Joint Action Committees (JACs) played a pivotal role in the Telangana movement, which eventually culminated in the formation of the state of Telangana in 2014. These JACs acted as coordinating bodies that brought together diverse groups under a common platform to mobilize support for the movement, organize protests, and negotiate with the government. From 1991 to 2014, JACs were integral in maintaining the momentum of the movement and ensuring that various social, political, and economic groups worked together toward the shared goal of achieving separate statehood for Telangana.

Key Joint Action Committees (JACs) in the Telangana Movement (1991-2014)

1. Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC)

The Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC) was the most prominent and influential JAC in the Telangana movement. It was established in December 2009 following the renewed political momentum for Telangana’s statehood, which was sparked by K. Chandrashekar Rao’s (KCR) hunger strike and the subsequent announcement by the central government that the process for the formation of Telangana would be initiated.

Formation and Leadership:
  • TJAC was formed as a coalition of various political parties, social organizations, student groups, employee unions, and other civil society organizations.
  • It was led by Prof. M. Kodandaram, an academic and a respected voice in the movement, who served as the convener of the TJAC. Under his leadership, the TJAC maintained a broad-based appeal and was seen as a neutral and inclusive body that represented the aspirations of different sections of Telangana society.
Role and Functions:
  • The primary role of the TJAC was to coordinate the activities of different organizations that supported the Telangana movement, ensuring that protests and strikes were organized in a unified and strategic manner.
  • The TJAC worked to maintain the focus on the demand for statehood and prevent fragmentation within the movement. It called for major protests, including bandhs (shutdowns), hunger strikes, and rallies, to keep the pressure on both the state and central governments.
  • TJAC organized key events like the Sakala Janula Samme (General Strike) in 2011, a significant strike that lasted for nearly 42 days and involved employees from different sectors such as government services, transport, education, and more. This event demonstrated the collective strength of the Telangana cause and brought the region to a standstill, highlighting the seriousness of the demand for statehood.
  • The TJAC played an essential role in organizing Million March in 2011, a massive protest on Hyderabad's Tank Bund that garnered national and international attention. This protest was one of the most visible expressions of the people's demand for Telangana.
Challenges and Internal Divisions:
  • Despite its success, the TJAC faced challenges, particularly in maintaining unity among its diverse constituents. Political parties, especially the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Congress, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP), had differing approaches and interests, which sometimes caused friction within the JAC.
  • The TJAC also faced challenges from groups that wanted a more radical approach, including some student organizations and left-wing groups that felt the committee was not pushing hard enough for immediate statehood.

2. Students’ Joint Action Committees (S-JACs)

Student activism was a significant force in the Telangana movement, and various students’ JACs (S-JACs) emerged in the early 2000s, playing an important role in mobilizing youth, especially in universities and educational institutions.

Role and Impact:
  • The student-led JACs were formed in major universities, including Osmania University and Kakatiya University, which were hotbeds of pro-Telangana sentiment. The Osmania University Students Joint Action Committee (OUJAC) became particularly prominent in organizing large-scale protests and boycotts of classes in support of the statehood demand.
  • Students were seen as a moral force in the movement, often acting as the "vanguard" of protests. Their hunger strikes, sit-ins, and confrontations with security forces made the movement highly visible.
  • The Osmania University became a symbolic epicenter of the Telangana movement. Student-led agitations often triggered larger movements and were critical in keeping the demand for Telangana in the spotlight, especially during key moments such as KCR’s fast-unto-death in 2009.
  • Student JACs also played a critical role in providing intellectual and ideological backing to the movement, framing the Telangana issue not just as a matter of political reorganization but as a fight for social justice and economic equity.

3. Employees’ Joint Action Committees (E-JACs)

Government employees in Telangana were one of the most organized and effective groups within the broader movement. They formed their own JACs, known as Employees' Joint Action Committees (E-JACs), which were instrumental in bringing the movement into the workplace and administrative machinery.

Role and Key Movements:
  • The Telangana Employees' Joint Action Committee (TEJAC) was one of the most prominent employees’ organizations that participated in strikes and protests.
  • TEJAC was actively involved in the Sakala Janula Samme in 2011, in which government employees went on an indefinite strike, paralyzing the administration and proving the seriousness of the Telangana movement. This strike, which involved over 400,000 employees, was one of the largest coordinated actions taken during the movement.
  • Government teachers, healthcare workers, and other public sector employees also participated in these JAC-led strikes, bringing essential services to a halt and ensuring that the Telangana issue stayed in national focus.

4. Joint Action Committees of Political Parties

Various political parties, both regional and national, formed their own JACs to coordinate their efforts within the Telangana movement. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), under the leadership of K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), was at the forefront of this effort, working closely with the TJAC and other JACs to ensure that the political aspect of the movement was kept alive.

Involvement of Political Parties:
  • The TRS was the primary political force pushing for the formation of Telangana. Though it had direct political ambitions, the TRS often worked within the broader framework of the JACs to unify the movement and prevent division among its supporters.
  • Other parties, including the Congress, initially maintained a somewhat ambiguous stance on Telangana but eventually came out in favor of the statehood demand, particularly after the announcement by the UPA government in December 2009.
  • The BJP and the Communist Party of India (CPI) also supported the demand for Telangana and played active roles within the JACs.

5. Women’s Joint Action Committees (W-JACs)

Women played a vital role in the Telangana movement, and several women’s JACs were formed to ensure that women’s voices were represented in the statehood struggle.

Key Contributions:
  • Women's JACs organized protests, rallies, and hunger strikes, contributing to the movement’s moral force. They addressed issues specific to women, such as the impact of economic policies on rural women and the role of women in governance in the new state.
  • Women activists were often seen at the forefront of major protests, and their involvement helped broaden the base of the movement, making it more inclusive.

Conclusion

The Joint Action Committees (JACs) were central to the success of the Telangana movement between 1991 and 2014. They provided a platform for coordination, unity, and strategy, ensuring that the movement could sustain itself over time and pressure the government into action. The political JACs, student JACs, employees’ JACs, and others were crucial in organizing mass protests, strikes, and events that kept the demand for Telangana alive, eventually leading to the creation of the new state on June 2, 2014. The ability of these JACs to bring together diverse interests under a common cause played a critical role in achieving statehood for Telangana.