TELANGANA: DISCONTENT SIMMERING IN RULING CONGRESS; MANY EYEING KHAMMAM SEAT

 

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Telangana: Discontent simmering in ruling Congress; many eyeing Khammam seat

 C R Gowri Shanker Follow on Twitter|   Published: 20th February 2024 4:56 pm IST

Hyderabad: Frustration is building up in the ruling Congress, especially among seniors, over MLC, Rajya Sabha, nominated posts and tickets for ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had filled up some nominated, MLC posts, while those who were denied berths and Assembly tickets were waiting for Lok Sabha tickets, nominated posts, etc.

Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao is among them and is yearning for a Lok Sabha ticket.

“I did not ask for a Rajya Sabha ticket but was seeking Khammam Lok Sabha ticket. I sacrificed my life for the Congress party. I am well versed in the Khammam topography and had traveled extensively when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited Khammam. I am confident the Congress High Command will consider my plea and do justice to me,” Hanumantha Rao told Siasat.com.

Demand for Khammam LS ticket

There is a huge demand for Khammam Lok Sabha ticket including one from Nandini Mallu, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Tummala Yugender, son of Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, brother of Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to name a few.

Seventy-five-year-old Hanumantha Rao was alternatively hoping for a Rajya Sabha ticket along with others, but the Congress High Command shocked them all by nominating former Union Minister Renuka Choudhry (Khammam) and Anil Kumar Yadav, Youth Congress president (Hyderabad) and son of Anjan Kumar Yadav, ex Secunderabad MP. G Niranjan, another senior party leader from Hyderabad too had sought a Rajya Sabha ticket.

Like Hanumantha Rao, a BC Munur Kapu leader, several senior Congress leaders are waiting for nominated posts, MLCs, and MP tickets. They include G Chinna Reddy, Balram Naik, K Jana Reddy, J Geetha Reddy, T Subbarami Reddy, Kumar etc.

Original Congress vs new entrants

Frustration among the “original Congress” leaders is quite palpable at a recent reception organised by a Congress leader. “What we are seeing is not the original Congress, but the Telugu Desam Congress. The party high command should balance old and new leaders,” quipped a party leader.

Congress leaders in private assert Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is calling the shots with the Congress High Command in New Delhi since he brought back Congress to power in Telangana against a formidable BRS led by K Chandrasekhar Rao. And they don’t want to cross swords now since they are waiting for posts.

What about us?

“No doubt, Revanth Reddy revived Congress and brought back the party to power in Telangana. Credit goes to him. So did Congress leaders who stood by him. Congress’s high command should also ensure deserving posts to committed Congress leaders who stayed with the party through thick and thin over the years. SCs, STs, and BCs should get their due. We never left the party. What we find is that those who came from Telugu Desam are calling the shots and original Congress leaders are sidelined which is quite frustrating,” remarked another senior party leader.

He added, “Meeting CM too is no easy task. We never experienced this problem in the past.”

Media Academy and ally CPI demand

There is a keen fight for the post of Media Academy of Telangana State (MATS) chairman’s post.

Prominent among the aspirants include K Srinivas Reddy, and Tirumalgiri Surender, both ex-chairmen of the academy in undivided Andhra Pradesh, and Srinivas Rao PV of Big TV.

Tirumalgiri Surender has been part of the Congress manifesto committee. Allam Narayana was the first chairman.

Sources said that CPI, an ally of Congress in Assembly elections, has sought two MLC seats and one or two corporation/nominated posts. Press Academy is one of them.

CPI’s Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao is the lone MLA elected from the Kothagudem Assembly constituency.

The Chief Minister, who is having a tough time in fulfilling party promises, taking on alleged irregularities committed by the BRS government especially Kaleshwaram and other projects, scams in sheep rearing, and other schemes, is likely to fill more nominated posts after the Lok Sabha elections.

LS polls have become crucial for the Congress in the wake of the BJP onslaught in the country.

The just concluded Assembly session indicated the growing animosity between BRS and the new Congress government and Lok Sabha elections could see new political equations.

