Create more states! Is politics a 'fart of the possible'?

New Delhi, July 31: Now with Telangana getting the nod, the Pandora's box in Indian politics has been opened. On Wednesday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said that her party had always backed smaller states and welcoming the move on Telangana, she sought quadrafication of Uttar Pradesh into Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh. She also favoured creation of Gorkhaland in West Bengal and Vidarbha in Maharashtra.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal backed the creation of Harit Pradesh in western Uttar Pradesh.

The problem is most of India's politicians treat the sensitive issue of state creation as a way to garner votes but not as a natural consequence of a democratic movement.

Mayawati's demand reflects that the political class won't mind putting the national security under jeopardy by making claims which can not be universalised. The situation in Telangana is not the same with either Gorkhaland or Bodoland for strategic and demographic reasons and one can not brush all these issues with the same paint.

Does Mayawati have any idea what could happen near the China border if Gorkhaland is formed as per the demand of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and not taking into account other tribes and indigenous communities of the region. Northeastern India is a very complex region where state-creation game is bound to backfire if not enough thought is given into it.

Creation of states as the natural outcome of deepening of democracy is a welcome development but not as a political opportunism which populist leaders like Mayawati aims at. It is politicians like her who have made a positive issue look negative and should be discouraged from making any adventurist designs of breaking up states for small gains.

India is naturally diverse and its democracy acts as a catalyst for further diversification. But, we can not allow mean-minded politics to manipulate this diversity factor and invite danger. Politics is an art of the possible. Please don't make it a fart of the possible, Mayawati ji.

OneIndia News