Telangana general strike continues

NEW DELHI: The Centre, which appears to have concluded that it can no longer put the Telangana issue in a limbo, seems inclined to take some hard decisions. Although Congress leadership is yet to indicate that this could include a bifurcation of the state, there is realisation that token gestures will just not work.

Sources in the government said an all party meeting will be convened in mid-October to thrash out a consensus on the way forward. Barring the BJP, TRS and CPI, all other major parties are divided on regional lines.

The Centre has so far been maintaining that a resolution was contingent upon a larger political unanimity over the statehood demand.

"This line may not be tenable in the face of the ongoing agitation in the state," said a senior party leader. The issue was debated by the party at different levels in the past three days.

On Monday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao as well as Congress leaders from Telangana. The message from both these sessions was simple: Patience of the people from Telangana is running out. Singh, on his part, refused to give any commitment. He merely told them that their sentiments would be conveyed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the core committee. "We briefed the Prime Minister of what is happening in Andhra Pradesh. He knows the Telangana issue and the problems. We briefed him in detail about the strike that is being supported by every section of the society," Geetha Reddy told reporters after the half-an-hour meeting at the prime minister's residence.

The situation in the state appears to be worsening with each passing day. The general strike in Telangana, being spearheaded by the JAC, entered its 21st day on Monday and there was outbreak of violence. Reports from Hyderabad said several buses were torched in Telangana. This has added urgency to the need to resolve the statehood issue.