 Siasat.com/C R Gowri Shanker

C R Gowri Shanker

C R Gowri Shanker is a senior journalist based out of Hyderabad. he has served as a Political Editor for Deccan Chronicle. With great insights on the political landscape of the country.

NOMINATING ANIL AND RENUKA TO RS SHOWS CONGRESS IS READY TO TAKE BOLD DECISIONS

 

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 Siasat.com/News/Telangana/Nominating Anil and Renuka to RS shows Congress is ready to take bold decisions

 

Nominating Anil and Renuka to RS shows Congress is ready to take bold decisions

                                                                    

 C R Gowri Shanker Follow on Twitter|   Published: 15th February 2024 7:08 pm IST  

Hyderabad: Congress High Command decision to nominate Renuka Chowdhury and Anil Kumar Yadav for the two Rajya Sabha seats has stumped senior Congress leaders vying for tickets.

Congress of late has been giving importance to leaders of frontal organisations like Congress Seva Dal, Indian Youth Congress, All India Mahila Congress, INTUC and NSUI in view of the exodus to other parties especially BJP in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

While there wasn’t much ado about Renuka Chaudhary, but nomination of young Anil Kumar Yadav has shocked Congress men and women no ends.

Even Anil Kumar Yadav, who was aspiring for Secunderabad Lok Sabha ticket, said he was pleasantly surprised at the nomination.
Surprised at party decision

“I never expected RS ticket in my life time. It clearly shows that Congress High Command recognised hardworking party men and women. I am a standing example. I got the nomination thanks to the hard work put on by Youth Congress,” Anil Kumar said.

Anil Kumar Yadav, a NSUI of leader has been nominated by the Congress as part of infusing young blood in the party.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal had issued a statement that AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge took the decision.
Don’t give ticket to outsiders

Sources in the Congress said a senior Congress leader from Hyderabad had written a letter to Congress High Command not to nominate outsiders like Ajay Maken etc., which were doing the rounds, for the RS tickets since it would send a wrong message and create unrest in Telangana Congress.

He requested the party to select any leader from Telangana only to send the right message.

Though there was a talk that Renuka Chaudhary might contest Khammam Lok Sabha constituency, but Delhi party bosses thought otherwise and sent her to RS.

A vociferous and firebrand leader who rose from being a Corporator on Telugu Desam party in MCH in 1986 to Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha member twice and later became a Union Minister. She lost to Nama Nageshwara Rao in Khammam Lok Sabha elections.

Renuka Chaudhary has been a vociferous supporter of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Anil Kumar Yadav, presently Secunderabad DCC president, is son of Former Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav and was president of State Youth Congress from 2015 to 2020. He contested in 2018 from Musheerabad Assembly constituency and lost. He failed to get ticket in 2023 as part of one ticket for one family policy.

Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi is keen to infuse young blood in the party in not only Telangana State, Andhra Pradesh but also in other parts of the country.
Fight for Khammam LS ticket

Interestingly, ticket to Renuka Chaudhary is also seen as clearing way for aspirants to Khammam Lok Sabha including Nandini Mallu, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ponguleti Prasad Reddy, brother of Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Tummala Yugender, son of Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, V Hanumantha Rao and others.

Congress will get two Rajya Sabha seats based on their strength and the elections will be unanimous.
Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao, Balram Naik, K Jana Reddy, G Chinna Reddy, J Geetha Reddy, G Niranjan, former MP T Subbarami Reddy were among the many aspirants.

“Looks like they are Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s choices,” a senior Congress leader quipped at the nominations.

BRS re-nominated Vaddiraju Ravichandra as its RS candidate by BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao. Ravichandra, also called Gayatri Ravi, hails from BC Munuru Kapu community and is the founder of Gayatri Group of companies which is into mining, granite businesses.
Now, all eyes are on the Lok Sabha tickets in Congress since the party is in power.

ENNIKALA VELA MOVIE WAR--VELUGU

 

TELANGANA: HANUMANTHA RAO 75 EYEING FOR RS SEAT: SO ARE MANY OTHERS IN THE CONGRESS

 

Siasat.com/News/Telangana/Telangana: Hanumantha Rao, 75, is eyeing for RS seat; so are many others in the Congress 

Telangana: Hanumantha Rao, 75, is eyeing for RS seat; so are many others in the Congress

 C R Gowri Shanker 

Follow on Twitter|   Updated: 13th February 2024 8:03 pm IST

Hyderabad: Senior Congress leaders, who missed the assembly tickets or have no chance of getting Lok Sabha tickets, are vying for Rajya Sabha nominations.

