People's Democracy

THINKING TOGETHER

The CPI(M) maintains that the Telangana region has continuously remained backward due to the faulty policies and neglect by successive state governments in Andhra Pradesh. Why are you then opposing the formation of a separate state of Telangana?

--- K Vijay, Hyderabad

THE CPI(M) has always maintained that the Telangana region continues to remain backward because of neglect and insincerity in the implementation of various proposals made in the past for a planned development of the region. The solution, however, does not lie in the formation of a separate state. Our past experience suggests that wherever such separate states have been formed, either in the north-east carved out from the sate of Assam or recently in the formation of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal, the economic development and progress of the region has not automatically followed. To ensure the development of a backward region, what is required is adequate devolution of resources and a planned, targetted programme of economic growth. It is not necessary to form a separate state to ensure this.

Further, the states in India emerged after a grim and long struggle, soon after independence from the British rule, on the basis of a linguistic re-organisation of India. The Communist Party was in the forefront of the struggle for the formation of linguistic states in various parts of the country, including Maharashtra, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. In fact, it was the movement in Andhra Pradesh that pioneered this entire democratic exercise. The united Communist Party is the one that gave the slogan of Vishalandhra.

Under these circumstances, any division of a state like Andhra Pradesh will have serious cascading effects in other states as well. This will dangerously jeopardise the unity and integrity of our country.

The CPI(M) therefore proposes that the plans already submitted in the past for Telangana’s development may be re-discussed, if necessary, but must be put into motion immediately in order to address the serious issues of backwardness of the region.