By Parvathy VK
End to the decades of old protest for the separation of Telangana from the state of Andhra Pradesh. The constant demand for the creation of a new state has now been accepted, thus making Telangana- the 29th state of India. In the history of post independence, no two states have been formed with the same linguistic base. Formation of the state of Telangana will thus create a milestone in the history of India by having two states with the same language base-Telugu.
Telangana will be a state with 10 districts and at least for a period of ten years Hyderabad will be the joint capital for both Andhra and Telangana. Hyderabad will be a part of the state of Telangana, which will impact the economic, social and technological growth of the state in the coming years. As far as the Telangana region is considered, it is one among the least developed areas in the state of Andhra Pradesh and this backwardness is a major reason for the demand of a separate state. It is optimistically viewed that the status of a new state will positively influence the development and revival of this region. With a population of 3.5 crore, Telangana can effectively contribute towards the human resource and natural resource requirements. The region is predominantly of hot and dry climate and hence is not among the most fertile regions. It possesses around 20% of the countrys coal resources. The region once failed to utilize the rural labour, and paved the way for large scale migration of rural youths to the city of Mumbai. The creation of health and educational institutions which can serve the need of the hour will certainly change the scenario. Moreover, the presence of the city of Hyderabad which has a notable position in the I.T map of the country can add on to the economic growth of the new state. Many people are of the opinion that previous experiences have shown that the formation of the new states of Chattisgargh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal could only add up the GDP rates of the nation and the individual growth rate of the small states were also on a rise. The states from which these states were formed never experienced much difficulty and hence the worries of Andhra region have no grounds. But, a question to be raised is regarding the thousands of people from southern and coastal Andhra who are employed in the now Telangana region. Will their interest be safe guarded by the Telangana state authorities? In the midst of such questions and agitations, there remains a relief of having an end to the uncertainty part. Let us hope, the new identity will help them to find a solution for their poverty and backwardness, thus starting a new chapter of growth and prosperity.