Where Have all the Industries of Telangana Gone...

The history of Telangana from the period of the Satavahanas, to the Asaf Jahi’s is dotted with the benevolence of its rulers. Each dynasty which ruled over the region enriched its culture and the lives of its citizens. However, since the forcible merger of the Telangana nee Hyderabad state with the Andhra region, there has been a drastic reversal in fortunes of its citizens. Successive Andhra and Rayalseema regimes have reduced a once prosperous people to a pile of bones and skin, who commit suicide at the prospect of facing another year of failed crops.

The people of Telangana have since the merger of the state with Andhra districts of erstwhile Madras state, have been progressively marginalized, their lands have been made barren by diverting their rightful share of waters to the verdant fields of Seema Andhra region. The factories where its workers earned their livelihood have been systematically run down to sickness, sold off and the factory lands converted to sprawling colonies for the settlers.

In 1956, when Telangana state (Hyderabad state) was merged to form Andhra Pradesh, the region was a buzz of activity with several large thriving industries, chief among which were the Azam Jahi Mills, Nizam Sugar Factory, DBR Mills, Sirpur Sir Silk Mills, Deccan Glass factory, Praga Tools, Soda factory, Iron factory , Firangula factory, and the Antargam spinning mills. These factories collectively employed over 1,00,000 workers in Telangana. Save for the lone Praga Tools which is alive today all the others have been meticulously nurtured to sickness and closure. There is a single story that binds the closure of these industries and loss of livelihood of thousands of Telangana workers, it is a story of Government apathy, systematic ruin of a thriving industry, followed by a distress sale to Seemandhra businessmen, who later converted the industrial land into housing colonies.

The Nizam Sugar Factory in Bodhan was at one time Asia’s biggest sugar factory. During the time of Nizam the Sugar Factory's holdings included over 1,600 square kilometres of land, 14 village camps and Hospital. Other services that were provided for the children of employees included a high school, junior and degree colleges. The factory was managed into sickness by the cadre which was primarily deputed from the Andhra region. It was finally sold at a throw away price to Gokaraju Rangaraju from W.Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

The story of the Azam Jahi Mills is similar, this was established in Warangal during Nizams rule and provided livelihood to about 15000 people in Warangal. It was also managed to sickness, closed down and the Mills lands sold as real estate under YSR. A housing colony is being built on this prime land in the heart of Warangal.

Contrast this with the Seemandhra Government’s patronage and wholeheartedness in reviving the sick Vizag Steel Plant at a cost of 1,500 crores. It would have taken this amount to revive all the 8 industries in Telangana, and saved the livelihood of over a lack of people. But, this would not have suited the Seemandhra game plan, whose mission has always been to plunder and deprive the people of Telangana of their right to livelihood. The people of Rayalseema and Andhra have prospered by exploiting the people of Telangana, and the only way ahead for the state of Telangana to prosper is to break free of these Seemandhra clutches.
JAI TELANGANA
JAI JAI TELANGANA