The Telangana and Jai Andhra agitations, 1969–1973

Between 1969 and 1973 two agitations nearly split Andhra Pradesh.¹ The first, in 1969, began in Telangana, where many felt that the promises of 1956 had been broken.¹² The second, the Jai Andhra movement of 1972–73, began in the Andhra region after a court judgment on jobs in Telangana.³

The era page Andhra State & Andhra Pradesh gives the government’s statements in Parliament on both. This page tells what happened on the ground.¹²

About the sources. The page rests on two Telugu histories by named authors: P. Raghunadha Rao’s Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), a history of modern Andhra Pradesh, and G. Venkataramarao’s Telangana Charitra (2014), a history of Telangana.¹² Each makes judgments that the other does not share, so this page says who says what.

Why Telangana was unhappy

The two histories agree that the trouble began over the safeguards of 1956.¹² Raghunadha Rao writes that people in Telangana felt the Andhra leaders had broken the Gentlemen’s Agreement.¹ He says some of their difficulties were real, though many were imagined, and that the Andhra leaders did nothing to remove their doubts.¹

Both authors say that the first Chief Minister, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, refused to appoint a Deputy Chief Minister from Telangana.¹² They report that he compared the post to a “sixth finger”, of no use.¹² Venkataramarao adds that the regional committee meant to watch over the agreement had become a body in name only.²

Venkataramarao puts the employees at the centre of the story.² He writes that seniority lists had still not been drawn up after fifteen years, and that people believed Telangana’s funds had been moved to Andhra.⁴ Raghunadha Rao adds that many people from the coast moved to Hyderabad.¹ He also says that Andhra men filled many posts in Telangana because qualified local candidates were lacking.⁵

On 10 July 1968 people in Telangana kept a “Telangana Safeguards Day”.¹ Venkataramarao also points to a Supreme Court judgment of 1969, which struck down the law that reserved some jobs in Telangana for its residents.² He writes that Telangana then asked for a separate state, to get those safeguards back.²

The agitation of 1969

In January 1969 a student began a fast at Khammam.⁵⁴ Raghunadha Rao says this “added fuel” to the anger in Telangana, and students everywhere joined the movement.⁵ One group of students wanted the promises kept, while another wanted a separate Telangana State.⁵ Venkataramarao names the leader of the separatist students as Mallikarjun, a medical student.⁴

The Chief Minister, K. Brahmananda Reddy, called a meeting of all parties on 18 and 19 January 1969.⁵ It agreed to send back Andhra employees from posts reserved for Telangana, and to have an officer work out Telangana’s surplus revenue.⁵⁶ Venkataramarao writes that a count found 4,500 non-mulkis (people not native to the region) working in Telangana.⁷ When the Supreme Court stood in the way of moving them, the Chief Minister created 2,000 new posts for Telangana.⁷

The promises did not stop the agitation:⁶⁸

on 20 January 1969 police fired on students in Hyderabad, and the protests spread
on 22 January the agitation turned violent across Telangana, with damage to railways and government property
a rumour that agitators had burnt an Andhra official in Nalgonda led to a counter-agitation in the Andhra region
on 9 March the students’ action committee told Telangana students to stay away from classes until a separate state was formed
K. V. Ranga Reddy, a former Deputy Chief Minister, joined the students⁶⁸

On 11 April 1969 the Prime Minister announced an eight-point plan in Parliament.⁹⁸ Raghunadha Rao writes that it did not satisfy the dissident Congress members or the other parties.⁸ The movement then passed from the students to the politicians, who formed the Telangana Praja Samiti.⁸

The Praja Samiti

Venkataramarao writes that the Praja Samiti grew out of a “People’s Convention” whose convener was A. Madan Mohan.¹⁰ Dr M. Chenna Reddy became its president, and from then on the agitation gained strength.¹⁰ In the Hyderabad corporation election of 27 August 1969, supporters of a separate state won the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.¹⁰

Raghunadha Rao describes the hardest weeks:⁸³

on 1 May 1969, “Telangana Demands Day”, there was violence and police firing
the Prime Minister invited fifteen Praja Samiti leaders to Delhi, but thirteen refused, saying talks were useless without a separate state
on 4 June the situation in Hyderabad turned violent, and the government imposed a curfew of 33 hours
Chenna Reddy and Mallikarjun were arrested, but the agitation went on until October 1969⁸³

Venkataramarao writes that the army had to be called in on 3 and 4 June 1969.¹¹ He says that schools and colleges in Telangana, including the university, stayed shut for nine months.¹¹ In his count, about 400 agitators died.¹¹

By November 1969 the Praja Samiti had split, and the dissident Congress members gave up trying to remove the Chief Minister.³ Raghunadha Rao says the Prime Minister’s firm support kept Brahmananda Reddy in office.³ He adds that Brahmananda Reddy then expanded his cabinet and made J. V. Chokka Rao Deputy Chief Minister.³

According to Venkataramarao, the Praja Samiti won 13 seats in Telangana in the mid-term Lok Sabha election, which he dates to 1970.¹⁰ He writes that the Samiti later accepted the Prime Minister’s plan and merged with the Congress.¹² In September 1971 Brahmananda Reddy resigned, so that someone from Telangana could become Chief Minister.³ On 25 September 1971 P. V. Narasimha Rao was elected leader of the Congress legislators, and the Praja Samiti leaders came back into the Congress.³

The Jai Andhra movement, 1972–1973

Under the Mulki rules, people from the Andhra region could not get government posts in Telangana.³¹³ A full bench of the High Court held by four votes to one that the rules were no longer valid.¹³ Then, on 3 October 1972, the Supreme Court held that the Mulki rules were still in force.¹³

