Chaitanya AwasthiAIR 37 · CSE 2022 · 343 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a definition
Regionalism is a feeling of attachment and loyalty towards a particular geographic area within a large unit by the local population. Regionalism arises out of commonalities in culture, language, history, territory etc. Regionalism can be constructive and positive, however negative regionalism may even culminate into secessionist tendencies.
The following two factors have largely contributed to Regionalism in India:
Body · points and prose
(1) Power Struggle → To secure share in power in national and regional sphere. (A) Certain vested interests and political parties exist on the very foundation of regionalism. eg. Shiv Sena, TDP etc. (B) At independence, some princely states were merged but old loyalties remained.
You can also mention demand for devolution of powers by North-eastern states and demand for new states → as dominant sections in these regions wanted to have greater share in power ex:- uttarakhand, jharkhand etc.
(C) Disputed territories and respective attachment augmented to regional tendencies. eg. Karnataka and Maharashtra. (D) Competition over limited resources lead to doctrines like "Sons of Soil" and a feeling of otherization. eg. Maharashtra, Haryana etc. (E) Interstate river disputes have also contributed. (ex:- Kaveri dispute between Tamilnadu & Karnataka) eg. Peninsular states (F) Resistance to imposition of alien / majority culture / language. eg. North-South divide, North East India (G) Certain socio-political movements evolved into facets of regionalism. eg. Justice Party & DMK (H) Certain vested interests promote secessionist tendencies. eg. Khalistan, Nagalim etc.
(2) Relative Deprivation "Islands of Prosperity in an Ocean of Poverty" ↳ The above statement aptly captures the feeling of neglect and indifference leading to regionalism.
CAUSES OF RELATIVE DEPRIVATION | |
cultural development deprivation disparity (ex: Tulu land issue) | | Poor implementation Bureaucratic Apathy and fiscal constraints
The regional imbalances in development lead to formation of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Bodoland etc. to better focus on priorities.
→ Cooperative federalism
The Indian Federalism and Constitutional Safeguards continue to tie these aspirations in a common thread. However, the rise of extremist groups ought to be dealt with effectively to safeguard India's unity.
→ democratic decentralization → bottom-up approach for development
Close · a way forward
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