Congress will get two Rajya Sabha seats based on their strength but the aspirants are many.

Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao, who has applied for a Khammam Lok Sabha ticket, is alternatively yearning for another Rajya Sabha term. VHR had served as Rajya Sabha MP for four terms.
Seventy-five-year-old Hanumantha Rao met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in the assembly the other day to seek a ticket.

“The choice is left to the Congress High Command,” he quipped when asked if he too was yearning for a Rajya Sabha ticket. 

Among those in the race include Renuka Chowdhary, Balram Naik, K Jana Reddy, G Chinna Reddy, K Jana Reddy, J Geetha Reddy, G Niranjana, former MP T Subbarami Reddy to name a few.

Niranjan had also met the Chief Minister and staked a claim for RS ticket or MLC.

To avoid any misgivings, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) headed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had passed a unanimous resolution authorising AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to finalise the candidates. 

In the last assembly elections, G Chinna Reddy had sacrificed his ticket to Megha Reddy in Wanaparthy on being assured of suitable compensation.

There is also a talk in Congress circles that the Congress High Command is also considering nominating AICC publicity chairman Pawan Khera, AICC national spokespersons Supriya Shrinate, Jairam Ramesh, AICC NSUI in charge Kanhaiya Kumar, AICC Telangana in-charge Deepa Das Munshi, etc.

Vacancies in Rajya Sabha arise following the completion of terms of BRS MPs J Santosh Kumar, Badugula Lingaiah Yadav, and Vaddiraju Ravichandran who were elected in 2018.

Telangana Assembly has 119 MLAs and elections will be held for three seats.

Going by the current strength of Congress with 64 MLAs in the Assembly, the party can win two seats since 31 votes are required to elect an RS MP. BRS with 39 MLAs can win one seat. The elections will be unanimous if Congress fields two candidates and BRS one. There will be a contest if Congress fields three candidates. If there is a contest, there could be cross-voting.

In the assembly, BJP has 8 MLAs, AIMIM 7, and CPI one. At least 10 MLAs are required to propose the candidature of each Rajya Sabha contestant. CPI, a friendly ally of Congress will support Congress, and AIMIM, an ally of BRS has announced that it will provide issue-based support to Congress. These parties’ stand will be out once elections are declared.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had recently visited New Delhi and discussed RS candidates with the Congress High Command. But so far, he has not given an inkling of likely candidates.

Of course, he did mention a couple of names including G Chinna Reddy as deserving candidates for top nominated posts since they sacrificed their assembly seats.

Sources in Congress say the final nomination will be out any time. 

C R Gowri Shanker

C R Gowri Shanker is a senior journalist based out of Hyderabad. he has served as a Political Editor for Deccan Chronicle. With great insights on the political landscape of the country.

CONTROVERSIAL FILMS SET TO ADD DEADLY SPICE TO 2024 LOK SABHA POLLS

 Siasat.com/Top Stories/

Controversial films set to add deadly spice

to 2024 Lok Sabha polls

 

Three political movies are lined up for the elections—Yatra 2, Vyooham, and Razakar.

 C R Gowri Shanker Follow on Twitter|   Updated: 10th February 2024 2:33 pm IST

Hyderabad: Films are adding spice to the ensuing Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and the country.
Three political movies are lined up for the elections—Yatra 2, Vyooham, and Razakar.
While the filmmakers deny any political motives, the controversial films say a lot.
Andhra Pradesh will have simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections this year, and Telangana will face Lok Sabha elections along with the country.
While Yatra 2 hit the screens, Vyooham was caught in a court battle and is now reportedly cleared, Razakar had to undergo several cuts by the Film Censor board before it was cleared.

Yatra 2 biopic on Jagan Reddy

Yatra 2 (journey), the second part of the biopic on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy hit the screens on his birthday on December 21.

