Letters: Breaking UP

The edit “The perils of smaller states” (November 22) summed up the dangers inherent in Mayawati’s proposal to divide UP. Let us recall that not so long ago, India had successfully integrated hundreds of princely states and the Constitution adopted post-Independence had envisaged almost all eventualities in enforcing governance, except perhaps those relating to greed and power that we face today. The political leadership back then could handle the situation since, by and large, leaders were guided by national or public interest. Now what we have is a class guided by self-interest, struggling to remain in power and using any means to usurp power. The issue is not whether smaller states will pose problems in governance. Dividing a state with an area of 240,000 sq km and accommodating over 17,00,00,000 people into two or more states within the country is no big deal. Perhaps such an effort may ensure better outreach of governance. The problem of right-thinking people with the proposal emanates from the motives behind the proposal and the timing and manner in which the idea is mooted. In the existing federal system, whatever be the coalition dynamics, Centre and states need to co-exist with mutual consultation on important issues and consensus on several issues. If the institutions of democratic governance are manipulated to suit family/individual interests, people whose word would be the last in a democracy will react and there is a limit up to which they can be “managed”.

M G Warrier, Mumbai

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