Majjathi Sai Teja Yadav
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy recently unveiled a new Telangana Thalli statue in front of the Secretariat building to mark the first anniversary of Congress rule in the state. The statue has sparked significant debate among political parties and the public alike.
Supporters of the ruling party defend the new statue, arguing that it symbolizes the Telangana woman without the grand ornaments and deity-like features of previous representations. They view it as a representation of the state’s Motherhood reflecting the spirit of the region. However, opposition parties criticized the statue’s design claiming that the removal of Bathukamma from the statue’s hand is making this statue irrelevant to Telangana’s traditional identity. They argue, the new statue resembles more of a “Congress Thalli” (Mother of Congress), with the bare hand resembling the Congress party’s symbol.
The Previous Telangana Thalli statue, created in 2003 by B. Venkataramana Chari, a resident of Nirmal, had great cultural significance. This statue, which gained popularity during the Telangana statehood movement, featured Bathukamma in one hand and a corn stalk in the other, with a crown on its head.
This design reflected the state’s rich cultural heritage: Bathukamma symbolised the region’s tradition, and the ornaments, the saree and the crown — each with a cultural connection to different places of Telangana — together represented a divine mother figure.
Young artist Sachin, known for his works featuring Telangana Thalli and other iconic representations of the state, has expressed his concerns. He felt that removing Bathukamma from the hands of the statue undermines the state’s cultural identity. He feels that the statue should continue to represent the culture and traditions of Telangana.
Since Congress came to power, several other changes have been made, including the changing the abbreviation from TS to TG, renaming of Yadagirigutta from Yadadri, trying to change the Telangana state emblem, and re-tuning of Jaya Jayahe Telangana.
Most of these moves have generated mixed reactions among the public. Many people oppose the change to the state abbreviation, as TS had already become synonymous with the state. Some argue that TG is more relevant to the full name of the state, while others feel it is unnecessary to change something that was already well-established.
The state emblem has also undergone a redesign. The previous emblem, designed by artist Laxman Aelay in 2014, featured the Charminar and Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, symbols of Telangana’s rich history. The new emblem circulated widely across social media, consists of the image of India’s State Emblem (Asiatic lions and the Ashoka Chakra) along with the Telangana Martyrs Memorial and rice, representing the agricultural importance of the state. The state’s name is written in four languages Telugu, Hindi, Urdu, and English.
In response to the reactions, the government has reportedly reconsidered some of these changes. Officials have announced they will take more time to take a final decision on the new State Emblem.
In another controversial move, Chief Minister A. Revanth reddy announced that the Govt. Is restoring the old name of Yadagirigutta, replacing the recent name Yadadri. The Temple name was changed in year 2022 after completion of construction of a new temple for Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at the site, under the leadership of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR).
Despite the restoration, many feel that changing established names and symbols does nothing to the state or its people, especially when these names had already planted in the public’s consciousness.
On the occasion of Telangana’s 10th Formation Day, the song Jaya Jayahe Telangana, which was written and recently rearranged by the renowned poet Andhesri was officially adopted as the state’s anthem. The song has two versions. The 2.5 minute version which is used for official events, and the longer 13.3 minute version.
While This was celebrated by many it also sparked a controversy. People have raised concerns over the exclusion of key figures from Telangana’s history. Prominent personalities such as Chakali Ailamma, Doddi Komurayya, and other leaders and revolutionaries who played pivotal roles in the Telangana Armed Struggle were ignored in the anthem.
Opposition parties have also questioned the selection of music composer M.M. Keeravani for the anthem stating that there are several talented composers in Telangana. Some activists who were actively involved in the Telangana statehood movement gave a call to ban the formation day celebrations as a form of protest. They argued that the song does not reflect the state’s revolutionary spirit and the contributions of many greats.
Ultimately, the government’s decision to change names, redesign the statue and emblem, and re-tune the song has faced mixed reactions from the public. These controversies surrounding the changes have highlighted the need for greater consideration of public opinion and cultural and historical sentiments when making decisions that affect the state’s identity.
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