TELANGANA THALLI STATUES SPARK POLITICAL CLASH BETWEEN BRS AND CM REVANTH

 

Telangana Thalli statues spark political clash

 between BRS and CM Revanth 

The opposition BRS held protests on Tuesday against the Congress

government’s unveiling of a new design for the Telangana Thalli

statue

By CR Gowri Shanker 

Published on 10 Dec 2024 6:36 PM

    Telangana Thalli statue (File Photo) 

Hyderabad: Telangana State is rocked by politics on the new Telangana Thalli! 

From the launch of the 'Andhra Mata' statue during the fight for a separate Andhra Pradesh from Madras State, 'Telugu Thalli' in combined Andhra Pradesh to 'Telangana Thalli' (Mother Telangana) during the Telangana Statehood movement, the personification of Telugu people and their culture through statues has turned controversial. 

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy-led Congress government rejected former CM and BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao’s bejewelled Telangana Thalli, came out with a new Telugu Thalli avatar and gave it official sanctity!

Kavitha performs Palabhishekam 

The opposition BRS in Telangana held protests on Tuesday against the Congress government’s unveiling of a new design for the Telangana Thalli statue, which differs from the one used by the regional party.

Opposing Congress, BRS performed ‘palabhishekam’ (milk bath) to the Telangana Thalli statues, her photos at Telangana Bhavan, and BRS party headquarters in Hyderabad and party offices across the State.

BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha performed a ‘palabhishekam’ and ‘panchamritam’ to the statue of Mother Telangana at the BRS headquarters in Hyderabad. “Telangana movement mother is our mother. A majestic-looking mother is being turned poor by Revanth Reddy. We reject Congress Telangana Talli (mother),” said Kavitha.

All the statues have a long history in their evolving relationship with the developments in the region. 

Telangana Thalli 

Telangana Thalli was conceptualised by former chief minister and TRS-turned-BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao to give a boost to the Telangana movement by incorporating Telangana art, culture, songs and cuisine along with street protests to achieve Statehood. 

KCR put aside the Telugu Thalli of undivided Andhra Pradesh and came out with the idea of a new bejewelled Telangana Thalli la Bharat Mata. Intellectuals, poets and artists like Dasarathi Krishnamacharya, Ravela Venkatarama Rao and others conceptualised the mother figure of Telangana Talli, embodying the spirit of Telangana in 2007.

The statue, symbolising the revival of forgotten history and cultural identity neglected by Andhra rulers, was installed at the Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of the BRS party and across the State. 

Andhra Mata/Telugu Thalli 

‘Andhra Mata’ was created by Andhra leaders during the Andhra State Sadhana Movement in 1913. 

After Andhra Pradesh carved out Madras State following fast unto death by Potti Sriramulu in 1956, then chief minister NT Rama Rao of the Telugu Desam Party, who came to power on the promise of restoring Telugu pride, unveiled a statue of Telugu Thalli (Telugu mother) on August 15, 1986, for the first time in front of the Secretariat in Hyderabad. 

While several songs were glorifying Andhra Pradesh, Telangana culture took the beating. He also launched the patriotic song ‘Ma Telugu Talli ki’ (to our mother Telugu) which is now the official State Song of Andhra Pradesh. 

The lyrics were written by Sankarambadi Sundarachari for the 1942 Telugu film ‘Deena Bandhu’. 

During the Telangana movement, KCR along with the Telangana Talli statue promoted the ‘Jaya Jaya He Telangana’ song written by poet Andhe Sri which became a rage during the Statehood movement along with other songs. 

CM Revanth stamp 

However, after Congress came to power in Telangana State, CM Revanth Reddy started working on erasing KCR’s legacy. He and his team made major changes to the Telangana Emblem, modified the ‘Jaya Jaya He’ Telangana song, installed a Telangana Thalli (mother) statue on December 9, the birthday of Congress national leader Sonia Gandhi and notified the official design. 

Unlike the crowned bejewelled pink jari sari-clad Telangana Thalli of KCR, the new statue reflects a middle-aged traditional Telangana woman in a green saree with calm, serene facial features, reflective of culture and history of the State with right hand giving an assurance of prosperity and carrying traditional paddy, pearl millet, foxtail millet and maize in the left hand.

  

KCR called the redesigning of the Telangana Thalli statue by CM Revanth Reddy as ‘foolish and reckless’, adding it undermines Telangana’s cultural legacy. KCR alleged on December 8 that the Congress government had changed the design out of a ‘vendetta’ against him. 

“Telangana Talli designed during the Telangana movement is part of the State’s cultural and historical essence. This CM is acting without direction and his decisions reflect a lack of understanding and respect for our history,” KCR charged. 

CM Revanth Reddy had sent Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar to personally invite KCR to the unveiling of the new Telangana statue. KCR hosted lunch for the delegation but did not attend the function. 

CM Revanth Reddy's government also issued a GO prohibiting any disrespect to the image and made it a crime against anyone ‘insulting, ruining, burning and showing disrespect towards Telangana Talli picture openly, online or on social media is a crime.’

 CM Revanth, who unveiled the new statue at a gala function at the Secretariat, said: “When I see the Telangana Thalli statue, it reminds me of my mother. Mother is the embodiment of our culture and traditions. Telangana culture was assaulted and insulted in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.” 

Taking a dig at KCR and his family, he said after the formation of Telangana, one person and one political party gave priority to themselves and neglected the aspirations of the Telangana people. 

‘Can’t change mother for fate’ 

On the topic of the change of statues, BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao said, “Those trying to change history are fools. Can anyone try to change his mother hoping to change their fate? If governments change, should mothers change? It’s an attack on Telangana and our self-respect. We will send back bankrupt ‘Congress Talli’ to Gandhi Bhavan with due respect.”