Hyderabad: At the height of the movement for a separate Telangana, some zealous agitators used to randomly stop vehicles plying on roads and paint the letters ‘TG’ in place of ‘AP’ (Andhra Pradesh) on number plates. A few owners approved, many used to murmur in protest, while in some cases the act resulted in altercations.
In several places across Telangana, the then united AP government’s office boards were also discoloured, with ‘TG/Telangana’ painted over ‘AP/Andhra Pradesh’.
Now, 10 years after a separate state was carved out of AP, the state code on Telangana-registered vehicle number plates and abbreviations on office boards are being rewritten again. And this time it is official.
Vehicles with ‘AP’, ‘TS’ and now freshly ‘TG’ abbreviations on number plates can be found across Telangana, thanks to the quirks of the administrators here.
While his predecessor K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) in 2014 decided that Telangana’s abbreviation would be ‘TS’ (not the expected ‘TG’) and vehicle number plates would sport ‘TS’ — for Telangana State — as state code, incumbent chief minister A. Revanth Reddy has chosen to go with ‘TG’.
Since change in number plate code to ‘TS’ was not made compulsory in the last 10 years, many vehicles registered before Telangana’s formation on 2 June, 2014, continue to have ‘AP’ initials.
In the past few weeks, about two lakh ‘TG’ number plates have reportedly been issued, while the coveted number 9999 with a TG-prefix plate was grabbed by a car owner for Rs 25.5 lakh at the Khairtabad Regional Transport Office.
Stating that the nomenclature should “reflect aspirations of the decades-long movement for separate statehood to Telangana”, the Congress government two weeks ago issued a notice to all departments informing them about the abbreviation change.
Official papers, websites, notifications, circulars, government orders, reports, etc. will now have ‘TG’ in place of the current ‘TS’. All public sector units, state agencies, autonomous institutions and other government bodies would also adopt ‘TG’ in place of ‘TS’, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari said in a circular.
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation is now abbreviated on its website as TGSRTC, in place of TSRTC a few days ago.
The modification of the abbreviation is being considered a lesser move in what analysts believe is Revanth’s attempt at making his own mark with Telangana regionalism, in a shift from that of KCR’s.
The Congress CM’s determination to redesign the state emblem and modify the looks of Telangana thalli (statue of a mother goddess for the state), among other things, is seen by the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as an attempt to erase KCR’s imprint from the state’s culture-history.
On Thursday, former minister and BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao led his party’s protest at Charminar in capital Hyderabad, reproving Revanth’s decision to remove Charminar and Kakatiya Kala-Thoranam (an iconic archway of 12-13th century) images from the state emblem adopted earlier, based on then CM KCR’s suggestions.
In Warangal, where the original rock-cut Kala-Thoranam stands, BRS leaders staged a protest.
‘Foolish efforts’
Talking to the media, Rama Rao accused the Congress government of acting out of political malice and vengeance, ignoring the positive developments under BRS rule in the past 10 years.
“Revanth attempts to erase KCR’s contributions and initiatives from Telangana’s history are utterly foolish. No one can erase the history of Telangana. Numerous sacrifices and selfless contributions of people under KCR’s leadership led to the formation of Telangana,” he said.
Revanth had earlier described the two structures on the Telangana emblem as “symbols of raacharikam” (monarchy, referring to the Kakatiya and Qutb Shahi dynasties’ rule in the region) and said the new emblem would reflect Telangana’s people and culture.
“The CM’s acts are foolish, stubborn, disregarding the self-respect and emotions of Telangana’s people. Hyderabad is Telangana’s spirit, and Charminar is the symbol of Hyderabad. Globally too, Hyderabad is recognised by the symbol of Charminar,” Rama Rao said, warning the Congress government to revoke its decision or else “BRS will launch protests across Telangana”.
The CM was planning to release the new emblem and the Jaya Jaya He Telangana anthem — written by poet Ande Sri and composed by Oscar winner M.M. Keeravani — with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in Hyderabad on 2 June, marking 10 years of Telangana’s formation.
However, the emblem, for which Revanth roped in artist Rudra Rajesham and held several discussions over the last few days, has been put on hold in the face of objections, reservations and “hundreds of suggestions”.
“We have received around 500 samples from artists from different parts of Telangana. All the designs are still under discussion. None finalised yet,” the CM stated, after a meeting at the state secretariat to discuss the emblem and anthem Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Legislative Council chairman Gutta Sukender Reddy, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad, ministers, Congress seniors like Jana Reddy, professor M. Kodandaram, Ande Sri, Keeravani, CPI MLA K. Sambasiva Rao, CPM state secretary T. Veerabhadram, legislators who were present in Parliament when the bifurcation bill was passed in 2014, and representatives of parties who played an active role in the Telangana movement.
“A final decision has not been taken regarding the Telangana thalli statue as artists are designing the model. Though my cabinet approved the emblem change and (installation of) Telangana thalli statue, a final decision on both will be taken only after a discussion in the assembly so as not to give any scope to misconceptions and false propaganda,” said the CM, according to a release from his office.
The statement came after Rama Rao questioned the “sudden necessity, urgency to remove the symbols, leaving aside the Congress’s electoral promises that should be the current government’s primary priority”.
The former minister termed all the changes as “diversion tactics to shift people’s attention away from the ongoing agricultural and administrative crises and Congress government’s corruption”.
The BRS, which rode to power on the regionalism plank, has also opposed Andhra-origin Keeravani recomposing the tune of Jaya Jaya he Telangana.
However, according to Revanth, his government took all these initiatives “as part of rebuilding Telangana”.
“Jaya Jaya He song, written 20 years ago, and approved as state song now by our government depicts the struggle for Telangana. State abbreviation has already been changed to ‘TG’ from ‘TS’. Along with vehicle registration numbers, all government institutions are already using ‘TG’ in place of ‘TS’,” he said.
“Our government is preparing an action plan to uphold Telangana’s prestige and to inspire the future generations.”
While Revanth, who is also the Congress state chief, said the anthem release will befit the grand decennial fete on 2 June, Rama Rao said the “CM’s foolish efforts have ruined the celebratory atmosphere of Telangana’s formation”.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)