Sept 16: ‘Hyderabad Liberation’ Day, a low-key celebration all these years, has suddenly kicked up a major political row with the pro-Telangana faction wanting to celebrate it in a big way, ably supported by the BJP. Their demand is that the annual celebration on September 17 to mark the surrender of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur to the Indian Army in 1948 and the accession of Hyderabad State to the Indian Union should be officially celebrated. Though the state of Hyderabad was officially merged into the Indian Uninon January 26, 1950.
The day is also celebrated as the Telangana Liberation Day after a powerful Indian Army ran over a weak Nizam, who refused to join the Indian Union and wanted to stay independent. Like the Telangana issue, it has divided separatists and some integrationists, with the former demanding official celebrations and the latter opposing it.
Confusion also persists among historians, authors, politicians, and others about how to describe the Indian takeover of the princely state of Hyderabad. It has been described variously as surrender, annexation, liberation and even betrayal. However, historical documents with the Ministry of Defence codenamed it ‘Operation Polo’ (renamed Operation Caterpillar) and described it as “surrender and accession”. It was officially called a ‘police action’though it was in fact a purely Indian military operation.
In fact, September 17 is a misnomer. Though the war diary of the Third Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles states it was in the vanguard of the strike force, a Group of 1 Armoured Division of the expeditionary column of the Indian Army had reached Patancheru (now Medak district). If at all anybody has to celebrate September 17, it should be the Indian Army regiments that participated in Operation Caterpillar. For all intents and purposes, Hyderabad became the 562nd princely State to accede to India on January 26, 1950, says Capt. Lingala Pandu Ranga Reddy, a retired army captain of the 11 Gorkha Rifles who made a study of the Hyderabad Liberation.
Politicians from Telangana belonging to the Congress, Telugu Desam, and the Left parties, besides the BJP, TRS, Praja Rajyam, Lok Satta and other T-activists, want to make an official event out of September 17, but the MIM president, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi, some Seema-Andhra leaders like Mr J. C. Diwakar Reddy and Mr Lagdapati Rajagopal stoutly oppose it saying it has never been done in the past and will “open past wounds”.
The Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, made it clear to a BJP delegation that he would not set a new precedent by celebrating Liberation Day officially.
Telangana Congress MLCs Mr S. Indrasain Reddy, Mr D. Rajeshwara Rao, Mr K. R. Amos, Mr T. Bhanuprasada Rao, Mr M. S. Prabhakar, and Mr N. Rajalingam cautioned the government against going against the wishes of the people and wanted an official celebration.
“It’s a public demand,” Mr Amos claimed. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi president, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who is spearheading the separate Telangana movement, demand official celebrations like neigbouring states have. The Former minister, Mr J. C. Diwakar Reddy demands to know how a state can celebrate two independence days. TRS chief Mr Rao says Mr Diwakar Reddy should go to Bellary to see the celebrations. “We too should have a state function. TRS will celebrate the day with gusto.”
Arch rivals BJP and MIM both warn that celebrating/not celebrating will hurt the sentiments of ‘the people’. “It has to be celebrated officially like Maharashtra and Karnataka. People of this generation should know Indian and Hyderabad history. I don’t know why some people are creating a fuss. Compared to other princely states, Hyderabad was a different dominion and has a chequered history,” Mr Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, former Union minister of state for home told this correspondent.
Mr Rao adds, “I also feel it should get a mention in text books. Students should know Hyderabad history. The MIM’s objection is uncalled for. During the Razakar movement and its aftermath, Hindus as well as Muslims were victims. Suppressing history will do no good.”
The MIM president, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi is unconvinced and says, “It’s a Sangh Parivaar agenda. I am an Indian. For me freedom means August 15 and January 26. Apart from these two days, other dates are irrelevant. It will be a hate campaign against the Muslim rulers, fuel more anger and poison against Muslims.” He points out that there was no such demand in the past and any attempt to do it now will have repercussions. The Muslims of Telangana have not forgotten the brutal massacre and rape of thousands of Muslims during the liberation period. “We congratulate the Chief Minister for not celebrating September 17 as ‘Liberation Day’officially,” said Dr Hasnuddin Ahmed, former chairman of the AP State Minorities Commission.
Mr Inamul Haqq, former chief engineer, Panchayat Raj, Major SGM Quadri (Retd), president of Help Hyderabad, Mr Kamaluddin Ali Khan, secretary, All India Soofi Association, and Mr Muzaffar Ali Khan, member of the Social Initiative for Legal Remedies, have petitioned the Chief Minister not to hold official celebrations.
Lok Satta argues that the day should be an occasion to introspect to what extent the present day leaders have realised the dreams of those who had fought in the liberation movement.
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