Hyderabad : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the need to document the true history of the Telangana movement, recognizing the sacrifices made by thousands of youth and students. He pointed out that some individuals have attempted to reshape the movement’s narrative to suit their interests. To counter this, he stressed the importance of recording the historical facts of those who genuinely contributed to the cause.
Speaking at the launch of Vijaya Telangana, a book written by former minister and key Telangana activist Tulla Devender Goud, Revanth Reddy stated that the book provides a people-centric perspective on the movement. He urged for more such works to be written to preserve Telangana’s historical legacy.
The book was unveiled in the presence of Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Rajya Sabha MP Dr. K. Laxman, and government advisor K. Keshava Rao. During the event, the Chief Minister made several key remarks:
- He described Devender Goud as one of the leaders he personally admires and clarified that Vijaya Telangana is not just an autobiography but a comprehensive account of the people’s struggle.
- He reiterated that some individuals have tried to manipulate the history of the movement to their advantage, stressing that the sacrifices of Telangana’s youth and students should be properly recorded.
- Revanth Reddy acknowledged Devender Goud’s significant contributions, particularly his bold decisions and protests for Telangana’s formation. He credited Goud’s padyatra (foot march) for the approval of the Pranahita-Chevella project.
- He highlighted that Devender Goud was the first to use “TG” as an abbreviation for Telangana, which later became widely adopted.
- The Chief Minister also noted that even a decade after the formation of Telangana, the government has fulfilled the people’s long-pending demands, such as recognizing Jaya Jaya He Telangana as the official state song and providing financial aid and housing to nine activists who made supreme sacrifices.
- He concluded by stating that Telangana politics needs more value-driven leaders like Devender Goud.