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| Preface |
As I present Telugu’s history with great pride in this book, I feel that it is
important for me to underscore that I firmly believe in the integrity of the
Republic of India and that the nation’s broader interests will always supersede
the states’ interests.
The concept of linguistic states is under threat in our nation. What
most people seem to forget is that the early apprehensions of linguistic states
as harmful to the country’s integrity have been proved wrong. If anything,
linguistic states have only strengthened the republic.
I am a Bharatiya Janata Party supporter. However, I do not agree with
the party’s support to dividing our state. The thinking that weak states will
strengthen the central authority, in my opinion, is an unproven myth that will
only ruin the thousands-of-years-old rich cultural identity of linguistic states,
such as Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh
(A.P.), Orissa, and West Bengal.
Readers will also notice that I profusely praise the Communist Party
in its fight against the Nizam. However, I urge readers not to construe this
as my support for Communist or Socialist philosophy. I believe in capitalism,
and I am aware of the havoc Communism has wreaked on millions of people
worldwide. Yet, one cannot discount the grassroots movement the Communist
Party built against the Nizam’s atrocious rule in Telangana. In my opinion, the
movement in Nizam Telangana had little to do with Communist philosophy
and more to do with ending the Nizam’s tyrannical feudal rule.
I also devoted many sections of the book to atrocities committed by the
Muslim rulers in India. I hope that the readers do not construe my criticism of
Muslim rulers as against the religion or its people. I firmly believe in religious
freedom and every person’s right to choose the faith of his or her choice. I
know little about Islam and, hence, do not have an opinion about the religion.
However, I do detest the jihadist militant version of Islam continuing to hurt
India after a thousand years since the invasions from across the border began.
Lastly, as the book is about Telugu roots, I thought it important to
provide a brief background of myself. My native place is a small village in the
district of Nalgonda. My father worked for the state government and had to
relocate from one town to another every few years because of government
rules. As a child, I spent time in Devarakonda, Thungathurthi, Suryapeta, and
Nalgonda. When I was five years old, my parents sent me to live with my
grandparents in Hyderabad. I used to visit my parents during the winter and
summer holidays. After finishing my bachelor’s degree in 1993, I came to the
United States in pursuit of higher education. Since then, I have made the U.S.
my home. I currently live with my wife and two children in New York.
Writing is a hobby of mine, though I do not write for a living. In the
past, I wrote articles for international students at the University of Hawai.
Later, when I was a student at the Columbia Business School, I wrote for
the school newspaper Bottom Line. I have also written articles for the A.P.
state BJP’s paper. I now occasionally write notes on Facebook on conservative
viewpoints. The decision to write this book happened inadvertently. When
the controversy around a separate state reached a feverish pitch in our state,
I wanted to learn more about how the regional differences within our state
came about. The more I learned about our past, the more determined I grew
to share what I learned with fellow Telugus. As I wrote the book, I made an
effort to keep the presentation simple and concise to reach a broad spectrum
of the Telugu audience. I hope the readers will find this work informative and
interesting.
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