Formation of Andhra Pradesh – 1947 to 1956

Hyderabad state (outlined in red color) superimposed on today's India map

There are a lot of myths and huge ignorance surrounding the formation of Andhra Pradesh. People generally assume that it was historically one through time. However, Andhra Pradesh witnessed many changes before it emerged as the first linguistic state on November 1, 1956. The years 1947 to 1956 were very crucial in the history of Andhra Pradesh. When India got independence on August 15, 1947, the three main regions of Andhra Pradesh – Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana were not part of Andhra Pradesh state.

Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema belonged to Madras Presidency as a province of British India. Telangana was part of Hyderabad state, which was an independent native Indian state. Though, there were 568 native Indian states, Hyderabad State was the most important native state and was administered directly by the Governor General of India.

The ruler of Hyderabad State was considered the most senior or superior native Indian ruler. Hyderabad state included Telangana, 4 Kannada districts in Gulberga division & 4 Marathi districts in Aurangabad division.

There was a big difference between these two regions. Unlike Madras Presidency, Hyderabad state was not under direct British rule. The law of Madras Presidency rested upon the laws passed by the British Parliament. In contrast, Hyderabad state had its own law. English was the official language of Madras Presidency, where as it was Urdu for Hyderabad state. Which means all records were kept only in Urdu (for this reason the old land records are in Urdu). The maintenance of all records in Urdu is symbolic of the differences between the two vastly different administrative systems. Urdu was a compulsory subject in Hyderabad state and almost all educated people knew Urdu like people know English today.

Hyderabad state had its own financial, military, judicial, police, general, public works and revenue departments.

The administration of Rayalseema and Coastal Andhra mostly followed 

the current system in India that was derived from British administration 

systems. Whereas Hyderabad State followed the Moghul administration systems (with changes made over time).

Nizam wants Hyderabad State to be an independent country – refuses to join Indian Union
Though India got independence on 15th August 1947, till 18th September 1948 (i.e., 1 year, 1 month and 4 days later) it was not part of the Indian Union. The last Nizam of Hyderabad resisted Indian government’s efforts to merge Hyderabad state into the Indian Union. He even approached the United Nations for recognition of Hyderabad State as a separate country. Indian Union’s negotiations with the Nizam were abortive. The Nizam Government refused to accede his territory to Indian Union.

Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema are administered as part of Madras Presidency (1947-1952)
Meanwhile, after India became independent on August 15, 1947, Ramaswamy Reddiyar was the first Chief Minister of Madras state (Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions are part of Madras State). Poosapati Sanjeevi Kumarswamy Raja was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from April 6, 1949 to April 10, 1952. Madras State was the name by which Madras Presidency was known from January 26, 1950.

Merger of Hyderabad state into Indian Union
Government of India launched ‘Police Action’ code named ‘Operation Polo’ on September 13, 1948 against Nizam. Nizam’s forces surrendered within five days on 18 September 1948 and the merger of Hyderabad state into the Indian Union announced formally. For full details about the liberation of Hyderabad, please click here.

Hyderabad State post merger with India
Until the end of 1949, Major-General J.N.Chaudhuri was the Military Governor of Hyderabad. The government of India appointed M. K. Vellodi as a Chief Minister of Hyderabad state in 26 January 1950 (Republic day) till 6th March 1952 i.e. the completion of the first elections in Independent India. He was a Senior Civil servant in the Government of India. The Nizam was designated ‘Raj Pramukh’ in January 1950 (resigned in 1956, when Hyderabad was split along linguistic lines).

Indian leaders consider and abandon the formation of linguistic States immediately after independence

At Independence, India was a fledgling and vulnerable nation that was created by a partition on religious lines, tested by communal riots across North India and a war in Kashmir. Even the respected British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, “India is a geographical term. It is no more a united nation than the Equator.” The leaders of India started considering the idea of linguistic state to consolidate and give a new identity to the fledgling nation. Moreover, the demarcation of the states (called provinces in British India) was based on history and to maintain the princely states. As a modern democracy, this structure was no longer relevant.

First Elections in Free India (1952)
The first general elections are held in India in 1952. Elections were held both for state and central government. Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema went to elections under the Madras State. Hyderabad State goes to elections separately.

Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected as a chief minister of Hyderabad state
Elections were held for the Hyderabad State in 1952 general elections. Of the 175 MLA seats, Congress wins 93. Left leaning parties like People Democratic Front(42), peasants & workers party of India(10), Socialist party of India(10) and independents(15) are the other major seat winners. Burgula Rama Krishna Rao took charge as Chief Minister of the Hyderabad state after 1952 general elections.

Elections in Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions are held as part of Madras State. Congress forms government with C Rajagopalachari as the chief minister.

Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema form Andhra State
Potti Sri Ramulu one of the strong leaders of the separate Andhra movement, took indefinite fasting from October 19, 1952 demanding for a separate Andhra state from the Madras state for the Telugus. On December 15, Potti Sri Ramulu breathed his last breath in the fasting camp. As the news of his death broke, violence spread all over the southern parts of the country. As a result of Potti Sri Ramulu’s sacrifice, the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the Andhra state consisting eleven districts of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema on October 1, 1953 with Kurnool as its capital city.

Andhra Pradesh

The Formation of Andhra Pradesh
However, Telugu speaking people demanded for their long cherished Visalandhra formation, but people of Hyderabad state were unanimous in their demand for splitting the state into three parts. The States Reorganization Commission headed by Syed Fazal Ali heard the views of different people and organizations. Based on the Commission’s conclusions, the Congress Party High Command preferred Visalandhra and enlarged the state by including nine Telugu speaking districts of Hyderabad state to eleven districts of Andhra state to form Andhra Pradesh with 20 districts. In the process, the Hyderabad state was split among Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra State. Aurangabad division merged with Maharashtra and Gulbarga division merged with Karnataka. The rest of the two divisions of the state – Gulshanabad or Medak and Nizamabad merged with Andhra State.

Thus, the state of ‘Andhra Pradesh’ emerged merging all the districts of Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana on November 1, 1956, with Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as the Chief Minister and C.M Trivedi as the Governor.

Proud to be Indian - Not any more :( !!!

India is a great country. I am proud to be an Indian. I am very lucky that I am born in India which has very old history and one of the oldest civilizations. I felt very happy and proud when I heard things like.. '0' is invented here...Number System was found here in India..Sanskrit is the mother of all the European Languages..Chess was invented here..Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus came from India...The Worlds first University was established in Takshila(Once part of India) in 700BC. These facts about India makes everyone proud. In my school days I complained on my class mate that he was talking bad about our country.

After my Bachelors I went to USA for my Masters and worked there for a while. I have returned home after 6 years of my life there dreaming about India and some times feeling proud of my own country's history and rich tradition. I never skipped a chance to say great about India with my non Indian friends.

When I had to settle here in India, I felt happy in some ways that I am close to my parents and to my home town. When my routine started, the roads, the infrastructure made me feel bad for the first time. I told myself US has very less population and it is very easy for them to build the infrastructure they had..and it will be not the same with India.

When I came to know that Indian Drivers License System is similar to US License system, I was amazed because when I got my first license I was not aware that I need to take a written test to get a learners permit and pass a drivers test to get a License. By looking at the driving sense of people, I even think do these people have a license. Because having license means to have the road sense and to know the rules of driving which were never followed...Traffic police are never bothered about the traffic or the rules.. 80 % of the vehicles here have the high beam lights on with out even knowing that it is not permitted to turn on high beam in normal conditions and causing trouble for opposite traffic...and even traffic police is not concerned about this..

Police department never respect people unlike the other parts of the world..Dealing with any   Government. Department is like hell..In India people need money and power to get any thing done...people with power are demi gods here.. they can get everything done on time where as for people without power takes unknown time...

In India, still only 15% of rural areas has access to toilets..The Economic gap just keeps growing wider..Almost all Politicians and Government Servants are corrupt..Indian Judiciary system is dead slow...Government sanctions money for Common wealth games and unnecessary things but never spend to uplift the poor and infrastructure...Indian media is just bothered about tragedy, gossips and sensations...Political leaders are  never bothered about the street children , beggars who were disabled...They always create very good schemes on paper to grab as much money as they can...

US faced only one terror attack 911 and after that they have tracked  each and every terror plot after that..India whenever a terror attack happens Government announces ex-gratia and clean their hands but never try to stop another..We will never have a hope that our Government is capable of giving a secured life...

When I hear that 38% of doctors, 12% of scientists, 36% of NASA Employees in America are Indians, I feel ashamed that not even a percentage of scientists in India are non Indians..that is because we don't have proper infrastructure and facilities..Though we have the quality in the people, it will never be exposed due to our poor Government.

I don't think all these are because India is a poor country. But because of our poor Political system. India has money which is going to bank accounts of few. I felt bad when I heard " India has money so grab it as much as you can" in some film...actually that is happening..

Gurajada AppaRao said "Country is not the land but the people" and after looking at all of these, NOT ANY MORE I AM PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN.

U.S. consulate in Hyderabad by 2008-end

The United States consulate in Hyderabad, the fourth in India, will become functional towards the close of 2008, U.S. Ambassador David C. Mulford announced here on Tuesday.
An amount of $ 7.6 million has been earmarked in the U.S. Government’s budget for renovation and modernisation of the Paigah Palace in Begumpet, the existing location of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority , where the consulate will be housed for five years. An agreement for leasing out the structure to the U.S. consulate was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy by Ambassador Mulford and Principal Secretary GAD. C. R. Biswal.

