Telangana Foundation Day: History and significance

Telangana is celebrating its eighth foundation day today. Telangana was established on June 2, 2014, from the former unified state of Andhra Pradesh, following a decades-long people’s movement. 

It was constituted as India‘s 29th state in 2014, but it is now the 28th state due to the creation of Jammu and Kashmir as a UT in 2019. 

On Wednesday, the Centre will organise Telangana Formation Day celebrations in Delhi for the first time, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the chief guest.

Prime Minister took to social media and tweeted –

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History

On November 1, 1956, Telangana was crafted out of former Madras to constitute a united state for the Telugu-speaking population. 

Andhra Pradesh’s political leaders alleged the state of colonising the region by taking their jobs and lands. They also contended that the Andhra government had neglected the region and had not invested in infrastructure development.

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Significance

Telangana’s formation represents the triumph of the Telangana Movement, which compelled the division of then-united Andhra Pradesh.

On June 2, 2014, a 57-year-long movement yielded fruit, rewarding the hopes and dreams of the Telangana region’s people. 

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What was the Telangana Movement?

The Telangana movement (1948-51) was an armed rebellion of peasants led by the Communist Party of India against overbearing landlordism backed by the totalitarian rule of Hyderabad’s Nizam. 

Peasants’ plight worsened with the flare-up of WWII, as they were repeatedly exposed to an increasing number of exploitative taxes and fees and forced labour. 

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The poorest strata of the peasantry were the hardest hit, with many being unable to endure the increased pressure of exactions and losing their land to village moneylenders.