ana 1veu to its e's ectations?

The Congress strategy to create a separate state could mean an election win, but losses for its denizens, writes

PARTHASARTHYCHAGANTY

Members of the Australia Telangana Forum welcome the recent announcement of Telangana as India 's 29t h state

At 66, Mocher In@ gees read y for the 29th baby. So ran the headline in an Indian national daily, highlighting the Congress party's decision co carve Telengana out of Andhra Pradesh as the 29th state of the Indian U nion, in the 66th year of Independence. The modalities need ro be worked out, which could cake about four m o nths, before the new state comes imo being, bm no difficul ty is envisaged as the move has wide support across the political spectrum.

The demand for a separate Telengana state is about half a century old, with periodic agitations of varying intensity in its support. And it is more than tbree years si nce the government announced in December 2009, its firm resolve to address the issue. The Justice Srikrishna Commiss ion, constinaed in its wake, was not categorical witb its reco mmendations but its report v iewed bifurcation with disfavour, its preference being greater autonom y and increased resource allocation for the region within the ambit of the existing unified state. However, d1e governmem had not acted on the report and continued to dither, bedevilled as it was widi multip le corruption scandals, apart from odier preoccupations.

\1(/ith die general elections looming (due in May 2014), and fearing a rapid erosion o f its electoral base, the Congress was probably desperate to get a move on, and hence the sudden urge to grant statehood to Telengana.

The party se ems to have strud, a deal with TRS (Telengana Rashtra Samid1i) , the force behind die latest agitacion for a separate state. Even if die two parties do not me rge immediately, die y are sure to contest on a common p latform and are expected co sweep the poUs, capturing most of die 17 Lok Sabha seats and 119 assembly seats that the region offers. l c is a foregone conclusion chat diere \\~ll be a backlash agai n st d1e pany in tbe rest of the state, compris ing coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema , which account for no fewer than 25 Lok Sabha seats, bes ides 175 assembly seats. That the Congress bas vi.rmally given up on this larger area, being content with its prospeccive ho ld o n Telengana, appears co be indicative of the party's l ow morale radier dian any weU thought-out strategy.

In such a scenario, the clear winner appears to be Jagan (mo niker for Jaganmohan Redd y), chief of d1e YSR Congress, the party named after his late fadier and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy Jagan has the advan tage of being cons istent in his opposition to the formation of Te lengana, unlike die major regional party, TDP (Telugu Desarn Party), and the major nati o nal parry, BJP. Jagan has been embroiled in corruption cases and may not even be able to contest elections as per a recent Supreme Court order, but diat is not likely to come in his way. otwithstanding the grandstanding of duly "hurt"

Congress ivfPs and ivrLAs from th is area, some of whom could in face be res igning their sears, the Congress will have no alternative bm to come to terms widi him. He will acquire die kind of done now enjoyed b y Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati by virtue of their outside support to die gover11D1ent. If die Congress had been more accommodative of Jagan in the wake of his father's death and not driven him away from its fold, the party may not have had to concede Telengana, bm histor y is not about conn terfacmals.

ArgLUnems like smaUer states being mo re amenable to effective administration are just academic. Issues like division of sta tes will almost invariably be based on poli tical considerations in a democracy. Therefore, it is futile to deride the Congress' decision on Telengana as political oppormnism. But a major concern here is diat the main protagon ist, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, chief of TRS, who is sure to wield enormous influence in running tbe fledgling state, at least in the initial rears, is noc known for his integrity or administrative experience. And his party seems to have thrived on extorrion dllting the past few year s, hence die nuanced agi tacion, which pe rrn.itted the Congress to sit on the issue for years.

People from Telengana have often comp lained abom '' loss of jobs" It is not that people from the region are at present discriminated against: what they want is a distinct preference for sons of tbe soil - and tliis is where the rub lies. A major national party l ike d1e Congress owes it to i tself to check the parochial tendencies of its ally and ensure peace and harmony.

