Left for autonomy, not new states

Guwahati | December 21 : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) warned on Monday that creating more new states is a big threat to the integrity of the country.  Talking to media persons in Guwahati today general secretary of CPI-M Prakash Karat has said such an exercise would be harmful to the integrity of the nation.
“If regional imbalances and regional disparity are the criteria for creation of new states, many of the states in the country would have to be fragmented,” Karat told reporters in Guwahati on Monday. “Such steps would be without principle. We are for strengthening of the provisions under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” Karat said with reference to the North-East. The CPI-M leader favored greater and meaningful autonomy for removing regional imbalances and disparity and meet the aspirations of people.
“We’re for the provision of autonomy but against division of the states. Even the most linguistically homogenous state has diversity. If there isn’t equitable development, there will be unevenness,” Karat pointed out. While stating that the CPI (M) is not satisfied with the present Sixth Schedule provisions, Karat said the party had already made suggestions on administrative, legislative and financial matters in this regard.
On the Maoists, the CPI-M leader blamed the Trinamool Congress, in particular its chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, for the unrest in parts of West Bengal. He claimed that the CPI (M) has sufficient proof to suggest Mamata’s nexus with the Maoists.
“Maoist leaders went on record saying that they helped the Trinamool in Nandigram,” Karat said. “We have sufficient proof of what the Maoists did with Trinamool workers in Nandigram. Maoist leaders went on record saying that they helped the Trinamool in the district in return for a similar gesture from the Trinamool in Lalgarh,” Karat said. He added that the Prime Minister had been given photographs of Mamata sharing the stage with Maoist leader Chhatradhar Mahato.
Prakash Karat said given the reign of terror unleashed by the Maoists, the state government had no option but to act. “We back such decision of the state government,” he said. Karat’s statement comes close on the heels of Mamata Banerjee's allegations that some policemen in West Bengal sided with the ruling CPI (M) and that they were doing nothing to contain the violence in the state.