Historical Background

The incident is in reference to the period in 1948 when the Hyderabad princely state governed by the Nizam became part of the Indian Union as a consequence of a military operation given the code name "Operation Polo." With Indian independence on August 15, 1947, the then Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, demonstrated reluctance to become a part of the new nation. The state lived an autonomous life for 13 months until a private army dedicated to the Nizam, the Razakars, initiated violence and terrorist attacks on merger-seeking Indians.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, then Home Minister of India, initiated a police action in the form of "Operation Polo" to induct the state into union. The forces of the Nizam succumbed to these forces on September 17, 1948, and Hyderabad became an integral part of India. For many, it is a victory over repressive feudal oppression and the atrocities of the Razakars.

Ongoing Debate: Liberation or Integration or Merger!

The September 17th celebrations are political, with the large parties referring to it by different names and interpretations to fit their political agenda.

"Liberation Day": This is the term used by the BJP and other right-wing groups to describe how the people of Hyderabad were "liberated" from the oppressive rule of the Nizam and the Razakars. This interpretation of the event is strong in nationalist feelings but is contended by some as glossing over the/details of the event and having a communal tone. Critics reference the Sunderlal Committee report, which documented mass violence on an unprecedented scale on Muslims after the intervention by the Indian Army, to demonstrate how the event cannot be reduced to such simple terms.

The BJP has always been in favour of marking the day as an official "Hyderabad Liberation Day." It characterises the event as having freed the area from the "tyranny of the Nizam" and the violence of the Razakars. This puts the BJP on the side of a nationalist and anti-feudal agenda and presents itself as having been the leader of the freedom struggle of the peoples of the region. These appeals particularly to a section of society that has viewed the reign of the Nizam as an oppressive, mainly-Muslim autocracy. The event has been utilised by the BJP to create or re-establish a strong base in Telangana and other parts of the former Hyderabad state (like parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra).

During the rule of the BRS, it initially avoided holding an official celebration to prevent dividing or polarizing any community. However, responding to pressure from the BJP, the government of K. Chandrashekar Rao began celebrating the day as a "National Integration Day." The discourse by the BRS treated the event as the "merger" or "integration" of a princely state into the Indian Union and not “liberation" to be framed as having communal connotations. This framing of it itself constituted a political tightrope walking by trying to acknowledge the historical event while preventing communal polarization.

Why Praja Palana Dinotsavam?

Now, the ruling Congress party has a different spin. The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has chosen to celebrate September 17 as a "Praja Palana Day" or a "People's Governance Day." This is the story of democratic transition brought about by the end of the reign of the Nizam. The term "Praja Palana Day" is employed by the Congress government to highlight a peoples' oriented system of government and to stand out from other parties whose tone is communal or nationalistic.

The BJP usage of "Liberation Day" is an attempt to create a tone of nationalism, whereas the Congress and the BRS try to invoke “Integration" or even a "Merger" in an attempt to maintain an inclusive and less aggressive tone. The event then remains an emblem of historical significance and an ongoing political debate over the meaning of the event.