The Tuesday’s (Dec 16, 2014) Peshawar school rampage, which claimed the lives of over 141 people, including 132 students and 9 staff, has trembled the world and sit back and take notice of the terrorist group behind the mass massacre. ‘Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’ (TTP) has claimed the responsibility of the dastardly attacks. 

The group said its attack on Tuesday on the army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar came in response to an offensive launched against it by government troops in mid-June. The man behind Pakistan’s main Islamist rebel group TTP is ‘Radio’ Mullah alias Fazlullah Mullah.

To all those who don’t know who Radio Mullah, he was the man behind the shooting of Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai. In her autobiography, I Am Malala, she has an entire chapter devoted to Fazlullah titled, “Radio Mullah,” the nickname he acquired when starting out as a pirate Islamist radio personality. 

The same Radio Mullah is now behind the Peshawar killings. After the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone attack, Fazlullah was appointed as the new “Amir” (Chief) of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan on 7 November 2013. Radio Mullah is now the most-wanted terrorist and holds a reward of whopping 5 Lakh dollars on his name. 

‘Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’ (TTP) is Pakistan’s main Islamist rebel group. It is a loose coalition of jihadist militants that has killed thousands of Pakistanis since its inception in 2007. Its first chief was the brutal Baitullah Mehsud. In the aftermath of the 2007 siege of Lal Masjid, Fazlullah’s forces and Baitullah Mehsud’s Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) formed an alliance.

Baitullah Mehsud was killed by a US drone strike in 2009, and later replaced by a member of the same tribe, Hakimullah Mehsud. In November 2013, a US drone strike killed Hakimullah Mehsud. Thus, Mullah Fazlullah (Radio Mullah) took over the reigns of TTP. Considered to have close ties to al-Qaida, TTP is listed as a terrorist group by the United States since September 1, 2010.

Although Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has tried to strike a caste-balance by following majoritarian theory, it is likely to incite the debate of proportionate representation by some castes or communities who felt left-out in the process of cabinet formation or expansion. Reddys continue their dominance and constitute one-third of KCR’s Council of Ministers although they constitute nearly six per cent of the State’s population. Of 18, six ministers belong to Reddy community. 

They are Nayani Narasimha Reddy, Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy, Ch Laxma Reddy, Jagadish Reddy, P Mahender Reddy and A Indrakaran Reddy. This move by KCR could be aimed at the Congress which is generally viewed as the Reddy-dominated party. The next dominant community in the Telangana Cabinet is Velama. Besides KCR, his son K Tarakarama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao, the new minister Jupalli Krishna Rao belongs to the Velama community. 

Despite constituting less than half percent of the total population in the State, Velamas’ representation in the State Cabinet is almost 22 per cent. With the inclusion of Talasani Srinivas Yadav, the representation of Backward Classes in the State Cabinet has increased to four. All BC ministers in KCR’s cabinet represent dominant castes. Finance Minister Etala Rajendra is a Mudiraj, Jogu Ramanna a Munnur Kapu, T Padma Rao a Goud and Talasani is a Yadava.

Tummala Nageshwara Rao represents Kamma community exists in large numbers in Khammam, Warangal, Nalgonda, Nizamabad and Hyderabad. Traditionally, the community had associated itself with the Telugu Desam Party. While Deputy Chief Minister Dr T Rajaiah represents Madigas, the Malas have no representation in cabinet and therefore, there were strong protests in Karimnagar and other places demanding cabinet berth for Koppula Eshwar, who has been nominated as Chief Whip. 

Ajmeera Chandulal, who has been inducted into the cabinet today, belongs to Lambada community and is the lone representatives of STs. Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali is the lone representative of minorities in the State cabinet. Interestingly, the Chief Minister has promised 12% reservation for both STs and Muslims in jobs and education although their representation in the State cabinet is mere five per cent each.

Nobel Peace Prize 2014 winner and child activist Kailash Satyarthi has made strong comments on the vile attack of terrorists on a Pakistan school in Peshawar. Reacting to incident, Kailash termed it as “darkest day” in the history of humanity. This is not all. 

Kailash has offered himself as “prey” to the terrorists and in return he asked to leave those innocent children who were held as hostages. “If they can hear me, they can keep me hostage, kill me but release those 400 children of mine who are trapped there,” he said. Kailash added, “The Taliban terrorist who have held them hostage, who are shooting them down are enemy of humanity, they are enemies of Allah, enemies of religion, enemies of Islam. 

They are enemies of all of us. I pray to God that they get wisdom from somewhere.” Expressing his deep condolences for the bereaved families, Kailash said that his heart bleeds for them. He has recently received Nobel Peace Prize 2014 award and he shared it with Pakistan teen activist Malala Yousafzai.