The ' T' Bomb.

I saw the Ticket checker coming from the other end of the aisle and waited impatiently to enquire what was wrong. The train had been on the Kagaz Nagar station for over half an hour. That was strange since it is a very small station. I had been to this township. All it had was a paper industry( Hence the name Kagaz Nagar). This is a large industrial belt from Chandrapur in Maharashtra right upto Ramagundam in AP with many major cement industries , Thermal power station, Collieries and two big paper plants.

The train did stop at all these stations. But hardly for two minutes. Something was really wrong.

I was on the upper berth ( alas ! For the second time. And was punished with a pulled muscle in my back while alighting). The TTE took the exact moment to look up as I lowered my head down. He was a tall man. Accident prone that I am , I crashed my head into his. I don’t know what he saw. I saw stars!

The Telangana separatist movement supporters had stopped our entry into Andhra Pradesh. They were squatting in front of the engine.

Hundreds of anxious passengers inside were worried. We weren’t sure when we would reach Hyderabad. For once, the friendliest city in the country made us feel unwelcome.
Passions were running high in the city. Their leader was on an indefinite fast. His condition was rapidly deteriorating. I worried about the A/C. If they hold the train for long there was no option but to switch it off. Luckily that didn’t happen.

The cab demanded Rs.300/ hr for a 20 Km. trip. I was a bit hesitant to accept since I know the traffic snarl. It would take a minimum of two hours. But I wanted to reach home as early as possible. So I agreed.

It was pleasant though a bit intimidating to see the empty roads. I remembered the good ole days of the 80s and 90s. we reached in just forty five minutes. Incredible. In normal times we wouldn’t even have crossed Paradise!

Each person has his own theory about the Telangana Movement. The taxi driver from Adilabad feels that they have been dominated by the costal region for too long. I ask him if he feels that a separate state would drastically alter his life. He says doesn’t matter. He would be proud if someone from his region is the CM. I again asked him if all this violence is justified? He let out a colorful expletive in chaste hindi for the ruling government. He said these $%#$% wake up only when there is violence. He had a point.

I am all for smaller states. They can provide better governance.We can see how well Uttarakhand and Chhatishgarh are doing. (Jharkhand is more a victim of corruption and not poor governance). It definitely makes sense to divide a large state like UP.But does it make Geographical sense to bifurcate AP.

Who will take Hyderabad, the Jewel in the crown of AP? Or will we have a common capital like Chandigarh. More questions than answers.

Had a warm bath, hot food and now sleeping peacefully. Grab all the peace you can. We may wake up to a very violent morning. Its going to be one long and cold winter.