Shutdown hits life in four Andhra districts

From S Murari, Chennai

Normal life in three coastal Andhra districts and in Rayalaseema was thrown out of gear on Friday as supporters of united Andhra Pradesh observed a total shutdown to protest against the formation of a separate Telangana, as decided by the Government of India.

In a parallel development, opposition Telugu Desam and Praja Rajyam Party intensified their agitation for a united Andhra Pradesh by taking out rallies from Tirupati in Chittoor district.

Television pictures showed the commercial town of Vijayawada in Krishna district deserted as people began a 48-hour general shutdown (called bandh in Hindi) in protest against removal of a fasting leader to hospital on Thursday night.

While the fast-unto-death launched by the Congress member of Parliament Lagadapati Rajagopal in Vijayawada entered the fifth day, fasting Telugu Desam member of the State Legislative Assembly (MLA) D. Umamaheswar Rao was taken into custody by the police and shifted to hospital provoking a 48-hour shutdown not only in Vijayawada but in the entire Krishna district of which it is the capital.

Similar shutdowns were reported from other coastal Andhra districts of Prakasam and Godavari while protests continued in Rayalaseema against the removal of a fasting Telugu Desam leader to hospital.

Intensifying their agitation against the Centre's move on Telangana, the Telugu Desam launched a bus yatra (journey) on Friday from Tirupati while Praja Rajyam leader Chiranjeevi hit the road from Tirupati to Sri Kalahasti to begin a campaign for a united Andhra Pradesh.

The 11-day bus yatra will cover the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions. Senior TDP legislator G Muddukrishnama Naidu said in Tirupati: "We will meet various sections of the society during the tour and raise awareness on the need for united Andhra Pradesh. We will expose how Mrs Sonia Gandhi decided to cut the State into pieces like a cake on her birthday ( Dec 9)".

It may be recalled that the protests in Telangana and coastal Andhra regions began after the announcement made by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on the midnight of Dec 9.


Mr Chiranjeevi, who resigned his Assembly membership on Thursday, also reached his Assembly constituency Tirupati and decided to conduct a campaign to inform the people about the benefits of staying united.

He told reporters in Tirupati that backwardness of Telangana could not be cited as a reason for its separation from united Andhra. The effort should be to develop all the three regions together.

In Kadapa, Congress member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, brother of late Congress Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, continued his fast on the fourth day on Friday, in support of united Andhra Pradesh. His wife Y.S. Sowbhagyamma and three legislators joined him in the fast on Thursday.

Rallies, road blockades and other forms of protests continued across the Rayalaseema and Andhra regions.

A report from Vellore in Tamil Nadu said that with bus transport paralysed, passengers to Tirupati and Chittoor took the train from Vellore cantonment. Reports from Tirupati said pilgrim crowd at the famous Balaji temple had thinned out with road transport affected and most hotels and eating establishments closed. As a result, pilgrims who were ready to rough it out were able to worship Lord Venkateswara at leisure.

- Asian Tribune -