Kosovo, Telengana, and Me.

It’s about a fortnight since Kosovo, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia. This was recognised by America and some countries of the European Union. Serbia and Russia are naturally upset and opposing. The move by Kosovo is a result of oppression, as the Kosovars feel. I will come to that story a little later.

Telengana

Telengana is a region within the State of Andhra Pradesh in India. This region was under Nizam’s rule before it became part of Andhra Pradesh during state’s formation on the basis of Telugu Language. The dialect of Telugu spoken in this region is slightly different, for it got evolved over a period with words of Urdu getting mixed. Even so, it is not difficult to understand. The dialect in other regions is also unique to that region. As a matter of fact, no one can say the world over, that their dialect of their language is pure.

Telengana has a History, like any other region. Ever since it became unified with Andhra Pradesh in 1956, the people of the region felt discriminated and raised many complaints of not developing their region. Their demand for a separate state was always on the cards, and is gaining momentum these days. There are several factors to be taken into consideration for formation of a separate state. Many within the state are divided in opinion. Ordinary law abiding citizens see the issue as instigated by selfish leaders for political gains.

Whichever party that came to power at the center, has, in my opinion took decisions by and large in the interest of the Indian people who belong to different religions with innumerable castes. Touch wood, India believes Unity in diversity. I can say with pride, way of living is unique in India. I hope the uniqueness continues.

Me

I was born before India’s independence, before formation of Andhra Pradesh State, in Machilipatnam town, off the coast of Bay of Bengal. The town lay in the coastal region of present state of Andhra Pradesh. In all my life so far, I might have spent about six months in that town over a period. Yet, I am fond of my birth place. I now live in Hyderabad (Telengana Region), capital of Andhra Pradesh, a bare 350 Kms (219 miles), northwest of it.

I grew up in Delhi and Chennai for 28 years, and since 35 years I am in Hyderabad. In between, I visited several cities in India, and visited USA thrice. I speak Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and English fluently, and can understand Bengali, Kannada, Punjabi, and Urdu to a reasonable level.

The way the politicians in some regions in India are demanding separate state, citing reasons that the local people are being deprived of jobs by the migrants from other states; are being oppressed; their regions are not being developed, so on and so forth. Their main aim is to come to power by any means, more often than not by instigating violence.

I am taking me as an example. There are millions of Indians, educated and illiterate, who, like me migrated from city to city by accident, by choice, by compulsion.

To which state I belong? Let me analyse with humour.

I was born in coastal region, but never lived there, so I do not belong to it. I lived in Delhi and Chennai. Since I am not born there, I am not a local, nor is my native language Hindi or Tamil. So, they do not want me in their states. I am an outsider in the Telengana region. My accent of speaking Telugu or English does not go in tandem with the local dialects. So, I could be thrown out.

Where do I go? Even my dead body cannot be buried anywhere, if the same logic goes. The body also cannot be flown and dumped either in Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, or in the Himalayas. Because, the states may object to flying over their territories! In which case, God has to lift me physically into his domain. I hope he will do so.

Doesn’t all this appear and sound weird?

But that is the way, politicians are looking at issues with a narrow vision, disregarding human element.

Kosovo

There is some similarity between India and erstwhile Yugoslavia, so far complexities are concerned.

In the Book LANDS AND PEOPLES, a set of six volumes published (1985) by Grolier Inc., Danbury, CT, Yugoslavia is described in one of the paragraphs as follows:

A popular formula that helps to simplify the complexities of modern Yugoslavia states that it is a nation of six republics, five nationalities, four languages, three religions, two alphabets, and one party - the league of communists of Yugoslavia.

The six republics that make up Yugoslavia are Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Macedonia. Serbia is the home of Yugoslavia’s largest minority group - Albanians who live in the autonomous province of Kosovo-Metohilja.

The five related south Slav peoples who live in the six republics are the Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Montenegrins, and Macedonians. The four languages most widely spoken are Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Macedonian. The three religions are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Islam. The two alphabets are Latin and Cyrillic.

The Yugoslavians have been living as ONE nation with all these republics, and each of the regions has been enjoying certain political and cultural autonomy.

But with the fall of communism, this nation slowly got disintegrated, following the secession of most of the republics. The last to get separated was Montenegro.

Now, Kosovo, a province in Serbia, with ethnic Albanian majority, seceded. The ethnic Albanians were mostly followers of Islam. The Serbian minority in the Kosovo Province had a mix of Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.

The Serbian majority did oppress the ethnic Albanians brutally until the NATO forces bombed and brought the Kosovo province under its fold. That was in 1999. The West promised then that The Kosovo issue would be solved amicably with Serbia so far as the sharing of power was concerned, and that Kosovo would not secede from Serbia.

With this unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo, Serbia is up in protest with support from Russia. Serbia and the Serbian minority in Kosovo consider the region as “the heartland of Serbian history and culture”, and unable to foresee a future without Kosovo.

The whole issue has become complex, and would involve considerable diplomatic skill to arrive at a solution. Could the issue lead to instability in the region?

My View

It is a reality of life that people migrate from one region to the other within a country, and from a country to another for better standard of living. In the process they carry their religion, and perhaps follow it in a new environment if allowed. Over a period of time, from a minority status, they could become a majority in that region. Their faith, beliefs and their desires may form a factor for governance, which could lead to a Type of government, Autocratic or Democratic. To remain in Power, Political opportunism by their leaders could alter their fate or even new borders could get created within which they may be forced to live. This new position may alter their status from a minority to a majority, and vice versa. In the process of this transition, sometimes help of other countries is sought, or they themselves interfere to exercise their presence, and influence in those regions for domination.

Innocent people suffer because of this power play. Their emotions, bond with the region, their culture is totally disregarded. What for?

The order and practice of the day seems to split countries, split territories, split people’s cultures, and usher new type of rule and civilization.

Is this the change the peace loving people are looking for, and deserve?

God Knows.

Material referred: lands and Peoples- A Grolier Inc., publication; www.wikipedia.org; Articles from International Herald Tribune; The Hindu, and the Internet.