History of Telangana Jagruthi
Introduction
Telangana is the youngest state in India. It has a diversified history with rich culture and valuable resources. Separate statehood has been the long-lasting desire of the people of this land. The region experienced agitation for a separate state for more than six decades that represent the first phase of the statehood movement for Telangana. The final stage of the Telangana statehood movement was headed fruitfully by Sri. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, under whose able direction the movement attained its long-cherished dream of a separate Telangana state. Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha was very much influenced by the leadership of Sri. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao and plunged into the movement without any hesitation. She became interested in the development of the people of Telangana and established Telangana Jagruthi as an organization. A young and energetic leader, Kavitha worked incessantly to nurture Telangana Jagruthi, which has been working for the holistic development of the region for one and a half decades.
Introduction
Telangana is the youngest state in India. It has a diversified history with rich culture and valuable resources. Separate statehood has been the long-lasting desire of the people of this land. The region experienced agitation for a separate state for more than six decades that represent the first phase of the statehood movement for Telangana. The final stage of the Telangana statehood movement was headed fruitfully by Sri. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, under whose able direction the movement attained its long-cherished dream of a separate Telangana state. Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha was very much influenced by the leadership of Sri. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao and plunged into the movement without any hesitation. She became interested in the development of the people of Telangana and established Telangana Jagruthi as an organization. A young and energetic leader, Kavitha worked incessantly to nurture Telangana Jagruthi, which has been working for the holistic development of the region for one and a half decades.
This organization has undertaken numerous innovative programs, both before and after the formation of the separate Telangana state. Under the visionary direction of Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha, Telangana Jagruthi has taken up cultural, literary, historical, and welfare initiatives along with programs focused on promoting economic self-reliance in the region. Additionally, Telangana Jagruthi has been involved in helping the impacted population during times of natural calamities and dreadful disasters. It has also taken up poverty eradication programs, initiatives for providing educational and health facilities to the common person in need of assistance to lead a life of dignity. It strives to touch upon and work in every area which is beneficial to the people of Telangana and the development of the state. The organization has its roots in the villages of Telangana and now it spreads its wings to 2 other states and 18 countries, to achieve its developmental objectives and provide a suitable platform to the Telanganites across the globe.
1) Agitation for Separate Telangana State
The agitation for attaining statehood for Telangana is one of the longest ever movements of Independent India. In the first phase of agitation for Telangana state (spanning from the 1950s to 2010), 369 martyrs sacrificed their lives. The ruling governments of the time offered many hollow promises which did not yield a positive outcome. Moved by the pathetic condition of the region, Sri. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao left the ruling party and its offices and founded the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), a party that led the final phase of the statehood movement by rejuvenating the entire region with his vision and mission to finally achieve the long-cherished dream of the people.
With the motivation and initiation from Sri. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha jumped into the agitation and founded Telangana Jagruthi. Through her keen observation and understanding of the conditions of the region, she was convinced that a separate state is the only solution for the development of the region as well as the restoration of self-confidence and pride in the people of Telangana. With this conclusion, she plunged herself into the statehood movement and founded Telangana Jagruthi as an organization that played a key role in the movement.
2) Programs for Youth and Women Empowerment
Telangana Jagruthi worked on a two-fold strategy, the first aspect of the strategy was to gain statehood for Telangana and the second being the holistic development of the State and its people. To achieve these goals, Telangana Jagruthi has given equal importance to the mobilization for the Telangana Statehood Movement and to programs focused on empowering the youth and women of the region.
3) Relief Measures
The volunteers of Telangana Jagruthi have been at the forefront in extending their invaluable services to the victims of natural calamities and the COVID-19 pandemic. Jagruthi extended its wholehearted support to the victims of floods in the Mahabubnagar district and to the scores of migrant labourers who lost their earnings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The victims were provided with clothes, daily provisions, food, shelter, transportation facilities, and other essential services.
