Shabd Braham ISSN 2320 – 0871 International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 October 2013 Demands for New Small States : A Challenge to Indian Federalism Dr. S.B. PHAD, Head, Dept. of political science, N S B college, Nanded (MH) INDIA Abstract The increasing demand for new states raises a number of questions with regard to the well-being of India’s federal democratic polity. There are four measures that must be considered while devising any framework to address the issue of federal reorganization. These are: the constitution of a permanent State Reorganization Commission, amendment of the Constitution to ensure that the demand for a new state emanates from the state legislature and not at the centre, examination of economic and social viability rather than political considerations and clear-cut safeguards to encourage democratic concerns like development and governance rather than religion, caste and language as valid grounds for a new state. Introduction from various organizations or individuals over the years," a home ministry official India may have at least 50 states in said. The demands for separate states future if demands for new states are to are: In Uttar Pradesh, there have been be conceded as the home ministry has demands for Awadh Pradesh, received representations for creation of Poorvanchal, Bundelkhand and more than 20 states. Present in India Pachimanchal or Harit Pradesh. There is has 28 states and seven Union also demand for creation of a Braj th Territories. Telangana will be the 29 Pradesh, consisting of Agra division and state of the country. The demands for Aligarh division of Uttar Pradesh and separate states have come from across districts of Bharatpur and Gwalior from the country -- for Kukiland in Manipur to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. A Kongu Nadu in Tamil Nadu, for demand for creation of Bhojpur Kamatapur in North Bengal to Tulu comprising areas of eastern UP, Bihar Nadu in Karnataka. However, except and Chhattisgarh has also been Uttar Pradesh, which during the received by the home ministry. There Mayawati-led BSP government has been an old demand for creation of proposed to create four states dividing a separate Vidarbha by curving out the the country's most populous state, no Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The state government had given any most vocal demands for separate states recommendation for carving out a new came from Gorkhaland, by curving out state. But the demands continue to pour Darjeeling and its adjoining areas in in. "The demands for creation of West Bengal. Demands for Bodoland, separate states were received by the comprising Bodo dominated areas in home ministry through representations Western Assam, and a separate state of This paper is published online at www.shabdbraham.com in Vol 1, Issue 12 3 Shabd Braham ISSN 2320 – 0871 International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 October 2013 Karbi Anglong, comprising the Karbi 4) To discuss the got of achievement of tribals living areas under Karbi Anglong development to create the new small autonomous district in Assam, have also states. been pending with the Centre So far. 5) To discuss the need of permanent Regionalisation of polity state re-organization commission. Let us refer to three factors responsible Regionalism for brining local/ regional demands into sharp focus. Regionalism means love for a particular region or state in preference to the First, the change mode of electoral country as a whole, and in certain representation has led to assertiveness cases, in preference to the state of of the hitherto politically dormant region. which region is a part. A region is a The political articulation and mobilization defined territorial unit including particular along caste /ethnic/ language-based language or languages, castes, ethnic social cleavages undertaken by these groups or tribes, particular social setting newly emergent state/region level and cultural pattern etc. What precise parties remain territorially contained and factors must exist before a tract of reely cross the regional lines. territory could be called a region cannot be firmly predicted. In fact several Second growing regional inequalities in factors such as geography, topography, terms of income and consumption in the language, religion, customs, stages of post reforms period have a accentuated political and economic development, the perception of neglect and common history etc.. should come discrimination. Coastal Region/ together – tide by a sentiment of developed regions have invariably togetherness – than a region can be benefited more from the flow of private formed. However, as Sanjib Baruah investment as compared to the regions points out, a region cannot be at peripheral location. objectively defined. As like nations, regions are not self-evident and pre- Third We have what may be called political realities on ground. It is a ironically the “secession of the rich” even the rich regions within constituent contested, fluid identity constructed state. through political mobilizations. Regions are relatively flexible, socially Objectives constructed and politically mediated identities. Which one of the above 1) To study of the Indian Federal system mentioned factor will become important for the construction of a region varies 2) To discuss the challenges of Indian from time to time and context. The Federal system example of flexible, changing identities 3) Why reasons the demand of regional of region can be seen in the case of political parties leadership to create new Andhra Pradesh, which was initially small states. demanding a separate statehood on the This paper is published online at www.shabdbraham.com in Vol 1, Issue 12 4 Shabd Braham ISSN 2320 – 0871 International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 October 2013 basis of the demand for separate are not immune, Orissa is a good statehood for Telangana. Another example. The denial of a special status example of regional identity is the Bodo demand is not the end of special and challenge to the earlier constructed extraordinary fiscal transfers from the Assames identity. Union government to the states. Very often, new states continue to get special Causes of regionalism in India grants and outright transfers for 1) Problem of economic and social extended periods. A proliferation of such demands will be an unhealthy trend. development / economic factors Even as the demand for Telangana was 2) Increasing awareness of the people in agreed to, immediately there were cries then backward areas for new states such as Vidarbha and Gorkhaland. If, hypothetically, the latter 3) Political factors two are conceded they will certainly require financial help from the Centre for A) Rise of Regional Elites a long time. This has other B) Personal Motives repercussions. Transfers of resources from the Union government to the states C) Rise of regional Parties are governed by the recommendations of the Finance Commission (FC), a 4) Identity based regionalism / Cultural constitutional body. What will happen to factors FC recommendations when more and There are three issues—one financial more states demand resources over and and the other two political—that need to above what this body recommends? It be addressed carefully while forming will, for starters, dilute FC’s new states. recommendations and move away from rule-based fiscal transfers to a more ad- First and foremost is the question of hoc system where political concerns will administrative and financial viability of dictate such transfers. This will be a the politicians the new states. Usually, dangerous trend with unforeseen when demands for statehood are made, consequences. there are equally strong claims about the viability of these states. In the case Second, in the din of these demands the of Jharkhand, for example, it was dangers of emergent federal imbalances claimed that abundance of mineral have been lost sight of. In India, political resources was enough to make the state representation of states in Parliament is prosperous. A decade later, the reality is not based on any theory of “equality of different. Similar claims are being made states” as, for example, in the US. The in the case of Telangana. This welter of population of each state determines the claims and doubts needs to be number of members it sends to the Lok disentangled carefully. Otherwise, states Sabha. Similarly, there is no notion of are sure to fall back on an old demand: equality in the Rajya Sabha. Creation of special status. Even mineral-rich states smaller states automatically gives This paper is published online at www.shabdbraham.com in Vol 1, Issue 12 5 Shabd Braham ISSN 2320 – 0871 International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 October 2013 greater political power to large states. administrative division and political For example, the division of Andhra representation as democracy deepens Pradesh—which had 42 members in the and widens. Second, smaller states are Lok Sabha—will undo this large being proposed on the grounds of good majority. This also means one less state governance and development rather with 40 MPs or more. This means more than merely on the linguistic or cultural political power to states such as Uttar principle was the case of the first two Pradesh that have one less big state to phases of reorganization. Third, recently contend with. To be sure, India is not a even dialect communities have been Union of warring or fractious states. But asking for their own ‘territorial homeland’ creating small states without ensuring while underlining the cultural and literary equity in representation can have distinctiveness and richness of the unforeseen political consequences. It dialect (Bundelkhand). will certainly upset the inter-state political equilibrium in the country. ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF SMALLER STATES Finally, there are strategic and national security issues in creating new states Does India need smaller states? Let us with ethnic majorities especially in consider the following three arguments border regions. The demand for in favour.