Latest news of today is India is getting its 29th state. India continues to be divided again and again on basis of language which was started by British colonizers. 66 years after Independence, we still gained anything?
When India was colonized, many names of people and places were changed to aid the pronunciation. Like Bandopadhyay became Banerjee, Mukhopadhyay became Mukherjee, Thiruananthapuram became Trivandrum so on. Also Britishers de-recognized princely states (except few of course). One more thing they did: divided Bengal into West Bengal and East Bengal (now Bangladesh). The reason given then was it was too big to handle. The fact still remains (which I believe is) Kolkata was capital of India till 1911 and it was difficult to control the efforts of Independence. Bengal was divided in West Bengal (consisting of mostly Hindus) and East bengal (consisting of mostly Muslims) and this way Britishers stopped people to fight for independence and made them fight among themselves. Here I assume, people of India lived in harmony before but Britishers sowed the seeds of Religeonalism, Regionalism and Castism.
Then India became Independent. Some personal motives formed India and Pakistan(s) – Pakistan and East Pakistan (East Bengal and now known as Bangladesh). In 1956, States were created based on linguistic barriers which I would say was a brilliant move then but a stupendously flawed in current scenario (as 66 Years post independence we are still fighting for a state). Some states were huge while some were too small. Read more about it in Wikipedia (State Reorganisation Act 1956).
In recent times, we have seen creation of Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and now Telangana. If we can’t live in peace within us how do we expect a better governance. When a new state is created, funds are allocated, a new CM and Governor and legislative assembly, courts and what not. Who pays for this, tax payers money. Of course smaller states don’t make it easier to manage – it’s not like messy hair that you can cut short and it’s done. If it was so unmanagable we couldn’t have manged 50+ years. Madhya Pradesh was the largest and even after creation its second largest. Rajasthan is the largest state now and Maharashtra is third largest (once Uttar Pradesh was). This was sizewise comparison. Some would argue about number of members they send to Parliament, then if something is correct it will be agreed provided ministers think of benefit of nation (I don’t see benefit when filmstar turned politician Raj Babbar says he gets full meal at Rs. 12).
This could be opening flood gates for other asking for separate states. As much I know, Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Vidharbha, Saurashtra (more in Wikipedia – List of proposed states). We continue to be divided based on language or some princely state de-recognized. We are eventually returning to the same era but probably much older than that because the-then princely state would contain 1-2 states on average. Even now the activists are asking for separate states and traditional names.
I don’t see how and why creating new state, reverting old name will affect people nature. If countries and states bigger than that of India are managed why can’t we do it? It’ll add another number to states, one more name to remember, some more cash outflow from tax payers, difference policies. We are no different from what British did pre-independence – they divided us for their profit and we divided like amoeba and now still we continuing on the same path shown by them – divided by language, caste, creed, religion and preferential treatment.
