The prevailing agitation going on over formation of Telangana has intensified demands for further new smaller states. India presently has 28 states and 7 Union territories.
Everyone is demanding Telangana are in high spirits ,as if they are fighting for some nobel cause like freedom from imperialistic country which has made them slave as we were in pre-independence period when we were fighting for independence of whole nation.
I don't know whether this is common notion with everyone but I felt like because the way people are protesting and sacrificing their lives(voluntarily committing suicides).One can only presume if such kind of intense agitation might have done against Britishers, India might have got glory of independence much earlier.
oming back to the core issue, in democracy right to raise voice is given to everyone, but the way we are misusing this powerful tool no way symbolises democratic pattern.
Our politicians are so overwhelmed with their political ambitions, that they even don't mind using youth and their sentiments as weapon for separatist ideology.
They portray such picture of new regime that common man is succumbed to follow them blindly.
Few days back newspapers reported that continuous agitation in Andhra has caused a massive loss of Rs 3000 cores in a month. Hyderabad which is the cynosure of most o IT companies is now causing itching in their eyes. This will not only cause migration of investors it will also raise doubts in the mind of foreign investors before investing in other parts of our country.This is neither a win-win situation for people of Andhra-Telangana nor for Indian Industry.
Moreover the notion of smaller states was always in controversies.Making smaller states is not only the solution to problem.
people driving this agitation support it by saying that smaller states make better governance and superior economic performance. But does a Telangana carved out of Andhra automatically menas lesser transmission losses in power,improved distribution system ,loss in corruption ??
Would smaller state automatically improve attendence of primary teachers in rural schools and doctors in villages? would it automatically rein in the burgeoning fiscal deficit of state government??
We often tend to confuse a smaller state with happy and prosperous state, with greater local participation and thus greater accountability in delivery of services, which may or may not be the case.
Infact at least in short and medium term cost of administration will increase, we need to duplicate the available resources for a new state.
We should focus pragmatically on improving current administrative efficiency rather that demanding for new state, not just fulfilling our political ambitions keeping at bay the aftermaths.
If we take a look towards performance of all under performing states of India we can see that they all are not bigger states like UP Rajasthan, MP, there are smaller state of northeast also which still are lagging behind.
Demand for smaller states is a guise for grabbing larger share of smaller kitty (or vice versa).Howe ever there can be no end to primordial passions and sentiments for carving out smaller states.
Some of us might get impressed by number of states in US, but we must not forget that states which are economic propellers of US economy are bigger ones like California ,Texas, Illinois, NewYork.
The need of the hour is strong institutional framework,rational approach in public distribution system. Regional backwardness can only be eradicated by improving all above factors only.
If we don't take these incidents seriously, the day is not far when we will listen voice for demanding separate state for Marathis, Brahmins, kshatriays, and so on..
India will again convert in t small provinces and will again wait for some new East India company to come and exploit us.
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