Gaddar’s Telangana outfit to chalk out plans Oct 14

HYDERABAD - The steering committee of Telangana Praja Front (TPF), floated by Maoist sympathiser Gaddar to fight for separate statehood to Telangana, will meet Oct 14 to chalk out its future course of action.

Gaddar told reporters Sunday that the meeting would take key decisions to take forward the Telangana movement.

The steering committee, headed by Gaddar, comprises 85 members - three representatives from each district and activists of different organisations.

The revolutionary balladeer called upon people to join TFP, saying the front would bring all pro-Telangana forces on a common platform.

Gaddar, elected president of TFP at its first meeting here Saturday, said he would bow before no power except people’s power. He confirmed that Vimala, wife of Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (Janashakti) secretary Amar, was a member of TPF.

The only agenda of TPF was to force the government to table a bill in parliament for formation of a separate Telangana state, he said.

The meeting Saturday had passed a resolution to build a movement for introduction of a bill in the winter session of parliament. The TPF will mount pressure on MPs from the region for tabling the bill.

The meeting also decided to hold protests in villages to keep the Telangana demand alive and build the movement on the basis of social justice.

Though Gaddar stressed that the goal of Telangana can be achieved only through mass movement and not through elections, the steering committee is expected to take a decision on whether the front should contest polls.

The leaders who addressed the meeting Saturday expressed divergent views on the issue.

Some student groups wants TPF to stay away from elections, pointing out that the parties formed on the slogan of a separate Telangana gave up the movement after their leaders were elected to parliament and the assembly.