Telangana has been conceived many times in the past and aborted as many times. The arguments, for and against it, are as valid today as they were all through these years, despite the changing shades and shenanigans of the protagonists and antagonists at every point in history. For instance, cultural differences and economic factors continue to hold their ground. So what is it that makes all believe that the current conception will result in delivery for sure, however painful the labours be? Politics and polls, stupid!
If the Congress, that had several times broken the Telangana commitment with impunity, is now playing the father (or mother) of the new State, it clearly sees an electoral windfall. The TRS, led by an opportunist leader, the latest and last in a long line of ‘champions’, is the other beneficiary, though this outfit had already and much in advance reaped the Telangana-to-be by sharing power at the Centre. Cyber Naidu’s TDP is expected to be reduced to a cipher all over undivided AP while the BJP that now backs Telangana but berates Cong’s motives and methods, is ruing missed political opportunities. Most other players are either marginal (the Left, for instance) or pseudo Cong, like Jaganmohan Raddy. And strangely and very suspiciously, it is the Cong politicos who are in the forefront of agitations against separation in the rest of Andhra. After winking at the hounds in High Command, they are only following the command to run with the hares. Once the mandatory quantum of vehicles are burnt and enough public property damaged and the customary bandhs gone through, life will return to ‘normalcy’ with the same leaders exhorting people to reconcile and build a ‘resurgent’ Andhra from the ruins! That way, the Cong, having cut the cake, can eat both the parts too!
The original sin of forming linguistic States was committed by the States reorganisation committee of the early fifties vintage. Of course, the lofty reasoning was that such a course would afford recognition to regional aspirations. But this argument, despite being also politically suspect, is downright naïve. That was the time when a nascent nation was gathering its wits and trying hard to unite under one political and territorial umbrella. The tireless efforts of the likes of Sardar Patel in securing and stitching up the disparate parts of India into an integral whole stood to be frustrated by the logic of lingo which was like a scissor in the stomach. Indeed, most separatist talk in India at that time had language as the basis. If still India has remained a ‘somewhat’ single entity and defied break-ups/Balkanisation it is more because of the regional ‘aspirants’ eye for the Central pie rather than any honourable ideas of national consciousness. Would such a hefty 2G booty be ever possible for rank regionalists had spectrum been confined only to tiny TN? Indeed, when practised parochialists suddenly take to patriotic posturing, it is a cause for cynicism, not celebration. After all, coalition regimes of the likes of United Plunderers’ Association have achieved what SPatel found so difficult to even start.
But within an integrated India, (that is what is left on the ground after appropriations by Pak, China, Maoists etc) division and separation of States seems a good business op for politicians. Having saturated all avenues of revenue for self and some generations to come, new States offer them fresh options for jackpots, not to speak of the ones opened up by copious compensation packages to the mother State. We can already see several politicos salivating. After all, every just born will naturally come with endowments from the Centre for basic sustenance and start-up. And then there are huge outlays to be made in developing civic and administrative infrastructure. Much capital would be needed to build Capitals, a capital chance to top-up the political capital already reaped. For instance, estimates hover between Rs 3Lakh crs to 4Lakh crs (Just look at the theoretical margin!) for building a new Capital city for Andhra, Hyderabad having been hijacked by T albeit with a decade hibernation. One wonders, if such excess is really necessary what with e-governance and decentralisation being the order of the day. But read the fine print, and you will see many democratic monstrosities. For instance, the shopping list includes, among other things, a new Raj Bhavan for the new Governor of the new State! And there is much talk of India having 40 States soon. Now where do you put so many Governors to graze? Where else, but in the plush new lawns of the new RBhavan of the new Gov’r of the new St…oops! People must understand the invisible add-ons they would be paying for before demanding a new State!
States’ reorganisation started on the wrong foot when language became the basis. Regional rhetoric and cultural confusions played havoc in many cases. Ad-hocism, political considerations and dubious timings have vitiated India’s internal structure further. Legitimate demands are lost in the clamour from all and sundry while untrustworthy or uninformed adjudicators preside over situations that could actually spike into a civil war if mishandled. A new States reorganisation initiative with a clear mandate and deadline and based on logical yardsticks like administrative convenience, geographical continuity, topography and weather, spread of resources, cost to exchequer etc would be a good starting point, but the UPA has dismissed the idea outright.
My jaundiced eye sees only a double whammy for the corrupt in every State split.
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