The demand to carve a separate Gorkhaland out of West Bengal arose again recently.

Gorkhaland Movement :

• The Gorkhaland movement is a long-standing quest for a separate State of Gorkhaland out of State of West Bengal for Nepali-speaking Indian citizens (often known as ‘Gorkhas’).
• Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was created in 2012 through a tripartite agreement signed by governments of centre and state and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), replaced the earlier Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. It is a semi-autonomous administrative body. It has administrative, executive and financial powers but no legislative powers.

Why demand?

• Ethnic differences from Bengali community.
• Aspiration of Indian Gorkha Identity.
• Economic deprivation such as the low levels of employment, while outsiders own the tea industry.
• The imposition of Bengali language by the state government.

Reasons for demands for smaller states :

• Culture and Ethnicity: Some culturally distinct groups feel ‘culturally subjugated and victimized’. So, for preserving ethnic identity demands for a new state are made. For instance, Gorkhaland out of West Bengal, Nagalim demand in North East, Bodoland in Assam.
• Economic backwardness: The sentiment of being deprived even after being rich in natural resources are grounds for the demand of a separate state e.g. Telangana and Vidarbha.
• Better governance: Cumbersome administration in some bigger states have given rise to the perception that splitting large states into smaller chunks will improve administration by bringing power centres closer to the people. E.g. proposal to split Uttar Pradesh into smaller states.
• Political reasons: Some sections dominating a region demand separate state for more political clout. E.g. some groups dominated western UP region demanding Harit Pradesh.

History of state reorganization in India :

• At the time of independence in 1947, India consisted of 571 disjointed princely states that were merged together to form 27 states. This grouping was done on the basis of historical and political considerations than social, cultural or linguistic divisions.
• The Government appointed S.K. Dhar Commission to examine the feasibility of reorganisation of states on a linguistic basis preferred reorganisation for administrative convenience rather than on linguistic basis.
• A Congress Committee under Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya (the JVP Committee) too did not favour a linguistic base.
• In 1953, Andhra Pradesh was created as first state on linguistic basis, by separating the Telugu speaking areas from the State of Madras.
• As there were several more demands for states on a linguistic basis, a commission was set up under Justice F. Fazl Ali with H.N. Kunzru and KM. Panikkar which submitted its report in 1955. Based on its suggestions States Reorganisation Act was passed in 1956 resulting in 14 states and 6 Union territories.
• In 1960s and 1970s further states were created on ethnic basis (North East) and language (Punjab and Maharashtra).
• Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal were formed in 2000 on the grounds of tribal affiliations and lack of economic development.
• In 2014, Telangana officially became India’s 29th state after longstanding demand.

Arguments in favour of smaller states :

• Economic development and efficiency when the new states get ‘a territory of their own’ unleashes the untapped/suppressed growth potentials of the hitherto peripheral regions. E.g. Chhattisgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana in Andhra Pradesh.
• Democratic decentralisation: as comparatively smaller but compact geographical entities tend to ensure that there is better democratic governance, as there is greater awareness among the policy makers about the local needs.
• Cultural homogeneity & linguistic compatibility: allows for better management, implementation and allocation of public resources. A relatively homogeneous smaller state allows for easy communications, enabling marginal social groups to articulate and raise their voices.
• Resolve the problem of identity crisis among the ethnic groups and enable them to develop their own language and culture thus helping them in getting rid of the ‘feelings of internal colonialism’.

Arguments against smaller states :

• Fear of threat to national unity and integrity with the rise of regional and linguistic fanaticism.
• No guarantee of development: Small state itself cannot guarantee rapid economic development of those backward regions which do not have the required material and human resources. The agricultural growth, GDP growth, poverty reduction and IMR have not shown significant shift in case of Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
• Some of the small States may not be having the potential for economic viability which may increase its dependence on centre.

Flawed model of development:

• The newly created small states being latecomers and backward, have problems like lack of industry, agrarian crisis and a low level of infrastructural facilities.It results in a model of development based on unprecedented exploitation of raw materials such as the mining of minerals instead of the creation of industry, wanton land deals, the conversion of fertile agricultural land into speculative real estate transactions.
• No real diffusion of power: Creation of smaller states only transfers power from the old state capital to new state capital without empowering existing institutions like Gram Panchayat etc.
• Political expediency and opportunism rather than the objective evaluation of democratic and developmental potential are said to be involved in the making of new states.
• Aggressive regionalism: Small States could also lead to the hegemony of the dominant community/caste/tribe over their power structures. This could develop aggressive regionalism too in such States leading to the growth of the sons of-the-soil phenomenon and the consequent intimidation of the migrants.
• Inter-state disputes over water, power and boundary may increase.

Way forward :

• Good governance: by better use of technology to reach remote regions, and better public service delivery and addressing the problems of displacement and discontent among people.
• Democratic Decentralisation of administration and strengthening local self-governments by implementing 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments in true spirit. Power should be decentralised based on the principle of subsidiarity.
• Balanced socio-economic development in equitable manner and addressing the true concerns of agrarian crisis, jobs will ensure that such demands for small states do not arise.
• Political stability is more important for continuity of policies than the size of the state.
• Objective and scientific analysis before taking decision on any demand for separate state.