Actor Jiiva is portraying the character of Jagan Mohan Reddy while Mammootty is donning the role of his deceased father late former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

Yatra 2 depicts YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s denial of CM’s gaddi by Congress High Command after YSR’s death, resignation from Congress, the launch of YSRCP, marathon padayatra, and victory in the 2019 Assembly polls in AP. It’s based on the political scenario in AP between 2009 and 2019.

It is a continuation of Yatra, a hit movie starring Mammootty, a biopic on late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, his successful marathon padayatra, and a big win in undivided AP.

The film aims to boost the political chances of Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is now facing a tough battle with Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam, Actor Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena, a TD-Jana Sena combine and BJP.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, a staunch supporter of BJP, air dashed to Delhi and held meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Sharing the Yatra 2 poster, Jiiva wrote, “They thought it was his end and he knew it was just the beginning! Wishing @ysjagan garu a very Happy birthday. Can’t wait to tell your story to the world through our lens. #Yatra2 in cinemas from Feb 8, 2024 (sic).
Vyooham targets Naidu

Another movie to hit the screens and stalled by the High Court is Vyooham, written and directed by Ram Gopal Verma.

The political thriller is said to revolve around the unexpected events that led to the death of AP CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, the stories around Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, and the launch of the YSR Congress Party. Ajmal Ameer plays the character of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Manasa Radhakrishnan as Y S Bharathi, and Dhanunjay Prabhune as N Chandrababu Naidu. The film targets Naidu.

Nara Lokesh, son of Chandrababu Naidu, objected to the movie and went to the High Court to stay since he alleged that the movie was aimed to tarnish the image of his father. CBFC too raised a red flag.

A Congress leader Nageswar Rao too went to the High Court saying the film depicts ex-UPA chairperson and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in a bad light. While RGV denied the allegations, HC stalled the movie.

Telugu Desam alleged that Vyooham had overt political implications intended to defame the Opposition Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh and show Chandrababu Naidu in poor light.

Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to win a second term in the assembly elections slated a few months later and going all out against much-strengthened opposition Telugu Desam led by N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena led by Pawan Kalyan.

Film cleared: RGV

Wrote RGV in a cryptic message on Facebook: “I am very very happy to inform you that Vyooham films release issues are cleared. Release date will be announced soon.”

There have been mixed survey reports on the outcome of Andhra Pradesh polls, some predicting a landslide win for the Telugu Desam-Jana Sena combine and some asserting the return of Jagan Mohan Reddy with a depleted strength. BJP too is cosying up to Naidu.
BJP takes film route through Razakar

Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA, which is tipped to return to power in the country, is also adding films to its ammunition.

BJP State executive member Gudur Narayana Reddy is producing a multi-lingual film Razakar on the alleged genocide of Hindus by Razakar militia headed by Khasim Razvi around the time of the Hyderabad merger with the Indian Union in 1948.

The film depicts alleged atrocities committed by Razakars in Gundrampally, Parkala, Bhairanpally, and other places in Nizam State during the tenure of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan. Directed by Yata Satyanarayana, the lead actors include Siddharth, Makarand Deshpande, Raj Arjun, John Vijay, and Mahesh Achanta.

Gudur Narayana Reddy told Siasat.com that the film is not targeted against any community but depicts the history wherein reportedly “2 lakh odd murders, 60,000 rapes, and several heinous incidents took place in Hyderabad State.”

The film is being released in six languages Telugu, Hindi, Marathi Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.

Reddy, who is in Mumbai, for the release of the film trailer on February 10, personally invited Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Actor Kangana Ranaut, and others.

There are several political movies to hit the screens in the country including Article 370, Prathinidi 2, Prabhutva, and Game Changer.

So, the 2024 assembly and Lok Sabha elections will have a deadly mix of films and politics.

