{"id":158019,"date":"2021-05-11T01:28:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T19:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/?p=158019"},"modified":"2021-05-11T01:28:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T19:58:16","slug":"veto-on-outsider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/2021\/05\/11\/veto-on-outsider\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Veto’ on outsider"},"content":{"rendered":"

Regionalism To Fore<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\nBy Poonam I Kaushish<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pre 1947 India resounded to \u201cthrow out the British\u201d. Sprinkled with nationalism, all pledged to make India united and secular. The 2021 Mera Bharat Mahan is all about chucking the \u201coutsider aam aadmi\u201d from States. All promising to make their respective States more local chaap. Underscoring, 21st Century India\u2019s rajnitik dal-dal: Caste+ Creed+ Region=Raj Gaddi.
\nTrust Ulta Pulta UP\u2019s Chief Minister Yogi to turn the Centre\u2019s vaccination policy on its head: Any one from any State can get the jab according to their location. The Saffron Chief Minister begs to differ and mandated: Slots only for State residents between 18-44 years who must produce a local address proof to get vaccinated. Not for him the economic and human cost to the country if everyone is not vaccinated quickly.
\nHis logic? The State Government has purchased vaccines for its people by investing its own money to order it. Therefore, only locals will be vaccinated, not \u2018outsiders\u2019 who are cornering vaccines. Of the 100 doses administered daily only five locals get vaccinated as outsiders make up 25% to 50% of beneficiaries.
\nPredictably, this has unleashed the genie of regionalism in the State whereby it has sent \u2018outside\u2019 residents in a tizzy. A Noida professional hailing from Madhya Pradesh is now scouting for openings in Delhi or Haryana as he does not have a local UP ID proof. Ditto, of others in Ghaziabad, Meerut etc.
\nIn Tamil Nadu all eyes are on Stalin to fulfil his promise of 75% reservation for locals. Pertinently, this despite the Supreme Court\u2019s Constitution Bench last week striking down Maharashtra\u2019s law granting 13% reservation to Marathas in educational institutions and 12% in Government jobs in the State over the 50% limit in quotas. It saw no merit in the State\u2019s argument that 85% of the Maratha population is backward.
\nIn March Haryana Governor gave his assent to the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill providing 75% reservation for local candidates applying to private sector jobs that pay less than Rs 50,000 per month. Big deal, if it contravenes Article 14 and 19 (equality before law and right to practice any profession anywhere in India).
\nTaking cue Karnataka too decided to reserve Group C and D jobs for \u2018Kannadigas\u2019(who stay in the State for over 10 years and studied Kannada until Class 10) in both public and private sector, addressing a long-standing demand by pro-Kannada groups.
\nThis does not surprise me. Over the years regionalism has remained the most potent force in Indian politics since Independence whereby State after State has upped its ante against outsiders and been the main basis of formation of many regional Parties.
\nIn 1952 the fast-unto-death by Telugu leader Potti Sriramulu for a Telegu State out of composite Madras Presidency resulted in Andhra Pradesh. In 1966 the Shiv Sena launched its agitation against Kannadigas in Maharashtra and became the self-styled champion of everything Marathi nurtured on the infamous \u2018Marathi manoos\u2019 standard, by which practically everyone in Mumbai was an \u2018outsider\u2019 except 28% Maharashtrians. Then followed North-East reorganization on the basis of locals and tribals in the 1970s.
\nOur netas too reveled in playing the regional card. In the 1999 Lok Sabha polls, BJP dubbed Congress Lucknow candidate Karan Singh, former J&K\u2019s Sadr-i-Riyasat \u2018outsider\u2019 vs \u2018insider\u2019 Vajpayee. Never mind, Lucknow is miles away from Gwalior, Vajpayee\u2019s birthplace. Interestingly, the Sangh again portrayed \u2018Vajpayee the local\u2019 in Himachal, by underscoring his love for Manali.
