Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 15
The Government of India has said it will act on matters concerning creation of separate/new States only if there is a broad consensus from the Parent state from which a separate province has been proposed to be carved out.
The Central government’s statement comes as a highlight of the sensitivity in some of the States – such as Andhra Pradesh and Nagaland – where the demand for separate administrative provinces is causing perceptible friction within their social spectrums and political populations.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs referred to a number of demands for creation of new States, and made clear that there isn’t much to be said at this stage. The ministry told the Lok Sabha that creating new States has “wide ramifications” for which the Centre would move in only after wide consensus of the parent State itself, said Minister of State of Home Affairs Jitendra Singh in the Lok Sabha today, May 15, New Delhi. The minister was responding to a query in the Lower House.
Jitendra Singh said the Government of India has received a number of demands and representations “from time to time” from various individuals and organisations for creation of new States. However, Jitendra Singh stated, creating new States has the prospect of creating wide repercussions. “Creation of any new State has wide ramifications and direct bearing on the federal polity of our country. The Government of India moves in the matter only when there is a broad consensus in the parent State,” the minister told the Lok Sabha.
Singh said they include the demand for creation of “Telangana” from Andhra Pradesh, “Vidarbha” from Maharashtra, “Saurashtra” in Gujarat, “Coorg” in Karnataka, “Koshalanchal” from western Orissa, “Gorkhaland” in West Bengal, “Mithilanchal” in north Bihar and creation of an “eastern Nagaland” from Nagaland. Likewise, the Government of Uttar Pradesh had passed a resolution in its State Assembly in November 2011 proposing to divide Utter Pradesh in four smaller States: Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Avadh Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh.
“Government takes a decision on the matter of formation of new States after taking into consideration all relevant factors. No further details can be indicated at this stage,” Singh told the Lok Sabha.
The statement could also mean that the Centre is still not too enthusiastic about new States considering the situation in Andhra Pradesh where the demand for creating “Telangana” has virtually left India’s fourth-largest State in tatters, both socially and politically.
Likewise, the Home Ministry’s stance is consistent with its response to a query posed by Lok Sabha Member of Parliament CM Chang on April 24. Chang had queried whether the Centre had “taken cognizance” of the demand for “frontier Nagaland” and had sought the government’s “reaction.”
Home Affairs Minister for State Mullappally Ramachandran had replied nothing in concrete except that there is “development deficit” in the four eastern districts of Nagaland comprising Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire. The ministry had plainly told the MP that the government of Nagaland should focus on developing the area.
‘Since the demand for separate state emanates from the perception that there is appreciable development deficit in the four eastern districts of Nagaland, the state government has been advised to expedite development initiatives in the four eastern districts of Nagaland,” the minister had stated simply.