C R Gowri Shanker

C R Gowri Shanker is a senior journalist based out of Hyderabad. he has served as a Political Editor for Deccan Chronicle. With great insights on the political landscape of the country

CONGRESS LO SEVA DAL PATRA KILAKAM--STORY IN VELUGU TELUGU DAILY ON SEVA DAL

 

HYDERABAD IS NEW CAPITAL OF `ADDA` POLITICS; CONGRESS ENJOYS HOSTING AAYA RAMS GAYARAMS

 

 Siasat.com/News/Hyderabad/Hyderabad is new capital of ‘adda’ politics; Congress enjoys hosting Aaya Rams, Gaya Rams

 

Hyderabad is new capital of ‘adda’ politics; Congress enjoys hosting Aaya Rams, Gaya Rams

                                                  

 C R Gowri Shanker Follow on Twitter|   Published: 5th February 2024 7:08 pm IS

Hyderabad: Hyderabad is becoming a new adda (camp) for resort politics.

Thanks to the return of Congress government for the first time after formation of the new State of Telangana in 2014, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Congress High Command are playing host to its supporters in trouble from other States to prevent poaching.

Camp politics is not new but it’s rare that Hyderabad is becoming a new hub of camp politics in the country.

In fact, elected local body leaders and MLAs from undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State, were bundled off to Goa, Bangalore, Mumbai, Ooty and other places regularly to prevent poaching. Now Hyderabad is becoming a new hub.
Numbers game

Camp politics gains notoriety when parties lack absolute majority and jumping of one or few MLAs or elected leaders could make or mar the party and lose power.

To keep the MLAs and others flock together, parties often shift/confine them to resort/hotels or move to other States. Most of them are kept in resorts outside the city and made incommunicado with outside world for couple of days while providing all the luxuries they want. Power deals are also struck in the resorts.

After a long time, Hyderabad is witnessing a new wave of camp politics from other states like Jharkhand and Bihar.
JMM MLAs in city

First 39 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) coalition MLAs arrived by a special flight on February 2 and stayed in a resort and spent the weekend fearing poaching rivals. Two planes took off from Ranchi and landed at Begumpet airport.

The JMM led alliance MLAs were brought to Hyderabad after Champai Soren took oath as the new Chief Minister of the state following Hemant Soren’s arrest in an ED case. He was given 10 days to prove majority.

In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling alliance has 47 MLAs—JMM 29, Congress 17 and RJD 1. BJP has 26 members and AJSI 3, NCP, CPI ML one and two independents.

A Telangana Minister and a Congress leader escorted the MLAs all through their stay and police cordoned off the resort. A special dining area was kept for them to avoid mingling with other guests.
Bihar MLAs

After Jharkhand MLAs left Hyderabad, a day ahead of the floor test, a group of Bihar MLAs arrived in Hyderabad.

The Bihar Congress MLAs were taken to a resort in Kagazghat in Ranga Reddy District.

All but three MLAs of the Congress in Bihar which lost power last week flew down to Hyderabad amidst fears of poaching by the BJP led NDA.

Chief Minister and JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar, labelled Palturam made a somersault by dumping Congress and shifting allegiance to NDA and becoming Chief Minister.

Nitish Kumar became CM for the 9th time in alliance with BJP led NDA.

In the 243 member Bihar Assembly, Nitish Kumar government led NDA government now has 128 MLAs—78 BJP, 45 JD (U), 4 HAM (S) and one independent while Mahagathbandhan opposition has 115 MLAs including 79 RJD, 19 Congress, 16 Left, one AIMIM.

AICC Bihar in-charge Mohan Prakash said “rumours are being spread that Congress MLAs will break away, when the truth is that JD (U) legislators are under pressure due to voters’ anger against them, after their party’s switch to the NDA.”
Shiv Sena group camps in Guwahati

In 2022, Maharashtra, one of the biggest States and financial capital of India Mumbai, saw resort politics.
Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde took 45 Shiv Sena MLAs and went to Guwahati in Assam, finally bringing down the MVA coalition government in the State. The breakaway Shiv Sena group joined hands with BJP and formed the Government, with Shinde as CM.

NTR, Naidu resort politics

In the undivided Andhra Pradesh, when then Chief Minister N T Rama Rao in 1984 had gone to US for a heart surgery, the Governor Ramlal appointed Nadendla Bhaskar Rao, one-time close aide of NTR and part of founding leaders of Telugu Desam which ruled the State subsequently.

