Dr Ashwani Mahajan
Formation of Telangana, as a separate state, after partition of Andhra Pradesh is now only a matter of time, as date for the birth, of Telangana as a separate state, that is June 2nd, has already been announced. With this the effort have now started for partition of largest populated state of India, Uttar Pradesh into three to four parts. It is notable that much before the elections of Uttar Pradesh assembly, under the stewardship of Mayawati, the then Chief minister of the state, UP assembly passed a resolution in November 2011, recommending partition of state into four states. Mayawati has been advocating division of UP on the argument that it is nearly impossible to manage such a big state. Recently by giving a statement, advocating to divide UP into two to four parts, Jai Ram Ramesh, an important minister in the central government, has given a new turn to these efforts.
Mayawati is known for her political moves, and her strategy of social engineering has earned good dividend in the past, by garnering votes from cross section of castes, for her party. By forcefully arguing for dividing UP into Poorvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh and Pashchimi Pradesh, she had tried to bring in governance and development issues at the centre stage of UP politics. Congress party, which has been nearly cornered in UP politics, may try to regain its lost ground by roping in this issue. Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party has been opposing any such move. It is notable that Uttrakhand was carved out of UP in the year 2000.
Underdevelopment of Uttar Pradesh is no secret today. Whereas per capita income of Uttar Pradesh was only rupees 18891 in 2012-13, at 2004-05 prices, national average was rupees 38,856. In developed states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat it was rupees 120414, 66,000, 65,500, and 63,250 respectively. Obviously people of UP also aspire for development and improvement in the quality of life. It is unfortunate that not only that per capita is very small in UP, even growth rate is also low there. Whereas, rate of GDP growth in developed states like Gujarat remained nearly in two digits; growth rate even in underdeveloped state Bihar also reached near 10 percent in the last 5 years, growth rate of UP remained 6.8 percent during this period. Scarcity of electricity, road and other infrastructure, low industrial development and bad shaped agriculture speak tons about pathetic state off affairs in UP. Indifferent attitude of the government(s), make the situation, even more worst.
There is a long history of partition, reorganisation of states and formation of new states. Many new states came into existence on linguistic basis, in 1956, based on States’ Reorganisation Act. Some regions, previously under the French and Portuguese control, namely Pondicherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Daman and Div were included in Indian Union as Union Territories in 1962. Bombay province was divided into Gujarat and Maharashtra, on linguistic basis in 1960. Nagaland was given the statehood in 1963. Under Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966 some northern areas of erstwhile Punjab were included in Himachal and a new state of Haryana took birth and Chandigarh was assigned the status of Union Territory and was made capital of Punjab and Haryana. Himachal Pradesh was given the statehood in 1971. In the year 2000, three new states were born, from three big states. Chattisgarh was carved out from Madhya Pradesh, while Uttrakhand and Jharkhand were carved out of from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively.
Making of small separate states in the Past has always been beneficial. We know that in the Past Punjab was divided into three parts. Punjab has been a prosperous state in the past as well. However we find that after it’s split into three states, all the states have witnessed a phenomenal growth. Region assigned to Haryana was not so developed, before splitting from Punjab. Today per capita income of Haryana is 30 percent more than that of Punjab. Himachal Pradesh has also developed economically as well as in terms of human development. Today this state is proud to have 100 percent literacy. State has made good strides in horticulture and other types of economic activities.
Leaving aside old experience, even the newly formed state of Chhattisgarh and Uttrakhand Have experienced rapid growth since their reorganisation. It is notable that these states have been created after separating out backward areas of already backward states, however they reached good heights in development. Between 1993-94 and 1999-2000, prior to reorganisation, growth rate of Madhya Pradesh (from which Chattisgarh was carved out), was less than 1 percent, however between 2004-05 and 2012-13, it reached 7 percent, while that of Chattisgarh it reached 5.6 percent. Similarly in Uttrakhand, during the later period GDP growth rate climbed to 10.1 percent, while it was only 1 percent prior to reorganisation. In the remaining UP also growth rate improved, however it remained only 4.8 percent. Even in case of Jharkhand, growth scenario improved, however it remained less than the other reorganised states. Remaining part of Bihar, experienced much better growth of more than 10 percent, under the Nitish Kumar’s government. However similar growth could not take place in Jharkhand.
This means that creation of smaller states has been proved to be a boon for their people, as their incomes, and quality of life based on the parameters of human development has improved. This happens because when a new state is formed, aspirations of people under democratic system, vibrant thinking of the leadership and ease of governing small state; help in creating a new growth and development oriented atmosphere. Smaller states help people in approaching authorities, as they need not travel long distances to reach capital of the state.
Though an election stunt, proposal to divide UP into four parts is a step in the right direction. Though this may give electoral gains to one or the other political party, if partition takes place this will help people at large in terms of improving their lives and their development aspirations would be easily met, without any harm to the nation at large.
(The author is Associate Professor, Dept of Economics, P.G.D.A.V. College (University of Delhi)
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