Due to the fear of balkanization of India, I had strongly criticised for the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of West Bengal, in spite of the being the oldest statehood demand in the country. However, after the formation of the Telangana state and a nationalist party -BJP winning the Lok Sabha seat from Darjeeling, once again (the last time being Jaswant Singh), I have changed my thinking.
Now, I feel that the demand of smaller states – Gorkhaland, Bodoland, etc needs to be addressed along with other smaller states in aspiration with the people of the area and administrative convenience. There is a great need for the unwieldy states like UP, Bengal and Bihar to be divided into smaller states along with Maharashtra etc. so that they could be better administered and managed. Many of these states have the resources to maintain their state, if granted statehood, primarily Gorkhaland.
The new BJP Government needs to look into this and form a States Reorganization Commission. Here it may be stated that formation of states on linguistic basis, as was done earlier has failed. So, the Commission to be set up under a retired Judge of the Supreme Court may not go by linguistic basis parameter and may adopt its own parameters.
The Commission may also study the Centre state relations and other allied matters. For this purpose, Congress and other opposition parties would have to cogently work with the ruling BJP party. The newly formed states must be in the Union of India and in consonance with the spirit of the Constitution.
Source: Satbir Singh Bedi in Merinews
[Mr. Bedi was one of the most vocal detractors of Gorkhaland, but he has had a welcome change of heart, and more people like are him are now starting to support the Gorkhaland statehood]
