By
Promod Puri
Because
of its vast linguistic and cultural plurality, as represented by most of its
states, suggesting India’s division into individual autonomous regions may sound
a Utopian or even an insensible concept.
But
the divisive motion would reflect and meet more effectively the political and
social aspirations of its peoples than the current restrained setup.
The
unity and stability of the region, called India, lie in granting more
independence to its diverse provinces.
From
north to south, east to the west, and in between, India is a country of
countries.
What
Ladakh has in common with Kerala, or Manipur sharing any similarity with
Maharashtra? And that goes for every state in the Republic of India. Each one
of them has their separate identities.
In
its present political formation, India has always been a grudging union of 28
states and eight Union Territories. Even people belonging to the same faith
have different religious rituals, customs, and traditions influenced by local collective
identities.
A
loose federation of autonomous states would release the subdued regional urges
of its peoples. The social and political aspirations of people based on their
cultural and local needs are often ignored or repressed by the authoritative
regime at the Centre.
It
is a case of granting complete autonomy to the states that would help realize
the territorial sentiments of people. Less interference from the Center in
local affairs means peace and political stability to the nation as a whole. Moreover,
regional sovereignty would help in resolving the perennial Kashmir problem.
The
slogan “unity in diversity” is meaningless unless that very diversity gets
politically recognized and becomes part of the system by granting complete
autonomy to the states. And that would indeed strengthen and revolutionize the
democratic traditions of India.
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