| The city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh has seen | | | | struggles which grew stronger to the now very |
| many Communal ups and downs right from the | | | | evident Naxal problem the contribution of the |
| Razakar movement onwards. There have been | | | | communists to a peace amongst religions were crucial |
| periods where it has been secular later communal and | | | | but laying a virtual siege to official machinery was not |
| then secular again. Mostly modern Hyderabad has | | | | (things were non communal even during the |
| been relatively peaceful but just as with the rest of | | | | Telangana Agitation). Even the rise of Salahuddin |
| India fallen prey to communally divisive politics. The | | | | Owaisi of the MIM (distanced from the separatist |
| history of Hyderabad began with the Qutub Shahi | | | | cause) was not the cause of much communal strife. |
| dynasty when Golconda was established and later | | | | The Babri Masjid demolition changed that and saw |
| the capital was shifted to Hyderabad with the building | | | | the MIM fighting for the rights of Muslims in the city |
| of monuments like the Charminar. In the history of | | | | (which made the Owaisis very powerful). This is |
| the later princely state the importance of the | | | | where the communal harmony in Hyderabad went |
| Telangana region holds the key to the way the city | | | | south. The BJP was making its presence felt like it did |
| was formed. The most prosperous region at one | | | | in the national arena from 1984 onwards that gave |
| point of time is now in the midst of an economic | | | | the MIM a slight scare when Badam Bal Reddy almost |
| (barring Hyderabad and the Rangareddy districts) and | | | | won (it is alleged that there was massive rigging |
| social struggle for an autonomous state. | | | | done to make the MIM win, as a BJP victory would |
| | | | | mean a virtual war in the Old City area as it is now |
| The Qutub Shahi rulers were quite accepting of the | | | | known). |
| Telugu culture of the region and embraced the | | | | |
| language and culture by learning it and patronizing the | | | | The seeds of hatred though had already been laid; |
| arts and encouraging telugu literature. The rulers | | | | Hyderabad after formation of the Andhra Pradesh |
| would converse, read and write in Telugu. The | | | | state saw the worst Hindu-Muslim riots and |
| classical dance form Kuchipudi was also born during | | | | everything after that became a communal issue. |
| this time. The Qutub Shahi’s were benevolent | | | | Charminar was basically turned into a MIM bastion and |
| rulers who laid emphasis on inclusive progress and | | | | many Hindu traders decided to move out fearing |
| assimilated themselves into the culture. The Muslim | | | | their life. Friday prayer at the Mecca Masjid became |
| kings married into the local people of which the most | | | | the ideal place to start a riot after prayers and |
| famous example is that of Bhagmati, which gave rise | | | | anything would set off a stone pelting spree. Then |
| to the name Bhagyanagar to her subsequent | | | | again during the Telugu Desam Party (that was until |
| conversion to Hyder Mahal from which the name | | | | the alignment with the BJP) and Congress rule in the |
| Hyderabad came to be. The dynasty was also very | | | | state there was a lull but very sensitive. During this |
| wealthy as a result of the diamond mining (this was | | | | time many Hindu customs which were earlier |
| where the Kohinoor was excavated) and this | | | | welcomed met with opposition and many Muslim |
| prosperity attracted unwarranted attention from the | | | | practices were deliberately opposed. Both sides |
| Mughal Empire. The region had an overwhelming | | | | wanted to gain political mileage from the communal |
| majority of Hindus (around 96%) being ruled by | | | | conflict. Every festival and celebration had to be |
| Muslim kings which did not present as a problem for | | | | policed heavily. |
| nearly 200 years of their rule. | | | | |
| | | | | Till 1998 Hyderabad had not fully taken off to the |
| After Aurangazeb’s repeated attacks the | | | | current IT city metro status but the division of the |
| dynasty declined and the Mughal inquisition gave rise | | | | Old and New City areas had begun just prior the |
| to the Asaf Jahi dynasty or as they are more | | | | 90’s. The Babri demolition gave rise to |
