Telangana - Behind the scenes II

Sonia Day & Chidambaram : These are the press reports and analysis of the Sonia Day and how it happened.

Dec 10, 2009, 2:53AM : Midnight Cheer in Telangana
Quote:

• While a group of Andhra and Rayalaseema parliamentarians met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the occasion of her birthday and urged her not to divide the state, about a dozen Telangana Congress MPs also called on her and sought a separate state at the earliest. ''We are hoping that it would be her birthday gift for the people of the region,'' said Malkajgiri MP Sarve Satyanarayana and he was proved right a few hours later.

Telangana MPs reinforce the ego of the empress. "Give us the gift on your birthday.. and your birthday will forever be enshrined in the history of Telangana". Just like we have Children's day on Nehru's birthday, there would possibly be a Telangana day and Telangana state holiday on Sonia's birthday. That is irresistible in an age where no new national holidays can be accommodated anymore.

Dec 16, 2009 : P Chidambaram spooked Centre into splitting Andhra Pradesh
Quote:

• The Union home ministry's advice prevailed over political counsel from the Congress's Andhra Pradesh (AP) MPs to pave the way for last week's controversial midnight announcement on statehood for Telangana.

• The home ministry pressed the panic button based on intelligence reports warning of a possible resurgence of Maoist violence in Telangana around the sentiment for a separate state. It argued in favour of pre-empting a Maoist consolidation in the region by taking the issue off the radar with the announcement of a Telangana state.

• With finance minister Pranab Mukherjee away in Jharkhand on that fateful Wednesday when the party's core committee met thrice before deciding to divide AP, there was no wise political voice to temper the scare scenarios presented.

• Home minister P Chidambaram, who has been spearheading the government's anti-Maoist drive, had an open field to push his ministry's assessment. Mukherjee flew back in time for the final late-night meeting of the core committee but the mood had already swung.

• The indications were there earlier in the day when a group of non-Telangana MPs met Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel and the Congress's pointperson for AP Veerappa Moily. The MPs warned of a backlash against the creation of a Telangana state but they were told "kuchh to karna padega", disclosed a senior leader.

In all the above, Chidambaram comes as extremely active in getting the core committee to approve the "birthday gift". After days of meetings ending on the Dec 9th, it was his "internal security" argument that convinced the rest of the folks to go along. If we give Chidambaram benefit of doubt and say he genuinely thought it would help internal security, then, at best, he would be a victim of Tunnel-Vision, failing to see anything but Maoists. At worst, he could be an active instrument of Rajmata/Yuvraj in return for something else. 

Either way, when the core-committe met on Dec 9th, they had a hard deadline to get everybody in line by end of the day. Note that Pranab was conveniently away. Some relevant questions here. 

1. In the age of video conferences and remote work, was it so difficult to get Pranab on the phone for the hectic meetings on the 9th?
2. With his consistent appeal for caution on the Telangana issue, would he be unavailable if he knew about the deadline?
3. What purpose does it serve to wrap up the the decision in his absence?

Dec 15, 2009 : Chidambaram feels Telangana heat
Quote:

• Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was forthright in seeking clarifications from Home Minister P Chidambaram on announcing the decision of the Congress Core Committee on Telangana as the United Progressive Alliance's. The argument was picked up by Mamta Banerjee.

• Sources said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee prevailed in the meeting to give priority to return of normalcy in Andhra Pradesh. He said any decision on Telangana would come only if the Andhra Pradesh Assembly unanimously adopts a resolution for creation of the separate state.

• Pranab Mukherjee, who headed a sub-committee on Telangana during the first tenure of UPA, said that issue was too sensitive and emotional.

• "I understood it, but when such a major issue was being announced, it was the Congress duty to have taken the NCP, TMC and DMK into confidence." By this remarks, Pranab was clearly hinting at the PMO and the home minister as well.

That was quite a display of arrogance on the part of INC, by first excluding the UPA parnters in the dicussions and secondly, announcing it as a UPA decision.

In the end, is it a cascade of "unintended consequences"? An explosive combination of all power given to Sonia, Chindambaram's loyal urge, Pranab's timely absense, High command detached from ground sentiment and the Sonia/Rahul's emperor complex. There are no clear winners yet, though there is a long list of losers, starting with Indian Economy.