Hyderabad: The duality of the compartments of politics and culture in Telangana, as it is in the process of transformation. The iconic movement anthem of Telangana, “Jaya Jaya Ho Telangana” which was composed by the reputed poet Ande Sri now will undergo minor changes only while the map emblem of the state will undergo a new look.
The new emblem was unveiled by the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy who has been actively participating in the change process stressed on the significance of the change towards the realisation of the struggle that the people of Telangana went through and the losses which were incurred in order to achieve success. Political insiders around the CM have affirmed that while the anthem has indeed been finalised but with some changes in the lyrics, the proposed change in the emblem is still being processed in order to better fit the chequered spirit of the Telangana people.
Each of these anthems, along with other rousing movement songs, served as an important element in the agitation led by the former Chief Minister and the BRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).
Strategies in the Telangana movement include the following:
1) Silent martyrs – over 1200 youth
2) The Vanta Varpu (cooking on the roads) and
3) Bathukamma: The festivals reflect the power and resilience of the Telangana people .
The foregoing therefore depicts the cultural and political renaissance which in its finality led to the birth of the state.
Nevertheless, the currently used emblem of Telangana developed by an artist Laxman Aelay in 2014 has been criticised by Revanth Reddy for the ‘monarchical sentiments’ incorporated in it that, to him, is inappropriate for the Telangana freedom struggle as the latter stands for democracy. This is therefore the intention with the new emblem; to more accurately depict the struggle of the Telangana people particularly the youths that lost their lives in the process.
As one who chairs the TSP, Revanth Reddy has made several changes since the start of his term. These are changing the state’s symbol from TS to TG, changing the official CM residence name from Jyoti Rao Phule Praja Bhavan, banning all agricultural schemes and changing their names from Rythu Bandhu to Rythu Bharosa. These transformations all speak loud about his intention to re-brand Telangana in a manner that is in harmony with its Democratic and diverse culture.
As Telangana moves forward, these changes signify a respect for its history and a renewed vision for its future, ensuring that the sacrifices of its people are honored and remembered in every symbol and anthem of the state.