948 that the Hyderabad territory—ruled by the Nizam and comprising present-day Telangana state and parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra—was merged into the Indian Union following police action.
The events leading up to the merger have been perceived differently by political outfits as well as heads of communities. This is precisely the reason why political parties have a different approach to Telangana Liberation Day.
On Tuesday, the BJP was in the forefront of the celebrations. Over the years, ever since it came to power at the Centre, the saffron party has been trying to take ownership of the Telangana Liberation movement and celebrate it on a large scale.
The BJP calls it ‘Liberation Day’ to signify the independence of the region from the Nizam's rule, which it considers as tyrannical. Since the then home minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel spearheaded the operation, the BJP forges a connection to the event through him. Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy attended the Telangana Liberation Day event at the BJP party office in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
He said that a Kashmir-like situation was averted in Telangana due to ‘Operation Polo’ initiated by Patel. He also pointed out that the inhumane treatment by the Razakars, a private militia of the Nizam's army, on its people was unforgettable. Reddy then paid tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives fighting the Nizam's rule.
If the BJP’s agenda is clear and its approach straightforward, other political parties have been careful on how they mark Telangana Liberation Day. The BJP demanded that the TRS government declare Telangana Liberation Day as a state festival.
However, the ruling TRS, Congress and the Telugu Desam Party celebrated the occasion as ‘Merger Day’ in an attempt to not antagonise the minority community.
IT Minister and working president of TRS K.T. Rama Rao tweeted, “Sept 17th: The day Hyderabad was merged with Indian Union—Remembering the countless sacrifices and saluting the martyrs. Jai Telangana, Jai Hind.”
In Gandhi Bhavan, Telangana Congress leaders also celebrated Merger Day by unfurling the national flag. Telangana Congress president Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the credit for the merger should go to Communists and Congress members who fought against the Nizam's rule. He also praised Nehru for his timely decision to initiate action for the merger of Hyderabad.
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Like every year, the AIMIM refrained from acknowledging the occasion.
Like the BJP, the Communist parties also want the Telangana government to officially declare September 17 as Liberation Day. The Communists take pride in the armed struggle initiated by its members after Indian independence.