Government rejects demands of new states ‘everywhere’

Last Updated: Saturday, December 12, 2009, 23:56

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Tags: Telangana, Pranab Mukherjee, New states

Government rejects demands of new states ‘everywhere’

Zeenews Bureau

Barasat (WB): Telangana, Vidarbha, Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Purvanchal and many more – the ever increasing list of demand for new states on Saturday forced the Central government to limit the Telangana fallout and categorically make it clear that the ‘compromise’ on Andhra Pradesh should not be seen as a view in the government to allow smaller states to come up everywhere across the country.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee rubbished any kind of ‘domino effect’, categorically stating that the UPA government’s decision to look into the demand for a separate Telangana state to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh doesn’t mean it has agreed to demands from other states too.

"The demand for Telangana is 60 years old. This does not mean everywhere new states are to be created," Mukherjee told reporters after inaugurating a new hospital here in North 24 Parganas.

He said that so far Teleagana was concerned Home Minister P Chidambaram had made a statement that "there were stages for formation (of a state). These are preliminary stages."

The Centre’s clarification comes at an opportune time as its ‘in principle’ acceptance of the demand for a separate Telangana state has set off a chain reaction, prompting politicians from other regions to pitch for their pound of flesh. Vidarbha, Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Purvanchal…the list is growing by the day.

Sensing this, the Congress had yesterday stressed that the party was against demands for new states being made for "political adjustment of leaders".

Party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed had stated that the Congress was not against smaller states but the demand should be need-based.

The Congress response had come after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati raised the political pitch by demanding creation of three states from the present Uttar Pradesh.

"I have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to give us clearance for creating independent states of Budelkhand and Harit Pradesh out of a giant-sized and unmanageable Uttar Pradesh," Mayawati told a hurriedly convened press conference in Lucknow Friday evening.

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, a strong votary of Harit Pradesh, said in New Delhi that his party will launch an agitation if the Central government does not consider demand for creation of the new state.

Activists of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in West Bengal have also reignited their demand for Gorkhaland.

A four-member Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) delegation along with Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh met Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday to press for creation of a separate state.

In Assam, the Bodo, Karbis and Dimasa tribes have also again raised the demand for statehood.

Former Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad said that he supported demands for creating Purvanchal and Bundelkhand.

The Congress is also facing new demands from its own ranks with former minister and party MP Vilas Muttemwar stoking the demand for a new state of Vidrabha. Muttemwar has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding creation of the new state.

In Andhra Pradesh, there are demands for a three-way bifurcation if Telangana is made a new state. Politicians from Rayalaseema region have demanded separate statehood for the backward region, saying they would agree to division of the state to create Telangana only if their demand for Greater Rayalaseema is acceded to.

Meanwhile, apparently in view of the continuing unrest in the state and the en masse resignation by legislators, the TRS sounded conciliatory today and announced that it was willing to wait for the creation of a separate Telangana state carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

Senior TRS leader KT Rama Rao said, “We are willing to wait a little longer for the resolution to be passed in the Assembly… we understand Congress’ dilemma; we are thankful to UPA for its commitment to create Telangana.”

Importantly, he also pledged that there will be no more protest in Telangana over the issue.

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First Published: Saturday, December 12, 2009, 23:56

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jayasimha - hyderebad
sir , Chandrashekar PLZ help us build us ( Hardware park ( in your name ( it help us in 2 lakhs employment ( with 1/10 of the effort of what you did the state )( it will be there one your name till 100 years ( & you can give all the people of Telugu ( ANA) plz do give us this ( instead of the Telangana state ( we are all unemployed engineer form past 2 year`s ( & the number is increasing yearly ( plz sir help us))

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Krishna - USA
This is the vote politis of Congress. Why they gave Telangana?? Whats need of same. Can they share with India and than compare whether other state demand didn`t met that criteria.. I challlenge Mr. PC to indicate why Telengana is more requied Purvanchal. Purvanchal with a population of 8+ crore is too backward and no govt. of UP is pushing anything for its development.. There might be few engineering colleges, no central govt institure of good qualkity. No good govt college except BHU.. Does 8 crore people fate should be left like this. ARe they not Indian citizen who should be developed???. This is VOTE politcis of Congress. I challlenge any of the Minsiters to compare their case of granting statehood to Telangana Vs Purvanchal on any parameters and provide why is Telangana satisfies their criteria (except vote bank politics). Krishna

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PP TALWAR - India
It is surprising that the way the demand for separate states is being voiced from all corners of India, it clearly violates the ethics of the freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in our constiution. These demands for separate states are actually based on selfish political motives. As rightly expressed by union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that all the demands for separate smaller states are not feasible. Political parties by rising above petty ethnic, regional and community feelings should work towards the betterment of the people in the states and not work towards bifurcation of the states.

