The recent remarks by TRS leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha questioning the employment of Andhra Pradesh youth in Telangana’s private sector have triggered a wave of criticism across social media, highlighting a growing public exhaustion with regional divisiveness.
By asking whether Andhra companies would hire Telangana engineering graduates and questioning why local firms should reciprocate, the rhetoric relies on an outdated playbook of regional friction.
More than a decade after the state bifurcation, attempting to revive these old borders to score political points feels not only regressive but entirely disconnected from the realities of the modern economy.
The immediate pushback from netizens, working professionals, and tech employees underscores a fundamental truth about today’s job market: corporate and private entities operate on meritocracy, not geography.
In a globalised economy, private companies invest in talent, skill, and productivity regardless of an applicant’s native pin-code.
Suggesting that the private sector should screen resumes based on regional identity displays a profound misunderstanding of how businesses scale. It threatens to undermine the very ecosystem that makes a city attractive to global corporations in the first place.
Moreover, this line of reasoning is dangerously counterproductive to the growth of Hyderabad as a premier tech and business hub.
The city’s economic success story is built on its ability to attract diverse talent from across the country, creating a cosmopolitan environment that fosters innovation.
Trying to wall off employment opportunities based on state boundaries sends a negative signal to prospective investors and employers, potentially driving businesses to more welcoming regions.
Ultimately, the widespread backlash serves as a clear warning to regional politicians that the public has moved on.
Today’s youth are deeply focused on real issues like macro-economic growth, job creation, infrastructural development, and fair wages rather than decade-old territorial disputes.
Leaders who continue to rely on stoking regional sentiment to mobilise their base risk finding themselves out of touch with an aspirational, merit-driven generation that values economic progress over identity politics.
