Holiday is not politics, Mr Sanjay; it's honouring the nation

INDIA's independence is celebrated with pomp and gaiety by all Indians. It is a public holiday.

How is it a conspiracy by KCR or anybody if Telangana Integration Day is declared as a public holiday? Would the BJP leaders have liked it and sung paeans to such a decision, if Telangana Chief Minister readily agreed to their idea and joined their bandwagon in celebrating the event as "Hyderabad Liberation Day"?

The BJP is picking holes in the very idea of public holiday in a completely paradoxical manner, for Independence Day is essentially a public holiday.

The outburst of profanity against KCR by Telangana BJP president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar for declaring September 17 as a holiday is inane.

Hyderabad State's integration into India was downplayed so far for obvious reasons. Leaders demonstrated dignity and courtesy to all.

After all, the freedom struggle, a two-century-long protracted battle, was replete with bloodshed, violence, physical attacks, property loss and massacres. The trend continued even after Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call for non-violence and led the nation from the front with his avowed principle of peace, amity and non-violence.

India prides itself as a nation that became an embodiment and epitome of non-violence and regarded Mahatma Gandhi with a unique distinction of adorning him with the title "Father of the Nation."

Marking the culmination of all the turmoil, the Government of India, akin to a lot of Governments across the globe, declared Independence Day as a public holiday, but never resorted to nurse vengeance against the British.

Even though the flag hoisting and the other ceremonies do mark the celebrations of India's Independence, it still is a holiday. Indian embassies and high commissions too celebrate and observe this as a holiday across many nations. It is a public holiday in every sense. Government offices, educational institutions and courts do not function on that day.

In tune with this much-accepted practice, Telangana state government has declared September 17 as a public holiday.

And, Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar raised a bogey that KCR had schemes against the celebration of "Hyderabad Liberation Day" as his declaration of "Telangana Integration Day" couldn't evoke proper response.

Well, there are no yardsticks to measure which of the two names given to the day are popular and which evoked a greater response. It's just a perception.

Bandi Sanjay and those supporting the BJP's school of thought may perceive that the name 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' has a popular endorsement.

But the nomenclature of "liberation" certainly has divisive connotations. Whereas, the name Telangana Integration Day is ringing a bell of inclusion of all sections and uniting all.

The Government of India, after integrating Hyderabad state, conferred the status of Raj Pramukh on the erstwhile Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan and honoured him with a gubernatorial protocol. Then leaders, especially Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, never tried to humiliate the Nizam. On the other hand, he was treated with highest honour and dignity.

India's levels of tolerance are not being properly interpreted by some sections with an eye on power and politics. It's absurd to call the Nizam names.

The observation of Sanjay that the very presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah is sending chills down the proverbial spine of Telangana Chief Minister KCR is preposterous.

Why at all a Chief Minister, who was sworn in by the Constitution, would be afraid of a Union Minister who was also sworn in by the same Constitution? How well these utterances are in conformity to the Constitution of India, by which Sanjay also was sworn in as the Lok Sabha member? Political agendas and ideologies may differ. In a democracy, people are the ultimate judges and they choose what and who they want.

For sure, declaring the Integration Day as a holiday has no politics. It cannot be found fault with simply because the BJP is limbering itself up for a political showdown with KCR in Telangana after waking up from decades long deep slumber. This is politics, not the declaration of holiday.

If it is an expression of exasperation, let the seniors who descended on Hyderabad rein in those running amok to keep the dignity of certain days. After all, it's not as if the people of Telangana are naive and gullible not to understand the politics behind the celebration of September 17 as whatever day.