In favour of creating small states, several outfits today urged the Centre to adopt policies towards fulfilling long-standing regional demands by constituting a 'second states reorganisation commission'.
Representatives of various organisations, including All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC), and Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), exchanged ideas in this regard at the Constitution Club seminar here.
"It is imperative that the Government of India adopt a policy towards facilitating creation of new smaller states to fulfill the long standing aspirations of the people for faster growth and development in all front," a concept paper released by the organisers said.
The States Reorganisation Commission was constituted by the Union government in 1953 to recommend reorganisation of state boundaries. Some of its recommendations were implemented in the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.
The paper noted that for democratically negotiating demands for smaller states such as Bodoland, Vidarbha, Gorkhaland, Kukiland, Bundelkhand and Twipraland, a "second state reorganisation commission must be constituted by the Centre."
ABSU President Pramod Boro said all the groups are going to sit on a day-long dharna at Jantar Mantar tomorrow to press their demands over carving out separate states, which he termed as an ongoing process that "remains unfinished".
