Another man dies for Telangana, TRS calls for shutdown

Hyderabad, March 26 (IANS) One more person died Monday and another was battling burn injuries after he attempted to immolate himself for separate statehood to Telangana, prompting the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to call for a shutdown in the region to demand immediate action from the central government.

Two days after an MBA student committed suicide in Warangal, an autorickshaw driver immolated himself in Hanamkonda town in the same district. Rajmouli, who doused himself with kerosene in a public park and immolated himself, left behind a suicide note saying he was taking his life due to the delay in formation of a separate Telangana state.

In another incident, a youth tried to immolate himself at Wanaparthy town in Mahabubnagar district on Monday. B.R. Goud torched himself at a busy cross-road in the town and was shifted to hospital.

TRS, which stalled the state assembly and also raised the issue in parliament, has called for a shutdown Tuesday.

It has exempted state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses and ongoing examinations from the shutdown in the region, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders from Telangana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (JAC) have supported the shutdown call.

Telangana groups claim that over 600 people, mostly students, have committed suicide for the cause of Telangana during last two years.

With the shutdown call, the region may witness another round of protests for a separate state. Frequent shutdowns, rail and road blockades and 42-day-long strike by government employees, coal and transport workers had crippled the administration in the region and caused huge losses to the business and industry during August-September last year.

The suicides come close on the heels of by-election results in Telangana, which demonstrated that the sentiment for a separate state is still strong. Of six assembly seats, TRS bagged four seats and BJP one. An independent fighting for the separate state was also elected.

MBA student Bhojya Naik had committed suicide in Warangal town on Saturday. A shutdown was observed in Warangal district on Sunday.