Chenna Reddy returned to Hyderabad and met the TPS Central
Working Committee. He briefed them about his discussions with Indira
Gandhi. After a mere three hours of discussions, TPS announced that they
are merging with the Congress Party. The decision required the TPS State
Council’s ratification.
On September 18, 1971, after nearly two years of death and mayhem
over a Telangana state, the TPS State Council met to discuss their movement’s
future. During the TPS State Council meeting, several members argued that
the TPS should not have agreed to the merger just based on Kasu Brahmananda
Reddy’s resignation. Members argued that the TPS should have insisted on
the six-point formula that Chenna Reddy took to Delhi.
Council member E. V. Padmanabhan brought copies of the letter he
wrote to the TPS president and distributed it to the members. In the letter,
he said, Thanks to the TPS, Telangana today is in a worse state than it was
prior to October 31, 1956, before the Gentlemen’s Agreement was signed.
He added, “I am fortunate to have worked with you all for this great cause.
You all fought bravely for a common goal. However, now, you have dumped
the people of Telangana in the middle of the lake. What else can I say? Till
Telangana is fortunate enough to see good days, I take leave from you all.”
Former MP Baqar Ali Mirza, who resigned from the Congress Party for the
Telangana cause, said that, in his 40 years of political life, he had never seen an
instance where this sort of deceit was done for political positions.
The TPS State Council, after four hours of discussion, unanimously
approved merging TPS with the Congress Party. Members expressed “hope”
that the remaining five of the six demands put forward by the TPS would also
be implemented immediately.
As the council meeting was underway, students descended on the TPS
office, raised slogans against the leaders, and accused them of treason. They
argued with the members who were entering the building. These students
probably wanted to know why they had to sacrifice a year of their academic
life.They probably wondered what purpose the deaths of 12-year-old, seventh-
grade student, Narasimhulu; 10-year-old Dasthagir; 18-year-old Ravinder;
eighth-grade student, Shankar; and hundreds more like them served.
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