Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao arrived in Hyderabad to a tumultuous welcome by ministers, MLAs, and party workers in thousands drawn from many T-districts. Pink flags fluttered relentlessly in the intense heat of Hyderabad. The CM arrived Tuesday afternoon after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Maharashtra government in Mumbai on sharing the waters of Godavari and its tributaries, which results in the construction of five barrages by the two states. The signing of the MoU, facilitated by Maha governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who is also from Telangana, is being projected as the triumph of Telangana state. The rousing welcome ceremony was organized to reenact the Telangana fervor of the days of Telangana movement, spearheaded by K Chadrasekhar Rao between 2001 and 2014. Triumphant KCR was led to the Begumpet camp office by the artistes playing, singing all along the road from the airport. KCR, flanked by his nephew-minister T Harish Rao, waved to party workers standing atop his Rs 5 cr luxury bus. Addressing the party workers he said the day was as equal and historical as the day on which Telangna state was created. His objective, he said, was to see waters Krishna and Godavari irrigated the farms of Telangana.
A massive stage had been erected at the Begumpet airport and hundreds of Telanana folk artistes had been invited to perform to enthuse the party workers with T-sentiment, which was slowly started tapering after the achievement of statehood Telangana. In the new state of Telangana, it has become an order of day to give Telangana sentimental interpretation to every program being taken up the TRS government in the past 22 months. The Chief minister KCR’s efforts to ensure that the T-sentiment survived paid rich dividends in the recently held elections to Warangal Lok Sabha constituency and GHMC, in which people had totally rejected the opposition parties. TRS emerged the party of T-people’s choice.
Godavari has sentimental attachment to the Telangana state. Signing of the MoU with the Maharashtra paves the way for the construction of many barrages across the River Godavari and its tributaries. Hence, the ruling party has successfully converted the event into an occasion for the celebration of separate Telangnaa state and KCR leadership.
In a way signing of MoU is really the triumph of separate state of Telangana. This happened in the backdrop of united Andhra Pradesh’s failure to settle the Babli dam controversy. While parties in United Andhra Pradesh thought fierce opposition to Babli project built by the Maharashtra without informing the then Andhra Pradesh was the right political path. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu personally led a protest program at the dam site creating tension. But, Telangana chief minister KCR, shunning the path of confrontation, chose silent negotiations, as right course to share Godavari waters between Telangana with Maharashtra. In the words of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the negotiations began a year back. Even though Fadnavis’ geographical background might also have contributed to the resolution of river water disputes amicably, definitely it is the triumph separate state. And the event carries a message to all warring states that river water disputes could be settled through negotiations.
