Post-independence[edit]
When
India became independent from the British Empire in 1947, the
nizam of Hyderabad did not want to merge with the Indian Union and wanted to remain independent. The
Government of India annexed Hyderabad State on 17 September 1948 after a military operation called
Operation Polo.
[11] It appointed a civil servant,
M. K. Vellodi, as first chief minister of
Hyderabad State on 26 January 1950.
[17] He administered the state with the help of English-educated bureaucrats from the
Madrasand
Bombaystates, who were familiar with Indian systems of administration unlike the bureaucrats of Hyderabad state who used a completely different administrative system. The official language of the state was switched from
Urdu to English.
In 1952,
Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected chief minister of the Hyderabad State in its first democratic election. During this time, there were violent agitations by some Telanganites to send the Madras state bureaucrats back and implement a rule by the natives (
mulkis) of Hyderabad.
[18]
Telangana Rebellion[edit]
The revolt began in the
Nalgonda district against the
feudal lords of
Reddy and
Velama castes. It quickly spread to the
Warangaland
Bidar districts. Peasant farmers and labourers revolted against the local feudal landlords (
jagirdars and
deshmukhs) and later against
the nizam Osman Ali Khan. The violent phase of the movement ended after the Government of India's Operation Polo.
[23] Starting in 1951, the CPI shifted to a more moderate strategy of seeking to bring communism to India within the framework of Indian democracy.
[24]
States Reorganisation Commission[edit]
In December 1953, the
States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was appointed to form states on a linguistic basis.
[25] An agreement was reached between Telangana leaders and Andhra leaders on 20 February 1956 to merge Telangana and Andhra with promises to safeguard Telangana's interests.
[26] After reorganisation in 1956, the region of Telangana was merged with
Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana movement[edit]
There have been several movements to revoke the merger of Telangana and Andhra, major ones occurring in 1969, 1972, and 2009. The movement for a new state of Telangana gained momentum over the decades.
[29] On 9 December 2009 the Government of India announced the process of formation of the Telangana state. Violent protests led by people in the
Coastal Andhra and
Rayalseema regions occurred immediately after the announcement, and the decision was put on hold on 23 December 2009.
The movement continued in Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana.
[30] There have been hundreds of claimed suicides
[citation needed], strikes, protests and disturbances to public life demanding separate statehood.
Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh[edit]
Telangana (in white) and Andhra Pradesh (in yellow) and after bifurcation
On 30 July 2013, the Congress Working Committee unanimously passed a resolution to recommend the formation of a separate Telangana state. After various stages the bill was placed in the
Parliament in February 2014.
[31] In February 2014,
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 bill was passed by the
Parliament of Indiafor the formation of Telangana state comprising ten districts from north-western Andhra Pradesh.
[32] The bill received the assent of the
President and published in the Gazette on 1 March 2014.
[33]
The state of Telangana was officially formed on 2 June 2014.
Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao was elected as the first chief minister of Telangana, following elections in which the
Telangana Rashtra Samiti party secured majority.
[34] Hyderabad will remain as the joint capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period of 10 years.
[35]
