ANDHRA PRADESH- Taming the Press

ANDHRA PRADESH Taming the Press M Shatrugna WHILE the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad were more or less free of the menace of communalism for well over 30 years, it assumed serious proportions after the Emergency. The problem, which needs a thorough analysis if it is to be seriously controlled, has once again been treated as a law and order problem by the government. The communal problem in Hyderabad is by and large an 'old city' problem. Lack of basic elvic amenities for people, failure of the Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah Trust which was supposed to finance developmental activity, emergence of the BJP as a major political force, the stranglehold of the Majhs over the Muslim community, are some of 'he reasons for this growing problem. Government, instead of meeting this problem ut the political, developmental and cultural levels, has been giving more powers to the police to deal with it.