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good_samaritan - kolkata
I do not understand politics nor do I care to. I believe the solution to the GOrkhaland issue lies setting up of a second State Reorganisation Commission (SRC) and merging the hills and parts of terai region of North Bengal with Sikkim and renaming the state as Sikkim and Gorkhaland.Agreed that the people of Darjeeling very little in common with the rest of Bengal be it ethnicity,culture and topography and the leaders sitting in far-off Kolkata would never try or be able to fulfill the aspirations of the people of the hills.Darjeeling & Sikkim has many things in common like the economy is heavily dependent on tourism,they share borders with countries like China,Nepal,Bhutan and have common ethnicity and culture. But for this to happen,the leaders would have to rise above their individual aspirations and think of the greater good of the masses.Would they be ready is the big question?

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Bebbo - Hyderabad
The Telangana issue is a very emotional issue for me as an individual and all my Telangana brethren. No other person can even criticise the need for Telangana because only a Telangana knows what he has gone through and how much pain he had to go through as nobody knows what it means to be dominated and ridiculed in one`s own place by an outsider. The Telanganas have been subjected to humiliation in their own land. We have been too soft on the Andhras and watched in silence as the Andhras financially and psychologically dominated us in our own land.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Now the Andhras have the audacity to contradict us in our own land. How long do they want to dominate us in our own land.

The andhras have their own cities to call their capitals. Why encroach on our cities. Have they got no self respect?

All Andhra films should be be banned in Telangana otherwise the Andhras will continue to dominate.

The biggest necessity is we need an identity. The Telanganas are facing an identity crisis.

There is so much at stake because of the influx of the Andhras. The rich heritage of the Nizams is at stake. The Andhras have no idea and have no knowledge of the rich language and heritage of Hyderabad that needs to be protected. We cannot see the Hyderabadi culture sinking in the Andhra crowd.

BANNING OF ANDHRA FILMS IS VERY ESSENTIAL .

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jiten - mumbai
i don know why the chief minister himself is not resigning when all the andhra and rayalseema people are supporting the cause of united andhra and even the whole lot of MPs from andhra should also resign if any steps taken to meet the demand of telangana is considered

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a.k.srivastava Advocate - Allahabad
I DON`T UNDERSTAND THAT THESE DEMANDS ARE IN THE INTEREST OF PROVINCES. ONLY TO FULFILL THEIR POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENTS SOME POLITICAL PARTIES WHO HAVE NO EXISTANCE ARE RAISING THIS DEMAND ON THE GROUND THAT THEY WANT TO RULE ON A SMALLER PIECE OF LAND. WHAT WILL HAPPEN LIKE JHARKHAND WHERE NAXLISTS WANT TO RULE AND HEAD OF THE STATE IS INDULDGE IN CURRUPTION.

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MANSOOR - KUWAIT
Mayawati ji aapne jo central ko appliction likken hai aap ko 60 sal badh kamiyab hooga

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jagannathan - new delhi
It is unfortunate that Congress party had ignited the fire which is spreading across India. It has always been the policy of the Congress to divide and rule to govern. It can give some short term gains but in the long term it would recoil on it. Unfortunate lives are being lost and crores of Public property is going up in flames. Nobody has talked about the development of the country and control of inflation, which is widespread in articles of daily use/food articles, the Government has thought it fit to enter a No entry area and is paying the price for it. Are we going to pre partition days and it is better the 500 odd princely states be restored and atleast we will have a semblance of Governance. It is a pity that the main opposition party BJP is silent so far and seems to be watching to which side it should support. In respect of the Andhra debacle the country is going to pay a heavy price.

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Vijay - Vishakapatnam
Instead of creating a new state Telangana, where the centre has to allot more funds for creating assembly other offices and infrastructure, government can allot some thousands of crore to a group of officers under KCR and tell him to develop the telangana region. It will be better.