Shutdown in Telangana over suicides for separate state

Hyderabad, March 27 (IANS) A daylong shutdown began across Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region Tuesday following a call by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to protest the central government's insensitivity towards the demand for a separate state, which is driving youth to commit suicide.

Shops and business establishments remained closed in most parts of Telangana, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad.

State-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses were plying as usual as the TRS has exempted the bus transport service from the shutdown in view of the ongoing Class 10 examination.

While the shutdown evoked a mixed response in Hyderabad, it was total in most parts of the other nine districts.

In Warangal district, where two people committed suicide to protest the delay in the formation of a separate Telangana state, the shutdown is total. Autorickshaws remained off the roads in the entire district to protest the self-immolation of auto driver Rajamouli in Hanamkonda town Monday. An MBA student had committed suicide in Warangal town Saturday.

A daily wage earner also set himself on fire in Wanaparthy town of Mahabubnagar district Monday, but escaped with injuries.

The shutdown is being supported by the Telangana Joint Action Committee, Telangana leaders of Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other groups.

The suicides have put Telangana on the boil again. By calling for a shutdown, the TRS is trying to revive the Telangana movement, which received some fillip with the party's victory in by-elections to six assembly seats last week.