| popularly known the Nizams of Hyderabad. Under | | | | fundamental elements to take advantage of the |
| their rule the region of Telangana was the epicentre | | | | situation which led to hyper extension of mosques |
| of the kingdom and Hyderabad was the capital. The | | | | and anti-Hindu tirades at sermons (the most often |
| Nizam rule saw the rising of the Princely State of | | | | said thing was to abstain from buying anything from |
| Hyderabad and it was some of the most prosperous | | | | Hindus during Ramzan, now extended to not buy |
| time for the kingdom. The Hindu population of the | | | | anything from Hindus at any given time). The |
| state was around 93% but there was not a lot of | | | | reactionary response to that was Ganesh Visarjan |
| animosity among the people and the Nizam had | | | | yatras deliberately causing problems when passing |
| signed a treaty with the British Establishment after | | | | through the Old City or the local Bonalu festival being |
| supporting their annexation of Mysore. So | | | | heavily guarded as the rituals lead to many |
| neighbouring Secunderabad and other regions were | | | | uncomfortable situations. The MIM was a party to |
| administered by the British Imperialist forces and the | | | | many of these problems but vote-bank politics meant |
| presence of the British Army was a constant. | | | | ignorance at best. Islamic fundamentalist elements |
| Though the majority population was Hindu it was no | | | | had permeated locally with an influx of migrants from |
| secret that the Nizams favoured the Muslims. | | | | various parts of the country (plus international |
| | | | | influences and migration back and forth). |
| Urdu was imposed on the people and Universities | | | | |
| (Osmania University) and Schools (Aaliya) established | | | | Sleeper cells of Islamic fundamentalist groups, rise of |
| were to enforce Urdu among the Hindus. The | | | | the RSS now ruled the previously communist |
| administration was also completely dominated by | | | | (including Maoist Naxal) Telangana. As a result these |
| Muslims. This also did not incite any unrest among the | | | | unchecked happenings eventually led to the |
| people as one of the pillars of the Nizams Sarkar was | | | | Hyderabad Bombings (in Mecca Masjid, Lumbini Park |
| the support from the Deshmukhs and Jagirdars who | | | | and Gokul Chaat) and the attack of MIM legislators |
| were the earlier captured kings from other provinces | | | | on Taslima Nasreen. The MIM though had shown |
| of India with royal status. All was well till the Nizam | | | | signs of this when they violently stamped out (there |
| demanded dominion status and decided not to join | | | | was a shootout where most members were killed, |
| India or Pakistan beginning in 1946. The Hindus | | | | but as always not many clues were found) the |
| (Andhra Mahasaba), Communists and pro-Indian union | | | | opposition from the Majlis-Bachao-Tehreek (MBT) |
| Muslims started the join India movement, this had the | | | | after the death of their leader Amanullah Khan, who |
| Nizam worried and thus began the Razakar | | | | had led a successful opposition movement to the |
| movement with the Majlis-e-Ittehadhul Musalmeen | | | | MIM. The MIM recently demanded a Muslim state |
| (MIM, separatist dominion group) which included some | | | | with Warangal as its capital for Telangana, the |
| dalits. This laid the ground for nearly two years of a | | | | Communist Party of India had gained significant |
| virtual siege on the Hindus of the state. This led to | | | | ground recently as people of the Old City saw |
| the police action and the action of the Indian | | | | through the MIM but the nuclear deal and a |
| Government to annexe the state and they | | | | passionate speech by Asaduddin Owaisi in support |
| succeeded on the 18th of September 1948 with the | | | | virtually eliminated that near change in thought |
| Nizam becoming the ‘Raj Pramukh’ | | | | process. Again Hyderabad is on high alert and the |
| | | | | Hindu-Muslim he said-she said will go on but the rising |
| For a city born out of such communal strife and | | | | forces of terror will go mostly unchecked in the |
| immense religious tension for the years after the | | | | process. There are enough problems with the Naxal |
| struggle the region remained relatively non-communal. | | | | groups now the state has to tackle a combination of |
| There were problems with the violent farmer | | | | problems. |