INDIA DEBATE

FEDERALISM, UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF INDIAN STATES

The federal set up in India is in doldrums due to many reasons. The major national political parties completely failed to fulfill the regional aspiration.  There are step motherly treatments from centre to state on project, fund allocation, neglection of state aspiration etc. Some states get preferential treatment, while other states get neglected years together. After liberalization of our economy the regional political parties become more powerful than national parties in their respective region. Nowadays centre-state and inter-state relation getting bad to worse due to its own interest and failure of the centre  its long neglection and to find out amicable solution. There is a great north-south divide, east-west divide. 

For e.g. Jharkhand have rich resources of minerals, the centre getting large part of the benefit through mining activities. But due to  centres long standing neglecting of Jharkhand became the less progress state.  Look at the North Eastern States, in many sector, all of the N.E. states facing developmental back log in almost all area. They are not connected with rest of India due to many factors. Centre used to exploit its natural resources for their own welfare. Their main mistake is these states are they are joined with Indian union, even if they are having cultural differences. Recently, there was a International conference on Federalism in India and its success. I doubt we are practicing successful model of federal set up. 

People should not be blamed for raising their regional demands and the regional power getting more and more powerful because of the national parties and central govt. neglection on various issues. One cannot ignore the regional aspiration of the people, because the poor section of the society getting more and more alienated and they are displaced and replaced with large scale big  development.  

Even the recent example how the centre mishandling and make a selective and divide and rule approach while treating different states. The creation of Salem division in favour of Tamil Nadu while Kerala’s demand for separate Railway zone neglected.  It is not a new case, for the last 60 years of independence, the neglection of Kerala continue especially in railways and also in many areas and it became just  a consumer state.  We saw how the centre mishandled the Kaveri water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and tilted towards Tamil Nadu. The other situation like The railway recruitment.  Regional disparities existing in railways in selection and recruitment, allocating railway factories and facilities, extending special trains etc. Central govt. failure/selective approach making the situation further worse.  Regional parties/ coalition politics come to stay in India for quite a long time, the major national parties always failed to address such issues.

Both in Karnataka and Kerala, national political parties ruling the state. While Tamil Nadu ruling by regional parties.  The centre succumbed the pressure of regional power and taken decision in their favour.  People in India slowly realizing that to fulfill the regional aspiration, they need to support regional power, when one support inaccessible national political parties,  they have to suffer like this. The so called oldest and experienced national parties lost their balance in good governance. Many a times, centre feels that indecision is better than good decision. 

The recent statement by Mr. Manmohan Singh against regional parties that they creating hindrance for the progress of nation. Considering the present facts and circumstances, the regional group needs to flourish and act as a pressure group in the interest of the people of their respective state.  Powerful centre always making hindrance for the progress of the state. A powerful regional group always get preferential treatment.  It is the fact, it is the reality today.

The economic liberalization and opening up of almost all sector especially real estate, retail, and other big sectors/ projects and open flood gate of global capital into the region making the peoples replaced and displaced through developmental process. This also deepened the present crisis.

In the coming days, we are going face more problems due to bad policies of the government at the centre and even states which is going to make regional imbalance.  The river linking project is one of such problem, which is going to affect the federal character of India and going to affect the national integration.  The political class and bureaucracy in this country believe that big project funding can be made in any area with the help of World Bank, IMF, ADB, UN, US & UK by just making a project report on anything and everything. Peoples right and access to natural resources is denied.  In a democracy the basic fundamental right of the people is denied by state and it is commoditised.

UPA govt. decision under Manmohan Singh to push the nuclear deal, opening up real estate and retail sector even after stiff opposition from the people seems that a bureaucrat who is selected through Rajya Sabha seat without popular support of people never-ever fulfill the aspiration of the people.  The UPA seems to be more loyal to US than Indian people. Due to such bad decisions from one after another of the UPA govt. we are going to witness once again the rise of regional powers with popular support because of TINA factor. India’s higher GDP growth and 20K Sensex not going to save the government if they continue to take such popular decision without the consent of the people.

National govt. always try to burdening the people by applying more taxes and the state and its people not getting much benefit.  Peoples right and access to its natural resources is also denying by the national/state govt. for e.g. Forest, mining, water, etc. making the matter further worse. In the name of globalization and development, people get displaced and multinational and corporate/ real estate mafias grossing clout and involvement across the nation making the problem further worse and dissatisfied people always try to overcome with the support of regional group and thus want more freedom/ autonomy of the state/ region and freedom from govt.   Centre considering the states like a milking cow without giving enough food and fodder  and the national govt. always want to more power and control over the state and  collecting and imposing more taxes for the centre’s welfare and existence which further deteriorating the centre-state relations.  Many a times, centre did not allow the state to function through unwanted interference and centre sometimes looks the state with suspicion, especially if the state is ruling by different political parties. 

The bottom line is India need to review its policies and sort out major inter-state issues through amicable solution and centre and state relation needs to be further improved. National govt. should not try to make a super-national state through its policies and programmes by harming the interest of the people in India and need a cautious approach.  One committee after another committee don’t save the national govt.  The national govt. need a brave heart in implementing some of the recommendations made by previous commissions and new findings also need to looked into in the interest of national integration.