Statehood Activists in T'gana to Be Classified

The high-level committee constituted by the Telangana government to identify "Telangana Udyamakarulu" (statehood movement activists) has decided to identify the genuine activists in four categories.

The first meeting of the committee headed by government advisor on public relations and education, K. Keshava Rao, was held on Sunday.

Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, MLCs Prof. Kodandaram and Addanki Dayakar, former MLC Ramulu Naik, and Mothe Shobhan Reddy, who are members of the committee, participated in the meeting.

According to an official release, the panel proposes to accord first priority to those who lost their lives during the Telangana movement. The second category will cover those who sustained injuries during the movement.

Those who were imprisoned, arrested, or faced legal cases in connection with the Telangana movement will be recognised as Telangana activists in the third category.

Activists hailing from various states who actively participated in the movement at the grassroots level will be designated under the fourth category.

To identify activists in the fourth category, it was suggested that references be made to newspaper clippings documenting their involvement in the movement.

The panel will also invite proposals from individuals within civil society who played pivotal roles during the Telangana movement.

A decision was made to hold consultations with activists from the 1969, 1972, and 1996 movements to collect their proposals.

The panel, constituted two days ago, has been tasked with framing strict criteria to identify genuine activists and compiling a comprehensive database for welfare support and state honours.

The committee stated that it was constituted with the objective of safeguarding the legacy of the Telangana movement and affirmed that the selection of activists would be conducted in a manner transcending political affiliations.

Noting that the previous administration had extended assistance to only a select few, the committee resolved to ensure that the current selection process is conducted in a non-partisan manner, independent of political parties.

During the meeting, the Committee expressed its gratitude to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for officially constituting a government committee dedicated to the recognition of Telangana movement activists.

The Committee resolved to establish its office within the premises of 'Amaraveerula Jyothi' (Martyrs' Memorial Flame) in Hyderabad.

The panel decided to convene an all-party meeting shortly to solicit proposals regarding the recognition of martyrs.

It was resolved to seek proposals from various entities, including the Telangana Movement Activists’ Joint Action Committee (JAC), activists from the 1969 movement, employee unions, the Artists' JAC, the 'Sabbanda Vargala' (All-Sections) JAC, caste associations, the Lawyers' JAC, and various movement organisations formed across different districts.

The committee decided to undertake tours across the districts to conduct extensive public consultations and gather opinions.