Yesterday on September 17, the Centre and the state government commemorated the Telangana Integration day and celebrated it in the entire state grandly. Most city residents were hardly aware of what Hyderabad Liberation day, or National Integration day was. School students have received a holiday for the same but they did not know why. A student said, “We are given a holiday despite having an exam because it is Telangana Day on September 17.”
It is said by the government teachers that the school text books in the state syllabus did not mention September 17. They said that it would be good to teach students about the importance of the day in detail.
A house help knew about the event as she said, she had seen several posters of the Union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announcing the official celebrations. She also said that she was curious to know why many posters were put up. By asking people on the road, I got to know that on September 17 several years ago, Hyderabad became a part of India and was no longer ruled by the Nizam. People said that September 17 was special as it was prime minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
A person working for the government said, “All politicians have strings in their hands. Razakars were ordinary people who were ordered to commit atrocities. You and I would do the same if our families were in danger. Its always the well-off politicians who put common people to fight the battle for them. People will latch onto past memories and fight over it. Rather than seeing how many kids go underfed every night or drop out of school.”