This refers to “Are smaller states better governed?” (December 15). The simple answer is in the affirmative. The Centre fears that conceding to the demands for new states would weaken the federal structure of the Indian Union, but this is a disingenuous argument. Consider this: The US has 50 states with a population less than one third of India as well as a well-established democracy.
Hence, with 28 states, such fears are baseless. Some of the new states formed in the year 2000 are doing quite well. Jharkhand, carved out of Bihar, has double the per capita income of Bihar. This is equally true of Chhattisgarh, which was formed out of Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, created out of Uttar Pradesh. The demand for Gorkhaland is fuelled by the total neglect of the region by the West Bengal government, leading to the closure of more than 50 per cent of tea gardens, which are the main source of employment for the people. The demand for Vidarbha is getting resonant due to serious neglect of the area, with most of the development focused on the Mumbai region. The states will develop better if they are small and managed well to meet the aspirations of the people.
MM Gurbaxani, Bangalore