Considering diat H yderabad, which will serve as a joint capital fo r the rwo states for the first

''Even if the two parties (Congress and TRS) do not merge immediately, they are sure to contest on a common platform and are expected to sweep the polls, capturing most of the 17 Lok Sabha seats and 119 assemb ly seats that the reg ion otrers

''IO ye ars and diat the city is not even going to be a union terr itory in die interim peciod, people from Andhra could suddenly fi nd themselves reduced to the status o f second class citizens in d1e megalopolis, which has been home to millions of them. Every ca re s hould, therefore, be taken to ensure diat Andhras do not feel alienated and there is no flight of capital or business from d1e city. The first few years are bound to be marked b y mrmo il, but it is to be hoped chat Telengana, which is well-endowed in terms of natural resources, will eventua lly come to occupy a p roud place among states and prove that the sacrihces made by thousands to realise the dream have not been in vain.

Celebrate Independence Day with your very own lndo Australian fusion creation

'Indian women; chis one's a nobrainer fusion l ook for sure! Quirk it up by pairing tl1e kurti top with coordinated co loured denim.

' BY KALYANI WAKHARE

Itis remarkable bow we are influenced by the fashion and style of the country we live in, and how easily we adapt this in to our own personal sryle over time. However, our cultural heritage is timeless and so very special to us that we look fonvard to celebrating festivals and occas ions, and love sporting traditional outfits to these.

Typically, weekdays probab ly see you Lil pencil skirts and pantsuits busy ar work, or tunics and leggings paLted with boors, rushing to finish numerous errands, before you pi ck up the kid s from s choo l.

Sometimes, I'm sure that like me, you wait eagerly for that weekend soiree to dress up in a gorgeous s ui t o r sw ish arotmd in an exquisite s,m1 Don't we all love an occasion to flatmt our spl endid Indian wardrobe and jewellery co match!

Ever wondered how you'd successfully sport an IndoAu ssie fusion look that is effortless ly chic? Come a day like Independence Day, it's your perfect chance to try a new lookl

Contemporary Australian fashion i s all about looking and feeling sty li sh in a relaxed and smart- casual manner. Traditionall y inspired by the Far East more so than Europe, J\ustralian fash ion has always included prints and flowing forms in the ir outfits. And that's what makes the fusion challenge much easier!

The key to a great fusion outfit is co b lend tl1e l ndian piece seaml ess ly; trying too bard or adding coo many pieces will only ruin the look So how do you do it? Here ar e fou r easy pointers to get the look righr.

1. Indian prints

Indian prints are so distinct and charming tbat yo u would create an instant winner witl1 delicate paisley printed pants or a ha11dba11i (tie and dye) skirt. The rest of your o u tfit can then be fairl y plain w ith a neutra l coloured Aowing top, paired with a smai:t tote hag. One coul d safely say that p rinted kmtis paLted witl1 jeans is al.most I.be uniform for co ntemporary u.rban

2 . Colou r

\Vhen we think of Independence Day, the co lours that come to mind su·aight away are saffron, white a nd green. Can yo u actually team tl1ese up to create a l.ook dedicated to patriotism? Ok, it's not as outrageous as i t sounds. One way to do it elegantly is to just wear a white or beige shirt w itl1 jeans, and throw in a subdued green scarf and a lovely baigara mirror-work orange bag Wear your fancy wedges or sandal s and finish tl1is look in style witl1 a pretty ser of silver and oxidised metal bangles

3 Jewellery That brings us to d1e next and perhaps one o f the most important elements of an Indian look, jewellery. Statement necklaces are all the rage righ t now and you'll be surprised how easy tl1ese are to work into a shirt 'n' jeans look, or even with a pretty evening dress Indian jewellery is so versatile be ic k1111da11, delicate gold and silver, or pearls. You can instandy glam u p an ourht w ith pretty stone earrings, intricate bracelets or tantalising anklets.

4 Accessories

If you are not abl e to identify your s1:yle in any of the above, I'm sure th is o n e will have you n odding ) Our head and smiling, because it can't get simp ler tlian tl1is Ye e 1 promise these accessories can't be underestimated ac all! I'm talking about scarves w ith Indian prints and colours; just adding this one piece to an outfit w ill in srandy make your fus ion loo k compl ete, irrespective of whether it's silk, wool o r chiffon. The other easy accessory is an exclusive Indian dutch with embellishments, perfect arm cand y, you will agree! And lase but not least is footwear. Attractive lndian sandals, rllf]i-is or k.olhapmi chappals all work magic in an Indian fusion look. So go out there with confidence, sporting a fusion outfit to your Independence Day gathering-and leave your friends spellbound by your super-stylish l ook!