STATE

RESTRUCTURING
Separation and unification of states
Political understanding of What is
a state?
• Is state same as country?

• Is state same as nation?

 Why are states needed?

• What is the need?

• State in pre-independence era:

 Historical Background:
• British India Vs Princely States

• French and Portuguese Colonial

Enclaves
 Historical background:
• Independence and need for state –
reorganization:

• Federalism and Indian states

 Historical Background
1. State Reorganization Act 1956

2.Types of State A, B, C
 Demand for new states and their basis:
1. linguistics
•

1. First demand for state on basis of language ( Kannada).

• New State carved out from:
• -Princely state of Mysore
• -Nizam’s Hyderabad
• -Bombay Presidency
• -Madras Presidency.
• Later , in 1973, renamed “Karnataka”
2. Creation of Andhra Pradesh( First State created in 1953 on
linguistic basis)
• -Telugu speaking people of Madras
• Presidency and Telugu speaking people of Nizam’s
Hyderabad
2. Administrative convenience

Enlargement of state of
Bombay(1956) by adding
-Marathi speaking Marathwada of
erstwhile Hyderabad
-Marathi speaking Vidarabha region of erstwhile
MP
-Gujarati Speaking Saurashtra and Kutch
 Separation of States..
What were the major issues:
1. Development
2. Unequal distribution of
opportunities
3. Linguistic issues
4. Community issues
5. Good governance
 Separation of States..
•
Jharkhand
• Demand for Tribal homeland
• Formation of Jharkhand Area Autonomous
Council
• Thakkar Commission(1947) and Dar
Commission (1948) rejected it
• Jharkhand Separated from Bihar in 2000
 Separation
•
of States..
Uttarakhand
• Separated from Uttar Pradesh
• 'Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill',
1998,
Chhattisgarh
• Demand for tribal home land
• Development
• Smaller state concept
 Demand for
•
more states
• Telangana
• Bodoland
• Gorkhaland
• Harit Pardesh
• Bundelkhand
• Poorvanchal
• Magadhanchal
 Telangana crisis:
What are the issues?
 Why is there a demand for
separate Telangana state?
Discrimination in
• budget:
• Water allocation:
• Education:
• Jobs:
• Political power
 Telangana movement so far:
• 1969 movement: Osmania University
agitation and Gentlemen’s Agreement.

• 2004-2009

• Post 2009
Do we actually need smaller/more
states?
• Yes:
• statehood has been determined by political
expediency, not logic. Uttar Pradesh has 198 million people,
more than Brazil, Russia or Pakistan. Maharashtra has 106 million, West Bengal
96 million and Andhra Pradesh 90 million. At the other end of the scale, Sikkim
has just 0.6 million people, Mizoram 1.1 million and Arunachal Pradesh 1.3
million.

• It leads to better governance and economic

development.Uttarakhand has averaged 9.31% growth annually,
Jharkhand 8.45%, and Chattisgarh 7.35%.
Since 2001, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have moved up into the top 10 (industrial
states), displacing Rajasthan and Punjab.

• Haryana became a much progressive state

after partition from Punjab.
• It gives better access to political
power/administrative redressal centres to
average citizen. A citizen may have to travel up to 1000km or for
two days to just reach the capital( UP/Rajasthan/WB/AP)
• It helps people realize their socio-cultural
aspirations.The different parts of a state have different customs,
traditions and culture. Gorkhas are clearly different culturally from Bengalis, but
are part of WB.

• It helps in better administration: Madhya

Pradesh has unmanageable 50 districts, Bihar
38 and Maharashtra 35.
 Let’s look at some world-wide
examples:
• US with one-third population of India has
60% more states.

• Europe is divided in 50 states with a

population of 731 million.
 Do we need smaller/more
• states?

No.
We need a more responsible and
responsive government.

Jharkhand has remained one of the

worst governed and most corrupt
state.
 Moreover, there is no limit to future
demands:
Aspirant states:
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Angika speaking state. Angika has 800,000 speakers in India.
• Awadh of central Uttar Pradesh
• Bhojpuri speaking state comprising Eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts
of Bihar
• Braj Pradesh Agra division and Aligarh division from Uttar Pradesh
and districts of Bharatpur and Gwalior from Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh
• Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh
• Gondwana, from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and
Maharashtra.
• Harit Pradesh in Uttar Pradesh
 Aspirant states:
• Kamtapur West Bengal
• Karbi Anglong in Assam
• Mithilanchal
• Rayalaseema, Andhra Pradesh
• Saurashtra Gujarat
• Koshal in Orissa
• Vindhya Pradesh From Madhya Pradesh
• Vidarbha in Maharashtra
• Purvanchal in UP
• Tulu Nadu from Tamilnadu and Karnataka
• Kodagu in karnataka
 More states needed?
• All states ( or countries for that matter) will
necessarily be a combination of rich and poor
portions . The poorer portions cannot break away
from richer portions due to real or perceived
injustice.
• In that case , we will have many poor states with
very limited capacity to raise their own resources!
• The new and poorer states also likely to be affected
by political instabiity and crony-capitalism. For Ex:
Jharkhand
 More states needed?
• Are we not promoting differences rather
than celebrate our oneness?
• Enemies of our Nations (like Maoists)
fomenting trouble?
• Will there be peaceful coexistence among
the two ( or more!) components. Mutual
suspicion more likely!
 So what is the way out?
• The possible solution lies
somewhere in the middle….
 ? YOU
THANK