4) Adoption of Farmer Families
The agriculture sector in the Telangana region was facing neglect before the formation of the separate Telangana state. It led to debt traps for the farmers and spurred many of them to commit suicide leaving behind orphaned children and widowed wives with no source of income in their families. Telangana Jagruthi came forward to help these suffering families. It adopted 389 families across the region and made a cash transfer of INR 2,500 per month into the family members’ bank account for four years. This financial support during a crucial phase helped the families overcome their financial crises to some extent.
5) Welfare of Overseas Workers
There are about thirty lakh (300,000) Telanganites living abroad for their education and employment. Telangana Jagruthi created suitable platforms for the overseas Telanganites and supported them on various fronts. It has extended its wholehearted support to the overseas Telanganites whether in good times or in bad. Overseas Telanganites have been able to keep in touch with their roots through the celebration of various festivals and cultural programs with gaiety and religious fervor through the vast network of Telangana Jagruthi workers and the programs they organize across the world. Telangana Jagruthi also helped the students and employees who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jagruthi’s works supported the patients struggling during the pandemic and also helped many temporary workers to repatriate to India.
6) Services in Health Sector
‘Health is wealth’ is a very popular saying. Providing quality health facilities is one of the core objectives of Telangana Jagruthi. The organization is at the forefront in helping the needy and the sick whenever they need medical assistance. It has served the sick and the needy not only in Jataras (Fairs), Pushkaras (religious congregation held every 12 years) but also in organizing medical camps in every nook and corner of the state, supplying medicines and essential commodities to those in need. Apart from organizing blood donation camps across the state, Telangana Jagruthi has been conducting anemia tests for adolescent girls and students.
7) Services in the Literary Domain
Literature is the key to the cultural universe for people. Telangana Jagruthi has been promoting many literary genres of the region by conducting literary meetings, organizing Kavi Sammelanam (poetry conference) on the birthday of Padmabhushan Sri. Kaloji Narayana Rao and conducting other such events to promote and revive the culture of Telangana. It also organized the largest literary conclave ever conducted in India – ‘Kavithanjali’ (poetic tribute), a state-level Kavi Sammelanam inviting poets from 33 districts of Telangana in which 2200 poets presented their poems. Such initiatives have immensely boosted the morale and pride of Telangana Telugu poets. Apart from these activities, Telangana Jagruthi has been bringing out a Telugu fortnightly publication “Thangedu” to promote literary authors under the scholarly editorship of Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha.
8) Publication of Books
Telangana Jagruthi published many invaluable books and has reprinted some classic and antique pieces of Telugu literature of Telangana. Telangana Jagruthi’s mission has been to bring important works of Telangana literature into the limelight. It has published books on history, culture, arts, and literature. Literary gems such as the Nizam Rashtranrdra Mahasabhallu (Two Volumes), Golconda Poet’s Collection of Poetry, Yaksha Gana Vagmayam, Iron and Wootz Steel Industry in Northern Telangana, Bisath e Raks (Urdu), Bathukamma songs are some of the works published by Jagruthi. It also produced and released CDs of Bathukamma songs. Next year, Telangana Jagruthi is set to publish 4 books of rare collection and a compilation of Bathukamma songs – “Poola Singidi” which is the largest collection of songs in India written by women poets on a single theme.
9) Environmental Protection Initiatives
The environment is the only wealth that we can hand over to the next generation. Life on this earth can sustain only with a healthy environment. Telangana Jagruthi has shouldered the responsibility of protecting the environment by creating awareness among the people about the usage of eco-friendly tools, accessories, and appliances. It also started planting of saplings on a massive scale, preparation of seed balls before the rainy season, and sowing them by throwing in forest and other harsh habitats. It also organized an awareness program on the ill effects of using plastic plates and glasses during Sammakka Saralamma Jathara a massive religious congregation. It further distributed paper glasses and plates to the devotees to make the holy place “a Plastic Free Zone”. Telangana Jagruthi workers have also distributed clay Vinayakas (clay statues of Lord Ganesha) to keep water bodies safe upon their immersions into the water bodies during the festival of Ganpati Visarjan/ Ganesh Nimajanam each year.
