'We Will Topple Anarchic Forces': TRS Chief Kavitha Attacks Congress, BJP Over 'Distorted' Telangana Struggle Narrative

Hyderabad: Telangana Rakshana Sena chief Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Congress and BJP over their competing narratives around Telangana’s historical struggle, accusing both parties of distorting history for political gains.

Kavitha unfurled the national flag at the Telangana Rakshana Sena headquarters in Banjara Hills on the occasion of September 17, which marks the integration of the erstwhile Hyderabad State into the Indian Union in 1948. The Telangana government officially observes the day as Praja Palana Dinotsavam, while different political groups have used terms including Liberation Day and Integration Day.

Addressing party workers and supporters, Kavitha said the history of the Telangana struggle should be viewed through the sacrifices and participation of ordinary people rather than through the competing political narratives of contemporary parties.

‘Congress, BJP Narratives Are Fabricated’

Kavitha alleged that both the Congress and BJP were presenting distorted versions of the historical struggle.

According to Kavitha, the Congress was attempting to claim credit for a movement in which its role, as she described it, was being overstated. At the same time, she accused the BJP of reducing the struggle to a communal conflict between the Nizam and Hindus.

She argued that the movement was instead rooted in the resistance of ordinary people against oppressive feudal structures and injustices, with people from different communities participating in the struggle.

The Telangana government's own account of the period describes the 1948 episode as a broader struggle against the Nizam's rule and highlights the role of both writers and armed fighters, including Doddi Komaraiah.

‘People Were At The Centre Of The Struggle’

Recalling prominent figures associated with Telangana's social and political movements, Kavitha paid tribute to Vattikota Alwar Swamy, Suravaram Pratap Reddy, Ravi Narayana Reddy, Kaloji Narayana Rao, Dasarathi Krishnamacharya, Shoaibullah Khan and Makhdoom Mohiuddin.

She said intellectuals, writers and activists played an important role in politically awakening people and organising them across villages. According to her account, the Andhra Maha Sabha became an important platform through which people were mobilised around social and political issues.

Kavitha also referred to grassroots resistance against jagirdars and zamindars and highlighted figures such as Doddi Komaraiah, Chakali Ailamma and Sheikh Bandagi. She also recalled the contribution of women leaders including Mallu Swarajyam and Arutla Kamala Devi.

The Telangana government's historical material similarly records the importance of the peasant movement and the struggle against feudal practices, including the abolition of jagirs and reforms affecting tenants and cultivators.

‘Struggle Was Not A Communal Conflict’

Kavitha particularly criticised what she described as an attempt to portray the Telangana struggle solely through a Hindu-Muslim lens.

She said the resistance brought together people from different communities who faced exploitation and oppressive feudal systems. According to Kavitha, reducing the episode to a communal confrontation ignores the wider social and economic dimensions of the movement.

Her remarks come amid continued political differences over how September 17 should be commemorated. The Telangana government has said the day represents the beginning of democratic rule in Hyderabad and chose the term Praja Palana Dinotsavam after considering competing descriptions such as Merger Day and Liberation Day.

Kavitha Targets Congress Over Land Issue

Kavitha also attacked the Congress over its historical position on land and the Telangana peasant struggle.

She claimed that around 10 lakh acres of land had been distributed to poor people during the Nizam's administration and alleged that these lands were subsequently taken away from the poor and restored to landlords after Hyderabad's integration into the Indian Union.

The land-related history of the period is complex. Telangana's official educational material records the abolition of jagirs after integration, the protection of tenants and subsequent agrarian reforms, while also noting that the Telangana armed peasant struggle was already underway when Hyderabad was merged with India.

‘BJP And RSS Had No Role In Historic Struggle’

Kavitha further claimed that neither the BJP nor the RSS had a role in the historical Telangana struggle, arguing that the movement was driven by people on the ground and the organisations and leaders who mobilised them at the time.

She said the sacrifices of those who participated in the movement should not be appropriated by political parties decades later for contemporary political purposes.

‘Rise To Protect People’s Rights’

Concluding her address, Kavitha linked the legacy of the historical struggle to her party's present-day political agenda.

She said the Telangana Rakshana Sena was founded on the principle of protecting people's rights irrespective of caste, religion or economic status.

Drawing on the spirit of the fighters of Telangana, Kavitha called on people to unite against what she termed the “anarchic forces” currently ruling the state and said they should be democratically removed from power.

The Telangana Rakshana Sena describes itself as a people-first movement led by Kavitha, with an emphasis on Telangana's self-respect, welfare and accountable governance.

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