All-party meeting on ‘T’ serves no purpose

Hyderabad: Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today described the Union Government move to convene an all-party meeting to discuss Andhra Pradesh bifurcation as another act in the cynical drama it has been staging.

When almost all parties in the State are divided on regional lines, no purpose would be served in holding consultations with them once again. Perhaps the move is meant to corner certain parties to serve the ruling party’s interests, he said

Addressing a meeting after garlanding the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Potti Sriramulu and unfurling the national flag to mark the State Formation Day at the party headquarters, Dr. JP wanted the Union Government to consult legislators and representatives of civil society organizations including joint action committees of Telangana, Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema separately or district-wise if necessary.

Dr. JP dismissed the contention of certain sections that a State can never be formed for a minority of people since the majority would always oppose it. He pointed out all the three States formed in 2000 – Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Uttaranchal – represented a minority of people in their parent States. The Union Government to its credit has honored people’s sentiments and did not disturb Union Territories although their consent is not required.

Dr. JP said division of a large State and formation of a new State is always beset by problems. All these problems are not intractable. What is required is patience and vision. If the Government of India is sincere, it can hold consultations with legislators and civic society representatives, ascertain their fears and concerns and short-list solutions that emanate. Based on them, it can build a consensus.

Instead, the Union Government is enacting drama after drama and playing with the lives of people in the State solely to serve the ruling party’s interests in the ensuring general elections, he alleged.

Lok Satta leaders D. V. V. S. Varma, N. Saroja Devi and M. Satyanarayana took part in the meeting.

source: Andhra Headlines