<h5 id="region-and-the-nation">Region And The Nation</h5> <ul> <li> <p>The 1980s saw a rise in regional aspirations for autonomy, often outside the Indian Union framework, leading to armed assertions, government repression, and collapse of political and electoral processes.</p> </li> <li> <p>Most of these struggles were long-drawn and concluded in negotiated settlements or accords between the central government and the groups leading the movement for autonomy, within the constitutional framework.</p> </li> <li> <p>The Indian approach to diversity is democratic and allows political expression of regional aspirations, viewing them as part of national unity and not as anti-national. Democratic politics accommodates regional issues and problems in policy-making, but may lead to tensions and problems.</p> </li> <li> <p>Post-Independence, India faced issues like Partition, displacement, integration of Princely States, reorganisation of states, and regional aspirations. The challenge often came from border states like Jammu and Kashmir, North-East, and southern India, due to diverse political aspirations.</p> </li> <li> <p>Diversity was addressed by redrawing internal boundaries, creating new states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand. However, complex challenges in regions like Kashmir, Nagaland, Punjab, Assam, and Mizoram remain unresolved, providing valuable insights for understanding India’s future.</p> </li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="jammuand-kashmir">Jammuand Kashmir</h5> <ul> <li>Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) was a Princely State before 1947, with a predominantly Muslim population but ruled by a Hindu Maharaja who wanted independence.</li> <li>The popular movement in J&K, led by Sheikh Abdullah of the National Conference, was against the Maharaja but against joining Pakistan. This movement resulted in the formation of Dravidar Kazhagam under E.V. Ramasami Naicker’s leadership in Tamil Nadu.</li> <li>The Dravidian movement, which started in Tamil Nadu, aimed to get rid of the Brahmins’ dominance and affirmed regional pride against the political, economic, and cultural domination of the North.</li> <li>The Dravidian movement led to the formation of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the political legacy of the movement was transferred to DMK. The DMK made its entry into politics with a three-pronged agitation, including opposing North Indian economic and cultural symbols and making Hindi the country’s official language.</li> <li>The latest Act divides J&K into two Union Territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, seeking to achieve divergent political and developmental aspirations in the region.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="punjab">Punjab</h5> <ul> <li>The social composition of Punjab changed with Partition, carving out of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and reorganization in 1966.</li> <li>The Akali Dal, formed in 1920, led the movement for a Punjabi speaking State and came to power in 1967 and 1977, but their position remained precarious due to lack of support from Hindus and internal differentiation within the Sikh community.</li> <li>In the 1970s, a section of Akalis began to demand political autonomy for the region, leading to the Anandpur Sahib Resolution in 1973, which aimed to redefine center-state relationship and strengthen federalism.</li> <li>The cycle of violence began in the 1980s with the Government’s ‘Operation Blue Star’ and the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, leading to widespread violence against the Sikhs.</li> <li>The violence against the Sikhs in 1984 resulted in the death of over two thousand Sikhs in Delhi and hundreds in other parts of the country, causing great emotional and financial loss to the Sikh community, and regret was expressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="road-to-peace">Road to peace</h5> <ul> <li>Following the 1984 election, Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister and initiated a dialogue with moderate Akali leaders, leading to the Rajiv Gandhi - Longowal Accord in July 1985.</li> <li>The Accord addressed key issues including the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, the appointment of a commission for border dispute resolution, a tribunal for sharing Ravi-Beas river water, compensation for those affected by militancy, withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, and improved treatment of militancy-affected individuals.</li> <li>Despite the Accord, peace did not come immediately due to ongoing violence and human rights issues, leading to political fragmentation, President’s rule, and delayed restoration of the political process.</li> <li>The Akali Dal(Badal) and BJP alliance won the 1997 elections, marking a shift towards economic development and social change discussions, with religious identities remaining important but politics becoming more secular.</li> <li>Militancy was eradicated by the 1990s, resulting in significant losses for both Sikhs and Hindus, but peace was eventually restored.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="the-north-east">The North-East</h5> <ul> <li>The North-East, also known as the ‘seven sisters’, is a region consisting of seven States, making up 4% of India’s population and 8% of its area.</li> <li>The region, once connected to the rest of India by a 22 km corridor, shares borders with China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, serving as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia.</li> <li>Post-independence, the region underwent significant political reorganization, with new States like Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, and Mizoram being created.</li> <li>Demands for autonomy from various communities, like the Bodos, Karbis, and Dimasas, have been addressed by granting them autonomy under District Councils or Autonomous Councils.</li> <li>Secessionist movements, such as the one in Mizoram led by Laldenga, were fueled by feelings of not being part of British India and inadequate government response to local issues. These movements resulted in prolonged insurgencies and negotiations before reaching a settlement.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="movements-against-outsiders">Movements against outsiders</h5> <ul> <li> <p>The North-East region of India experienced large-scale migration, leading to conflicts between local communities and perceived outsiders or migrants.</p> </li> <li> <p>The Assam Movement (1979-1985) was a notable example of this conflict, driven by suspicions of illegal Bengali Muslim settlers from Bangladesh. The movement demanded the detection and deportation of post-1951 immigrants.</p> </li> <li> <p>Following the movement, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Asom Gana Sangram Parishad formed the regional political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) to address the foreign national problem and build a ‘Golden Assam’.</p> </li> <li> <p>In Sikkim, democratic aspirations of the Nepali majority led to the merger of Sikkim as the 22nd State of India in 1975, following the overwhelming victory of Sikkim Congress in the first democratic elections to the Sikkim assembly.</p> </li> <li> <p>The merger of Sikkim was supported by anti-Chogyal leaders from both Nepali and Lepcha-Bhutia communities, and it received popular approval in a referendum. The merger did not become a divisive issue in Sikkim’s politics.</p> </li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="accommodation-and-national-integration">Accommodation and National Integration</h5> <ul> <li>Regional aspirations are a normal part of democratic politics, and can include demands for statehood, economic development, autonomy, or even separation.</li> <li>It is best to respond to regional aspirations through democratic negotiations, rather than suppression. This can lead to reconciliation and reduced tensions.</li> <li>Power sharing is significant for addressing regional aspirations. This includes sharing power at the State level with groups and parties from the region, and giving regions a share in national level decision making.</li> <li>Regional imbalance in economic development can contribute to feelings of regional discrimination. This imbalance is a fact of India’s development experience, and addressing it can help to reduce regional tensions.</li> <li>The flexible and accommodative constitutional framework in India has helped to prevent regional aspirations from leading to separatism. The federal system in India, with special provisions for certain states, has proven crucial in resolving complex political problems.</li> <li>The liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule in 1961 and the subsequent decision of Goans to retain a separate Goan identity and culture, particularly the Konkani language, led to Goa becoming a State of the Indian Union in 1987.</li> </ul> <p>======</p>