Hello Telangana! India creates 29th state

After decades of struggle and suicides by hundreds of youths over the years, Telangana will emerge as the 29th state of India, with the Congress Working Committee endorsing the decision to bifurcate the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.
The demand for a separate Telangana state has been going on for the past five decades, and has seen two phases of violent agitations — in 1969 and now in the past few years. According to Telangana protagonists, at least 600 youths and students had committed suicide for the cause in the past three years alone.
Earlier during the day, the coordination committee of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance unanimously decided in favor of dividing the state, and the CWC meeting was seen as a mere formality to be completed before the announcement on creation of Telangana.
Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken, addressing media after the CWC meeting, said a resolution was passed asking the federal government to carve out a separate Telangana state comprising 10 districts. “It was a tough decision since we had to take into consideration contentious issues like sharing of river waters, electricity, assets and liabilities and revenue generation.
Contrary to earlier speculation that Hyderabad would be made a Union Territory, the CWC resolution said the city would be the common capital for the new state of Telangana and Andhra for a period of 10 years. During this period, the city that would be decided to serve as the capital of Andhra would be developed, he said.
What set Telangana apart from other regions in other states witnessing statehood demand was that it was a separate state in the past, ruled by the Nizams, but was merged with the rest of the Telugu-speaking regions in 1956 to form Andhra Pradesh, the country’s first linguistic state.
Since then, the yearning for a separate identity and sense of alienation had repeatedly found public expression in the region comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad. Lack of irrigation facilities, industries, educational and employment opportunities has been the bane of the region.