Raghunadha Rao writes that people in the Andhra region now felt they were treated as second-class citizens in their own capital.¹³ Venkataramarao adds that the Chief Minister called the judgment the final word on Telangana’s rights, and that this angered the Andhra region.¹⁴ He also links the anger to the land ceiling law of 1972, which hit big landowners.¹⁴

The Centre tried a compromise.¹³ It decided that the Mulki rules would apply in Hyderabad and Secunderabad until the end of 1977, and in the rest of Telangana until the end of 1980.¹³ The details are on the era page.¹⁵ Parliament passed the Mulki Rules Bill in December 1972.¹⁶¹³ This shocked people in the Andhra region, who began to demand a separate state under the cry “Jai Andhra”.¹³¹⁷

On 31 December 1972 Congress members of the Andhra region met at Tirupati.¹⁷ They were chaired by B. V. Subba Reddy, who had resigned as Deputy Chief Minister.¹⁷ The meeting called on people not to pay taxes, to break prohibitory orders and to bring the government to a halt.¹⁷ It set up an action committee under Subba Reddy, with six of the ministers who had resigned over the Mulki rules.¹⁷

Raghunadha Rao writes that the movement spread “like a forest fire” and the government came to a stop.¹⁷ On 18 January 1973 the President took over the state.¹⁷¹⁸ In Telangana, Congress members met under Chenna Reddy on 21 January 1973 and formed the “Telangana Congress Forum” to fight for a separate state.¹⁷

Raghunadha Rao says the Jai Andhra movement had wide support but lacked a leader.¹⁷ The one leader who could have given it direction, Kakani Venkataratnam, died of a heart attack on 25 December 1972.¹⁷ The Communist Party, which did not want the state divided, held rallies against both separatist movements.¹⁷ A strike of the non-gazetted (lower-grade) officers of the Andhra region lasted 108 days and ended on 25 March 1973.¹⁹

The settlement, 1973

As support for the agitation fell, the Central Government held talks with leaders of both regions.²⁰ They agreed on a Six-Point Formula, which Raghunadha Rao sums up like this:²⁰

the Mulki rules and the Telangana regional committee would end
local candidates would get preference in lower government posts
a tribunal would settle disputes over service
a planning board, with sub-committees for backward areas, would be set up
a central university would be founded at Hyderabad
the Constitution would be amended to carry out these points²⁰

Venkataramarao adds that the Centre gave 100 crore rupees to the development boards of the three regions.²¹ In his account this money was to be spent in 162 backward taluks of Telangana, Rayalaseema and the Andhra region in the ratio 5:3:2.²¹

The Jai Andhra action committee approved the formula on 1 October 1973 and ended its ten-month agitation.²⁰ President’s rule ended in December 1973, and J. Vengala Rao became Chief Minister with fifteen ministers.²²²³ On 18 December 1973 the Lok Sabha passed the amendment by 311 votes to 8.²⁰ The regional committee set up in 1958 was abolished from 1 January 1974.²² How the amendment became Articles 371D and 371E is told on the era page.²⁰

Where the sources disagree

Who became Deputy Chief Minister in 1969. Raghunadha Rao says Brahmananda Reddy expanded his cabinet after the agitation and made J. V. Chokka Rao Deputy Chief Minister.³ Venkataramarao says that in the new cabinet of July 1969 the post went to J. V. Narasinga Rao.²⁴
How many ministers resigned. Venkataramarao says nine Andhra ministers resigned over the five-point formula of November 1972.²⁵ Raghunadha Rao speaks of eight ministers who had resigned over the Mulki rules.¹⁷
What happened to the Assembly in 1973. Raghunadha Rao writes that the Assembly was dissolved for the time being.¹⁷ The Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha that it was kept suspended, not dissolved.¹⁸
When President’s rule ended. Venkataramarao gives 18 January to 13 December 1973, 320 days in all.²⁵ Raghunadha Rao and the Lok Sabha record give 10 December 1973.²²²³
When Parliament passed the Mulki Rules Bill. Raghunadha Rao dates it to 23 December 1972.¹³ The Lok Sabha passed it on 21 December 1972.¹⁶

P. Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (Telugu, revised edition 1997), p. 280 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹
G. Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 316 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 284 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 317 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 281 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 282 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 319 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩²
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 283 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Lok Sabha Debates, 11 April 1969, “Statement re: Telengana” by the Prime Minister, cols. 328–332 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 320 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 322 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 325 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 285 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), pp. 327–328 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩²
Lok Sabha Debates, 27 November 1972, “Statement re. Mulki Rules” by the Prime Minister, cols. 248–251 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Lok Sabha Debates, 21 December 1972, “Mulki Rules Bill”, motion to pass and division, cols. 347–355 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 286 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³
Lok Sabha Debates, 28 February 1973, statutory resolution on the Proclamation in relation to Andhra Pradesh, speech of the Minister of State for Home Affairs, cols. 230–233 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 287 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 288 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 330 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩²
Raghunadha Rao, Adhunika Andhrapradesh Charitra (1997), p. 289 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Lok Sabha Debates, 10 December 1973, “Revocation of Proclamation in relation to the State of Andhra Pradesh”, col. 335 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). The printed text dates the Proclamation “10th December, 1972”, a slip for 1973: it was published in the Gazette of India of 10 December 1973. ↩ ↩²
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), pp. 312–313 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩
Venkataramarao, Telangana Charitra (2014), p. 329 (in Telugu) (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩²