CityLightBuzz: Hyderabad, BJP Telangana State Vice-President and Chairman of the Telangana Liberation Committee, Dr. Boora Narsaiah Goud, said the party would take the history of the Telangana Liberation Movement to every household across the state and work to ensure that the sacrifices of those who fought against the Nizam’s rule receive due recognition. Speaking at a media conference at the BJP State Office in Hyderabad, Dr. Narsaiah Goud said Telangana had faced decades of discrimination and oppression and maintained that while India attained Independence on August 15, 1947, the erstwhile Hyderabad State, including Telangana, was liberated from the Nizam’s autocratic rule and the Razakar violence on September 17, 1948.
He said that governments in the erstwhile Nizam-ruled regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra officially observe September 17, but alleged that Telangana, which was at the centre of the liberation struggle, had not received the same level of official recognition for its martyrs. He described this as a historical injustice.
Dr. Narsaiah Goud also recalled the sacrifices made during the Telangana statehood movement. He said 369 people were killed in the 1969 phase of the movement, while around 1,200 people sacrificed their lives during the later phase of the Telangana agitation. He criticised the governments for allegedly neglecting the martyrs even after the formation of Telangana and said the continued closure of the Telangana Martyrs Memorial and the failure to install a statue of movement ideologue Professor K. Jayashankar on Tank Bund, according to him, reflected official indifference.
“Liberation Movement Was Not About Any One Religion”
Referring to the Sundarlal Committee report, Dr. Narsaiah Goud claimed that around 20,000 people lost their lives during the Telangana liberation struggle.He stressed that the liberation movement was not directed against any particular religion and said people from different communities had participated in the struggle against the Nizam’s rule.As an example, he recalled the killing of Shoebullah Khan, a Muslim journalist who openly opposed the Razakar atrocities and was killed for his writings. He said the incident demonstrated that the movement represented a broader struggle against oppression rather than a conflict between religious communities.
Dr. Narsaiah Goud accused the Congress and BRS of allegedly distorting historical facts for electoral and appeasement politics and criticised the Communist parties as well. These remarks are political allegations made by the BJP leader.
BJP Announces Seven Key Demands
Dr. Narsaiah Goud said the BJP had placed seven major demands before the Telangana government:
September 17 should be officially recognised and observed as Telangana Liberation Day.
A grand memorial dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, described by the BJP as a key figure in the liberation of Hyderabad State, should be established in Hyderabad under the name “Statue of Liberation – Telangana.”
An international-standard Telangana Liberation Museum should be established.
A Telangana Liberation Memorial Centre should be developed at every district headquarters.
The history of the Telangana Liberation Movement should be incorporated into official school textbooks.
A comprehensive list of martyrs and freedom fighters should be prepared and appropriate recognition and honour extended to them and their families.
A Telangana Liberation Tourism Circuit should be developed connecting historic locations including Veerabhairanpally, Parkala, Kadavendi, Jodeghat, Nirmal and Nalgonda.
BJP Announces Five Commitments
As part of its proposed campaign, the BJP also announced what Dr. Narsaiah Goud described as five key commitments aimed at strengthening Telangana’s self-respect and democratic institutions.
The party said it would work to politically defeat what it described as the alliance between MIM, Congress and BRS, which it alleged represented the continuation of “Razakar political legacy.”
It also called for a “One State – One Rule” approach, based on the ideals associated with Syama Prasad Mukherjee, with equal implementation of laws and taxation across Telangana.
The BJP said it would seek to end what it described as generations of family and feudal-style politics and establish what it called genuine democratic governance.
The party further pledged to work for freedom from what it alleged were corruption, maladministration and repression, while promising a Telangana focused on self-respect and comprehensive development.
Statewide Programmes Ahead of September 17
Dr. Narsaiah Goud said the BJP’s Telangana Liberation Committee had prepared a statewide programme under the guidance of BJP Telangana State President N. Ramchander Rao to take the history of the liberation struggle to every household.
He said the Central Government had already been organising official Telangana Liberation Day programmes at Parade Grounds, Hyderabad, with the participation and support of Union leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay.
As part of the BJP’s current campaign, a martyrs’ remembrance programme will be held at Veerabhairanpally on August 27, followed by another programme at the Parkala Amaradham on September 2.
Dr. Narsaiah Goud said a series of programmes would continue across Telangana until September 17.
He announced that a large public gathering would be held at Parade Grounds on September 17, under the leadership of Union Ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay.
Calling the campaign a struggle for the self-respect and historical memory of Telangana, Dr. Narsaiah Goud appealed to people across political and religious lines to participate in efforts to preserve and highlight the history of the liberation movement.
Note: Historical figures, political allegations and characterisations in the above report reflect statements made by BJP leader Dr. Boora Narsaiah Goud during the press conference and should be independently verified where necessary