Alluri seetharamaraju the great

A terror to the alien rulers, Alluri Seetha Rama Raju was one of Andhra's early revolutionaries. He successfully led the tribals revolting against the Crown. Mobilising them, he launched an armed rebellion against the British.
He was deeply moved by the plight of the tribals at the hands of the British rulers, who used to infringe on their rights. The Madras Forest Act 1882 was formulated to deprive the tribals of their rights. The Act placed restrictions on the free movement of tribals in the forest areas, prevented "podu" (shifting) cultivation, felling and tapping of trees for firewood and toddy.
The British officers despite their superior weapons were no match to Alluri and his men, who were adept in guerilla tactics and knew the hilly terrain like the back of their palm. They used to attack the police stations and seize the arms and ammunition. Alluri carried a reward of Rs 10,000 on his head.
Born in Pandrangi village 12 km from Bheemunipatnam of Visakhapatnam district on July 4th 1897. Alluri had his early education at Rajahmundry and Rama-chandrapuram in East Godavari district. His father died when Alluri was in his elementary school and he grew up in the care of his uncle Rama Chandra Raju, a tahsildar in Narsapur. He has studied in Taylor High School, Narsapur. Then, he shifted to Tuni along with his mother, brother and sister, on the transfer of his uncle. He joined Mrs A.V.N. College in Visakhapatnam on September 20, 1912. He dropped out of the college after having failed in fourth form (Std. IX).
While in Tuni, Alluri used to frequent the agency areas of Visakhapatnam district. Between August and October 1922, he and his men attacked the Chintapalli, Rampa-chodavaram, Rajahmundry and Addateegala and Annavaram police stations and blasted the Chintapalli police station.
The statue of this "Pride of Telugus" stands majestically at The Park junction in hyderabad. The repressive measures and the unjust policies of the British, coupled with the misdeeds of British contractors who exploited and oppressed the workers of the hill tribes of the Visakhapatnam district, brought Alluri Sita Rama Raju into a tussle with the police who supported the contractors. This eventually culminated in the Rampa Rebellion (or Rampa Pituri; 'pituri' means 'complaints' in Telugu).
Sita Rama Raju carried out his campaign in the East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh. Inspired by the patriotic zeal of the revolutionaries in Bengal, and the decisions taken by them at a meeting in Chittagong in 1921, Sita Rama Raju raided many police stations in and around Chintapalli, Krishna-devi-peta and Raja-vommangi, carrying off guns and powder, and killing several British army officers, including the ruthless Scott Coward and Hites, near Damanapalli.
Under the leadership of Saunders, the British deployed a company of the Assam Rifles, near Pedagaddapalem, in December 1922. Sita Rama Raju, who had by then gone underground, resurfaced after some four months and continued the fight, strengthened by tribal volunteers, using bows and arrows. He was ably assisted by two brothers, Mallu Dora and Gantam Dora, who were tribal leaders. They were skilful in guerrilla warfare as they were well-versed with the difficult terrain which was covered by thick forests and valleys.
On September 18, 1923, Sita Rama Raju raided the Annavaram police outpost. Subsequently, Mallu Dora was arrested. The Government entrusted the task of containing Sita Rama Raju's activities to one Rutherford, who fired the first salvo when his forces arrested Surya Narayana Raju Pericherla, popularly known as "Aggiraju", a strong follower of Sita Rama Raju.
The campaign lasted nearly one year from December 1922, and petered off by October 1923. Sita Rama Raju surrendered himself, and was shot dead without a trial in May 1924.

September 11

September 11

That morning, nineteen terrorists[3] affiliated with al-Qaeda[4] hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners (United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11) into the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower (1 WTC and 2 WTC), resulting in the collapse of both buildings soon afterward and irreparable damage to nearby buildings. The hijackers crashed a third airliner (American Airlines Flight 77) into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft (United Airlines Flight 93) attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers;[5] that plane crashed into a field near the town of Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In addition to the 19 hijackers, 2,974 people died; another 24 are missing and presumed dead. The victims were predominantly civilians.

A Long Journey To Success

Life's many roads, lead us in many different directions on different paths,On these roads of travel we see new people, new things,Everything appears to be perfect.But, there shall come times when the road is long,The journey seems rough and the new people, Places and things you once saw, are no longer around…You stand alone.Even though the road may then seem lonely, you keep pushing on -Praying -Believing that "Yes I can, Yes I will."And when no one else believes in you, you believe in yourself.I know the road was hard, it was long -Because I traveled the same path.So don't look back, just continue to push forward -All that are in the way, move them out - shun the negativity.Stay head strong, thank God for everything -Especially for this long harsh road.Because it was simply A long journey to success.

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