10) Historical Research
Telangana Jagruthi constituted a team of historical researchers to study and unearth the historical artifacts and highlight the achievements of Telangana’s history which were neglected before the formation of the Telangana state. The team of historians produced significant research in which they covered major significant events and details of the history of Telangana, from the paleolithic age to modern times. Thus far, the team has visited 328 places of historical significance in Telangana. The team also collected 42 rare inscriptions, translated them, and published them. The team also discovered 23 ‘Rock Arts Sites’ that throw significant light on the glorious past and cultural traditions of the people of Telangana. Details of such discoveries are set to be published in 6 volumes releasing soon.
11) Bathukamma Festival
There is an inseparable bond between the Bathukamma festival and Telangana Jagruthi. During the time of the Telangana Statehood agitation, Telangana Jagruthi identified the Bathukamma festival as a symbol of Telangana’s glorious culture and traditions. Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha paved the way for a cultural renaissance with the celebration of the Bathukamma festival on a vast scale in 10 districts in the Telangana region before its state formation. Telangana Jagruthi also approached the High Court and got permission to celebrate the Bathukamma festival for the first time on the Tank Bund of Hyderabad. Jagruthi also demanded and pressurized the government to get the official allocation of budget for the celebration of Bathukamma in various district headquarters.
At present Bathukamma has become the ‘Pride of Telangana’ and its fragrances are spread to many countries in the world with the relentless efforts of Telangana Jagruthi. In Telangana, it has been accorded the status of a state festival. Recently, Telangana Jagruthi produced a YouTube video song entitled “Allipoola Vennela” under the musical direction of Oscar Award winner and popular Indian music director A.R. Rahman. The music video for the song is a pictorial extravaganza directed by the popular director Goutham Vasudev Menon. The video received much acclaim from all sections of society. This year, every Telanganite will feel the pride and honour of celebrating Bathukamma on Burj Khalifa (United Arab Emirates), the highest skyscraper in the world!
12) Cultural Events
Whatever the context may be, Telangana Jagruthi gives utmost importance to literature, music, and fine arts. From the State Formation Day to Bathukamma festival celebrations Telangana Jagruthi accords due importance to the art and literary forms to promote and showcase the greatness of Telangana. Recently, Telangana Jagruthi established a platform to celebrate different events from ‘Bhogi Festival’ (a popular harvest festival in the region) to ‘Urdu Mushairas’ (Urdu poetry art form).
13) Free Distribution of Food
‘Na bhavathu samathulyam annadaana samaana,’ means there is no sacred act equal to annadanam (free distribution of food). Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha, the President of Telangana Jagruthi has been distributing food to the sick people and their attendants in Nizamabad, Bodhan, and Armoor area hospitals for years now. Nearly 2000 sick and needy are benefitted through this free distribution of food. She also initiated a Mid-Day Meals scheme for the unemployed youth who migrate from rural areas to Nizamabad to prepare for various competitive examinations.
14) Conferences and Training Programs
Telangana Jagruthi has been organizing national and international conferences since its inception to integrate and promote the ideas of the youth in its developmental agenda. It established a platform not only for amateur artists and talents to exhibit their innate capabilities but also helped them in getting valuable insights from the experts in their respective fields. In January 2019, it convened the “Telangana Jagruthi International Youth Conference (TJIYLC)” which was graced by more than 500 delegates from 101 nations. The delegates included subject matter experts, NGO representatives, policymakers of the different nations to deliberate on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to understand Mahatma Gandhi’s path to sustainability to incorporate its lessons in the SDG-focused policies across the world.
In November 2019, Telangana Jagruthi also organized a National Level Training Program for Women with United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) under the title “Developing Women Leadership: A Road Map to Success.” It was attended by women delegates from all over India.
15) Others
Telangana Jagruthi has dedicated its entire services and its very existence to the benefit of the Telangana society and Telanganites in India and across the world. Jagruthi has organized a diverse set of activities not just in the state of Telangana, but across India and the whole of the world. These include:
- Nallamala Forest Protection Yathra
- Ambedkar Sports
- Organizing Chalivendralu (Canopies)