Following revolt by some MLAs, NTR sent all the MLAs to Bengaluru in Karnataka and then to New Delhi to prevent poaching. He fought his way to power back.
Viceroy Hotel episode

Similarly, in 1995, NTR’s son-in-law and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, dumped NTR, shifted his loyal MLAs after a tiff with NTR and his newly wedded second wife Lakshmi Parvathi to Viceroy Hotel at Tank Bund Hyderabad and split the Telugu Desam party.

Though NTR went to the hotel and pleaded with MLAs to return to his fold, they did not. Naidu and his team feared NTR may appoint Lakshmi Parvathi as CM, hence they revolted.

Resort politics was seen in Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and other States.

C R Gowri Shanker

C R Gowri Shanker is a senior journalist based out of Hyderabad. he has served as a Political Editor for Deccan Chronicle. With great insights on the political landscape of the country

 

HYDERABAD'S SALAR JUNG MUSEUM TO HOUSE FIRST NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EPIGRAPHY

 

 Siasat.com/Featured News/Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Museum to house first National Museum of Epigraphy

  

Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Museum to house first National Museum of Epigraphy

 C R Gowri Shanker Follow on Twitter|   Published: 4th February 2024 10:41 pm IS

Hyderabad: India’s first National Museum of Epigraphy is being set up at the famed Salar Jung Museum adding another feather in Hyderabad’s historical cap.

The museum, under the Union Ministry of Culture, is the first of its kind in the country, which have information about the writing, scripts and languages using multimedia installations.

G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region, will lay the foundation stone for the unique museum on Monday. The cost of the project is about Rs 5 crore.

Museum to be housed in Salar Jung Museum

Salar Jung Museum authorities had earmarked about 6000 sft area exclusively for the National Epigraphy Museum in the existing museum building and the work on the project is going on. Ashish Goyal, IIS is the Director of the Salar Jung Museum.

The space was allotted for the museum during the tenure of the past director of the museum A Nagender Reddy.

Union Finance Minister in her budget speech last year had announced setting up of Bharat Shared Repository of Inscriptions (Bharat SHRI), a digital epigraphy museum with digitization of one lakh ancient inscriptions in the first stage. The Bharat SHRI will be setup by the Archaeological Survey of India.

“It will be a unique and first of its kind museum in the country. The project was announced during my tenure and I am happy it is taking shape. It will house epigraphy materials in digital etc. form, from all over the country,” Nagender Reddy told Siasat.com.

In the undivided Andhra Pradesh, the government had officially started the epigraphy section on December 2, 1964 in the Dr YSR A P State Museum of the Department of Archaeology and Museums in Hyderabad. It is located in Public Gardens.

The Epigraphy section was asked to collect lithic, copper plate inscriptions, palm leaf manuscripts and paper manuscripts by conducting village to village survey in the districts and to publish the collected material.

During epigraphically survey the Department of Archaeology and Museums has collected 5375 estampages belong to the different dynasties and which had ruled the Andhra desa which are primary sources for reconstructing the history of Andhra Pradesh.

So far the Department has published inscriptions collected from three districts– Kadapa in three volumes, Kurnool in two volumes, Anantapur one volume.

Palm leaf manuscripts

The Department has collected palm leaf manuscripts that belong to different periods. The life of the palm leaf manuscripts is only 300 years.

Paper manuscripts

In olden days people used the handmade paper nearly 200 years ago. In those days, Itihasas, Ayurveda and other traditional and devotional writings were available on paper manuscripts. Now, 150 years old paper manuscripts are available.

Epigraphy is Greek word

Epigraphy is the study of writings engraved on stone, metal, wood, shell and other materials known as “inscriptions” or “epigraphs.” It is derived from two Greek words—epi meaning on or upon and graphie meaning to write.

Though engraving is the chief characteristic of an epigraph, there are some exceptions where old writings in ink on rocks, boulders, etc., are also accepted as epigraphs. A person who is engaged in the decipherment and interpretation of the epigraphs is called an ‘epigraphist’.  Across India and world, a lot of importance is now given to epigraphical studies.

