The current emblem of Telangana State.
| Photo Credit: Screenshot of Telangana emblem from https://www.telangana.gov.in/
The Congress government’s decision to change Telangana emblem is attracting criticism from several quarters, particularly the removal of Kakatiya arch that is synonymous with the Kakatiya dynasty and its significance on the Telangana psyche.
Cultural connection to Kakatiya arch
The Kakatiya Kala Thoranam (Kakatiya arch), which is the symbol of the Kakatiya dynasty believed to be built in the 12th century, is culturally connected to every Telugu person including those in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The Arch, a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it, was included in the “tentative list” of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the Indian government also favoured it to be included in it given its historic and cultural importance.
The monument is also synonymous with the dynasty that ruled the present Telangana and Andhra Pradesh from the 12th century to the 14th century with present-day Warangal as the capital. Kakatiya rulers like Prataparudra, Ganapati Deva and Rani Rudrama Devi are embedded in every Telugu’s psyche over centuries.
Terming their rule as ‘feudalistic’, a reason that is being used to remove image of the arch from the State emblem, is what is objectionable to people, including the hardcore Congress supporters. “Can anyone deny their contribution to the irrigation system through unique linkage of lakes that continue to inspire modern-day engineers,” asks a Historian urging the Congress government not to undermine the arch. “It is Telangana’s cultural identity in many ways”.
Historians’ arguments
If Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is keen to replace the arch with other identities, the Government should come out with a valid reason and not just the ‘feudalistic’ argument that has little buyers is the argument of historians. They also argue that Kakatiya Arch is neither created by former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao nor is it owned by him even if one believes that Mr. Revanth Reddy is keen on replacing the cultural aspects adopted by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) Government.
“The image is people’s property and not of any political party or the leader,” argues a senior professor of Osmania University unwilling to be quoted. On the political front too, Mr. Reddy will be at the receiving end as the removal of Charminar or the Kakatiya Arch from the emblem may lead to a slugfest between the Congress and the BRS giving an advantage to the latter to rake up the Telangana sentiment yet again. “Why allow the party, which is looking for a reason to strike at the Telangana sentiment, benefit politically yet again,” he argues.
The effort by the Government led by Mr. Reddy to bring in changes to the State emblem, adopted by the BRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao after he was elected as the Chief Minister, is being looked at from the political prism as lacking rationality.
BRS strongly opposes removal of Charminar’s image
A view of the iconic Charminar in Hyderabad. File
| Photo Credit:
Ramakrishna. G
The BRS is also strongly opposing the removal of image of Charminar from the emblem while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not been vocal so far about the changes. The BJP’s silence is easy to understand given its political discourse but none can dispute that Charminar is identified with Hyderabad across the world.
“When Hyderabad is on the global map for not only its IT image but also as a hub of Hindu-Muslim cultural amalgamation, the Government should think twice in inviting criticism from a community. Sentimentally, the Muslim community has an attachment to the Charminar and there is no valid reason to annoy them as well. In an attempt to wipe out K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s legacy in TelanganaCongress should not undermine its own image,” a senior Congress leader commented.
