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The Rediff Interview/Nandamuri Harikrishna

'Hyderabad may become the IT capital of the country, but will it alleviate poverty?'

Nandamuri Harikrishna, the third son of Telugu Desam Party founder-president Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, is an angry man these days. Not at being denied a cabinet berth, but at his brother-in-law and Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu "intentionally" deviating from the path shown by his late father. He is convinced that Naidu has betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh, who believed he would continue with the pro-poor schemes introduced by the NTR government.

"Naidu undoubtedly shattered my father's dream to provide koodu, gudda, needa (food, clothing and shelter) to every poor man in the state. He has deviated from his ideals. That's for sure," he says.

Undoubtedly, it was Harikrishna who spent more time with his father driving the Chaitanya Ratham during the latter's struggle to dethrone the Congress government in the state in 1983, 1985, 1989 and 1994, understood him better than the others in the family. Like a worthy son, he was even seen carrying his father's chappals during election campaigns.

"Who cares about the hi-tech talk of talk of Naidu?" asks the Telugu Desam legislator from Hindpur and former minister (for a brief period, soon after Naidu took over the reins from NTR), in an exclusive interview to M S Shanker.

Why were you silent all these days?

I did register my protests against the party and government's style of functioning. I did caution the leadership on several occasions for deviating from the path shown by my father. But, the leadership, with the backing of a pampered media, ensured no sort of adverse comments were entertained by the media.

But, you could have as well...

(Interrupting) Hold on, hold on. Be honest to yourself. Do you sincerely feel that my views would have been properly projected in the media, had I said the same things two years ago? Many would have accused me of talking against the leadership as it failed to accommodate me in the cabinet. Moreover, I would not like to be blamed for not giving sufficient time for the government to rectify the mistakes.

Even now people tend to suspect that you are raising these issues with an eye on elections, just 10 months away...

Let them. My duty is educate the masses that the present-day leadership is bent upon tarnishing the image of my late father and the party. I don't know why the leadership feels shy of NTR's legacy. Look at the AIADMK, the leadership feels proud of MGR's legacy. The TDP leadership wanted to bury NTR's legacy, who strove for the poor all through his life. He always worked for Opposition unity in the best interests of the nation. He, who restored the athmagauravam (self-respect) of Andhras the world over.

Contrary to that, the present-day leadership of the party is engaged in promoting individual interests. Well, no one opposes the promotion of information technology for the betterment of society. Should it be thrust upon people at the cost of other welfare schemes? If AP, during NTR's tenure, was known for the implementation of pro-poor schemes, then it's known today for IT promotion.

Hyderabad may become the IT capital of the country. But who it is going to help? Will it help alleviate poverty?

But Naidu reels out statistics that his government has constructed a record 1.1 million houses for the weaker sections as against the 500,000 during NTR's tenure. Similarly, he argues that the populist schemes cannot be continued at the cost of overall development of the state. What you have to say on this?

Ironically, the present-day leadership is talking the World Bank's language. Where is the need to go to international financial institutions for funds? Can't we manage and run the administration with our own available resources in the state? If that is the case, then why did the same leader not oppose my father's schemes and walk out of the party" You all know, he was a 'responsible' finance minister during my father's tenure, and the government did implement the schemes successfully to the people's satisfaction. That's why people still remember NTR.

Do you feel that those populist schemes still hold good?

Of course, yes. Every responsible government's primary duty is to ensure provide basic amenities such as food, shelter and clothing to its people. Apart from these, it is also the government's responsibility to make sure that the people's health is taken care of, besides literacy. How do you think my father could reintroduce successfully the Rs 2-a-kg rice scheme and implement total prohibition as soon as the party came back to power in 1994?

My father was wedded to the upliftment of the poor, while the present-day leadership is bent upon looting people. Corruption is rampant today at every level in the government under the garb of IT promotion. Our party opposed GV Industries getting the Jegurupadu power plant. But the present-day leadership has given it to the same people. Who received the kickbacks?

Why did you turn down the party leadership's offer to discuss these issues? Is there any possibility of truce between you and the 'leadership'?

What's the use? I have lost confidence in the leadership. I am convinced that they have no respect for my father's ideals. When they are going ahead with their own policies, quite contrary to my father's ideals, where is the scope for discussion? You all know how the present-day leadership had assured the legislators and people of implementing all manifesto promises. But, one after the other, they were either diluted or withdrawn. I am deeply hurt like millions of people and there is no scope whatsoever for a patch-up now.

What about your future plans?

That, I shall reveal only after January 18 (NTR's third death anniversary).

Will you join your step-mother and NTR TDP president Lakshmi Parvathi?

(After a brief silence) You know my family differences with Parvati. It's better for me not to say anything more than this at this point of time. But in politics anything may happen.

Who from your family are willing to back you in your struggle against the TDP leadership?

My actor-brother Balakrishna has assured me that he would join my campaign to educate the masses about how the TDP leadership buried my father's ideals. I am confident the people will understand the gameplan of the present-day rulers and teach them a lesson at an appropriate time.

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