Recently, Dr MCR HRD IT’s Centre for Telangana Studies, Hyderabad, took the initiative to collect and compile all published inscriptions belonging to Telangana State and placed them in chronological order.

This is a work of a total of four volumes. Volume-I – Pre-Kakatiya Telangana – includes the inscriptions from first century AD to those of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyana – overlords of Telangana. Volume-II – Imperial Kakatiyas – include inscriptions from early Kakatiya to first imperial ruler Kakatiya Ganapati Deva. Volume-III – Decline of Kakatiya’s – includes the inscriptions of Rudrama Devi and Pratapa Rudra-II.

Volume-IV Post-Kakatiya Telangana – includes inscriptions of rulers that succeeded the Kakatiyas which will help and fulfil the needs of the scholars and historians engaged in the historical research of Telangana State.

Devender Malothu (Research Scholar) of Department of History and Tourism Management, Kakatiya University who studied inscriptions of the Satavahanas, the Ikshvakus and Vishnukundins reported from the Telangana region throws light on socio-economic, religious and political conditions of those times.

Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India came into existence in the year 1886 at Bangalore.

British who were the first to realise the importance of inscriptions for the reconstruction of our country’s history, opened a separate branch under their administration for the collection of inscriptions.

Since then, the Epigraphy Branch has not only collected thousands of inscriptions, but also edited and published them. After some years this branch was shifted to Ootacamund in 1903 and functioned there till 1966 and thereafter, it was shifted to Mysore where it continues to function.

Later, a separate branch for the study of Arabic and Persian inscriptions was established at Nagpur in the year 1950. Further, to accelerate systematic survey of Sanskritic and Dravidian inscriptions, two zonal offices were established at Lucknow and Chennai respectively in 1990.

Eminent epigraphists

Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India was headed by many eminent German, English and Indian scholars including Dr. E. Hultzsch, James Burgess, Rao Bahadur Venkayya, C.R. Krishnamacharlu, H. Krishna Shastri, Hirananda Sastry, B.Ch. Chhabra, N.L. Rao, Dr. D.C. Sircar and Dr. G.S. Gai.

The importance of the inscriptions lies in the fact that they generally offer information about personages and events of Indian history, about which nothing is known from any other source.

Apart from being vital political documents, inscriptions are endowed with great cultural significance.

Epigraphy provides slices of history

In a Vijayanagara inscription we are told that the emperor settled the disputes between a Vaishnava Jeer and a Jaina teacher by making them agree to be friends and raise no points of dispute.

Special privileges like the bride and bridegroom riding a horse in procession being allowed by royal command is also gathered from inscriptions. Inscriptions also throw light on other social customs. For instance, the Brahmadesam inscription refers to the sati committed by a queen of Rajendra Chola I.

The Mandasor inscription records the repairs carried out in the year 473-74 A.D. by the guild of silk-weavers to the temple of the Sun God (Dipta-rasmi).

There are some inscriptions which inform about the prevalence of the tradition of dance and music. Perhaps the earliest reference to a dancer is found from an inscription from Jogimara cave (3rd century B.C.). It mentions one Sutunuka, the temple-dancer (devadasi) and her lover Devadatta, a sculptor from Varanasi.

Sanskrit continued to be employed in the inscriptions of all parts of India along with regional languages in the subsequent centuries.

The copper-plate charters of the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Pandavas are written in both Sanskrit and Tamil languages. Kannada is used in inscriptions from about the 5th century A.D. Inscriptions in Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, appeared in later period. They are slices of history mirroring their times and life.

Below: Epigraphy on metals and stone

 

C R Gowri Shanker

C R Gowri Shanker is a senior journalist based out of Hyderabad. he has served as a Political Editor for Deccan Chronicle. With great insights on the political landscape of the country.

5.2.2024

Foundation stone of 'National' Museum of Epigraphy' at Salar Jung Museum was laid by Hon'ble Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER Shri G. Kishan Reddy today

Senior epigraphists Dr. N. S. Ramachandra Murthy and Dr. T. S. Ravishanker were Guests of honour. Shri Gurmeet Singh Chawla, Additional Director General of Archaeological Survey of India also graced the event. Folk artists presented a cultural show as well!