Regionalism is a feeling or an ideology among a section of people residing in a particular geographical space characterized by unique language, culture etc., that they are the sons of the soil and every opportunity in their land must be given to them first but not to the outsiders. It is a sort of Parochialism. In most of the cases it is raised for expedient political gains but not necessarily.

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Regionalism in India:

• Roots of regionalism is in India’s manifold diversity of languages, cultures, ethnic groups, communities, religions and so on, and encouraged by the regional concentration of those identity markers, and fueled by a sense of regional deprivation.
• For many centuries, India remained the land of many lands, regions, cultures and traditions.
• For instance, southern India (the home of Dravidian cultures), which is itself a region of many regions, is evidently different from the north, the west, the central and the north-east.
• Even the east of India is different from the North-East of India comprising today seven constituent units of Indian federation with the largest concentration of tribal people.

Factors responsible for Regionalism: A host of factors ranging from Geographical, Historical, Linguistic, Religious, political, Economic and Ethnic factors influence the Regionalism in India.

Impact of Regionalism on Indian polity:

The politics of regionalism in India has both positive and negative aspects.

Positives:

• it implies an intense desire for concretizing an identity based on such interest as ethnic, language, religion, etc.
• For example, the erstwhile Jharkhand movement which covered wide regions of Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, had come together as a unified group to protect and promote their socio-economic and political interests.
• This process involves reaffirming their identity as tribal groups.
• The movement finally succeeded in forcing the government in reorganizing the states and the formation of Jharkhand State came about on 15th November 2000 as the 28th State of the Indian Union.
• It has been carved out of the State of Bihar and it largely comprises forest tracks of Chhotanagpur plateau and Santhal Paragana

Negatives:

• The feeling of regionalism:
  • the feeling of regionalism has produced the feeling of separatism among the people living in different parts of India.
• Violent movement:
  • Regionalism has given birth to violent movements.
• Demand of states for more autonomy:
  • Although several factors are responsible for the demand of more autonomy for the states, but one of the reasons is that with the granting of more autonomy to the states they will be able to develop their regions.
• Demand for separate states:
  • The People living in the backward regions of India are demanding separate states.
• Tension between centre and states:
  • The people living in different states allege that centre is not taking any special interest in the development of their state, and thus the discrimination is being made with them.
• Formation of regional parties:
  • Due to high feeling of regionalism, several regional political parties have come into existence and they give priority to regional interests over the national interests.
• Politics of movements:
  • The impact of politics of movements is increasing in India day by day. People living in different parts of India launch movements from time to time to attract the attention of the central government.
  • For example: theory of the sons of the soil: For example: Maharashtra for Marathis, Bengal for Bengalis etc.

Measures needed:

• Proper organization of Regional Parties
• Efforts for the balance progress of different states
• Activities of the separatists should be dealt with strongly
• Establishment of Autonomous Commissions to settle Inter-State Disputes
• Balanced Division of Powers between Centre and the States
• Development of Secular Politics
• Redress of the grievance of the Minorities
• Need to review the Federal Structure
• More administrative and Financial Autonomy to States

Conclusion:

The need of the hour is to develop each region of India, through devolution of power to local governments and empowering people for their participation in decision-making. The governments at State level need to find out the alternative resources of energy, source of employment for local people, use of technology in governance, planning and for agriculture development.