* Hate speeches are not good for country, should be stopped * A very positive message has come out of the Chintan Shivir Shams Ahsan Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Violent protests for the creation of a separate Telangana state in southern India have affected the progress of Andhra Pradesh, said Congress Member of Parliament and former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin, Sunday. The statement by Azharuddin, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, came as the India government Sunday deferred the decision on the contentious issue despite the announcement made last month by Home Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde setting a Jan. 28 deadline to resolve the issue. Azharuddin, who was here to perform Umrah, was not aware of the government's decision. “Investments have taken a back seat. The state of Andhra Pradesh has taken a hit. Agitations are not going to work. The moment you become aggressive decision-taking becomes very difficult,” Azhar told Saudi Gazette. As Azhar spoke in his hotel room in Makkah, miles away in his hometown of Hyderabad the government's decision led to protests in Osmania University, the epicenter of the movement for a separate Telangana state. “It's a very difficult decision. There is also a feeling that Uttar Pradesh should also be split into four states. Does it mean that UP should be divided? Such decisions take time,” said the deputy who represents Moradabad, a Muslim-majority town in Uttar Pradesh. He, however, said that he expects a positive outcome for the Telangana movement. Azharuddin, who took part in the recently-concluded Chintan Shivir (introspection camp) of his Congress party said that things are looking bright with Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the post of the party's vice president. “A very positive message has come out of the Chintan Shivir. Rahul Gandhi's speech was very positive, so was Madam Sonia Gandhi's speech. It gave the message that the party is doing its best for the poor and the destitute. I honestly feel that if our party works together nobody can beat us. As a team when you play as a collective unit the results show very quickly,” said Azhar, admitting that a lot needs to be done more aggressively, especially to win back the trust of Muslims. “We need to do more work for Muslims. We need to implement all those reports, like the Sachar Committee findings, aggressively. I am not saying that we are not doing it, but we need to do it more aggressively. Once we do that we will get back their trust.” Azhar, who as a cricketer was deft at tackling bowlers' googlies and bouncers, batted in defense of Rahul Gandhi, projecting him as a leader of the masses and more popular than the right-wing Hindu leader and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi. Does he see Rahul as a prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections due next year? “All party workers right from the top to the grass roots level have the feeling that Rahul should be the PM candidate,” replied Azhar. “Rahulji has worked really hard right from the grass roots level to the top.” But then why did he fail in Uttar Pradesh? “At times things don't work out the way you want. Even in a game you play well but sometimes it does not happen that you win,” Azhar said, and hastened to add: “Results don't come very quickly. It takes time.” Will the results show by 2014 when the nation votes to elect a new parliament? “We have a very good chance. We have worked hard. We are working hard. Congress party always feels for the poor, the destitute and the downtrodden,” Azhar said, this time exuding the same confidence that he showed on the cricket field in his heyday as captain of the Indian cricket team. But he appeared to be defensive on his home turf. When asked about his personal views on whether an alliance with the rebel leader Jaganmohan Reddy would be beneficial for Congress, Azhar, who had a penchant for wristy strokes, deftly deflected the issue by saying that he has not thought very deeply on those lines. “It is very early to say anything at the moment. That's the prerogative of the party. At the moment I don't have a view on that.” Will Reddy dent Congress poll prospects in Andhra Pradesh, which sends 42 legislators to parliament? “Not exactly. He has his own agenda, his own way of working. But I think the Congress party cannot work on one individual. It's not only Andhra but many other states which have to be looked after,” Azhar said, adding: “I have not gone very deep into Andhra politics since I am so involved in Uttar Pradesh.” But he was very emphatic on the issue of incendiary oratory, a subject of much discussion in recent days because of the speech of Akbaruddin Owaisi, a Muslim leader from the state of Andhra Pradesh, who has been sent to prison on public complaint. Azhar, however, said that the law should be equal for everybody. “Hate speeches are not good for the country which has a very diverse society. Hate speeches should be stopped. It's very demeaning for the country.” Azhar also presented himself as a champion of women's rights. “The job of women is not just to sit at home and cook. If they have the talent, they should come forward,” he said. The talented cricketer, listed among the greats of the game, also wants to give back to the game now that a court has overturned the life ban imposed on him for alleged match-fixing. “I really want to do something for the game of cricket. Whatever cricket I have played, whatever experience I have gained, I want to give it back to the young players,” said Azhar, who is awaiting a decision to this effect by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