\nThus, regionalism thrived with Parties and leaders making it their mantra. Former Prime Minister and kisan leader Charan Singh floated farmer-oriented Janata Party and Devi Lal Lok Dal in Haryana. Badal Akali Dal in Punjab, NT Rama Rao Telugu Desam in Andhra, Bangla\u2019s Mamata Banerjee Trinamool Congress and Naveen Patnaik launched BJD in Orissa. All with a common USP: \u201cWe are locals who shall rule, Delhi is dur \u2014 the outsider.\u201d
\nAnother form of regionalism found expression in inter-State boundary disputes between Karnataka and Maharashtra on Belgaum where Marathi speaking population is surrounded by Kannadigas, between Kerala and Karnataka on Kasargod, Assam and Nagaland on Rengma reserved forests and Punjab and Haryana over Chandigarh.
\nThen, wrangling over water resources: Narmada between Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, Krishna by Karnataka and Andhra and Cauvery among Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Another quibble between Punjab and Himachal over Ravi river and electricity sharing between Punjab and Delhi.
\nQuestionably, is regionalism ingrained in our psyche? Do we realize its ramifications of further dividing people on regional lines which is antithetical to hope of narrowing India\u2019s burgeoning regional divide, thereby unleashing a Frankenstein?
\nUndoubtedly, citizens should have equal job opportunities across the country. The problem kicks in when locals demand their pound of flesh and to some extent, rightly so. Arguably, why should people from outside a State apply for menial jobs? If outsiders corner sweepers or helpers jobs where should the locals go for their bread and butter? Join militants and take up guns? Does that promote national integration?
\nMoreover, regionalism is a serious threat to development, progress and unity which could challenge internal security by insurgent groups who propagate and fan feelings of regionalism against the country\u2019s mainstream politico-administrative setup and give rise to regional Parties.
\nConsequently, regional demands become national imperatives whereby policies are launched to satisfy regional demands which are extended across the country. Take Minimum Support Price given to sugarcane, it helped Maharashtra farmers but was implemented across all States resulting in agitations of farmers belonging to UP, Punjab and Haryana.
\nAdd to this continuous neglect of a region by the Centre resulting in uneven pattern of socio- economic development have created regional disparities as seen in BIMARU States (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and UP) leading to economic migration due to low rate of economic growth, poor infrastructural facilities in backward States, political and administration failure, low level of social expenditure by poor States on education, health and sanitation along-with vote-bank politics on language and culture.
\nToday our unity in diversity is perhaps on the brink of extinction, that although India still remains one country, some are demanding to be allocated a portion for their \u201cfamilies\u201d. Giving rise to conflict due to jobs tussle between migrants and locals, thanks to failure to create enough employment opportunity.
\nClearly, regional economic inequality is a potent time bomb directed against national unity and political stability as Indian nationalism continuously grapples with regional nationalism. Time our leaders rise above petty politricks, think beyond vote-bank politics and cry a halt to regionalism as it is detrimental to long-term growth.
\nThey need to think creatively about how to achieve the goal of putting everyone on equal footing. Merely banking on regionalism and reservation will not spell unity. The need of the hour is to develop each region of India, through devolution of power to local Governments and empowering people for their participation in decision-making.
\nAfter all, Article-19, gives every citizen a fundamental right to move around and settle down peacefully any part of the country. Social justice and equal opportunity is not the prerogative of only locals given how our caste-creed politics has already become divisive and self-defeating. No longer will young India accept that power in regionalism can be transformed into power in numbers. As citizens of India our netas should respect the fundamental right of every person. Hum Bihari hain toh kya huah, dil wale hain! \u2014 INFA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Regionalism To Fore By Poonam I Kaushish Pre 1947 India resounded to \u201cthrow out the British\u201d. Sprinkled with nationalism, all pledged to make India united and secular. The 2021 Mera Bharat Mahan is all about chucking the \u201coutsider aam aadmi\u201d from States. All promising to make their respective States more local chaap. Underscoring, 21st Century […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-158019","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-features"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158019\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}