(CPIM Andhra Pradesh State Secretary and Polit Bureau Member)
The ruling classes of our country and the imperialists increasingly feel that break up of large states into smaller ones would facilitate their nationwide loot of resources and are therefore encouraging the process, felt B V Raghavulu, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and secretary of Andhra Pradesh state committee. Holding the Congress party fully responsible for the present explosive situation in the state, he appealed to the people not to get provoked and maintain unity.
Below are the excerpts from the interview given by the CPI(M) leader to N S Arjun in
The issue of division of the state has been brought to the forefront once again. After the central government announced its intention to begin the process of formation of separate Telangana state following TRS chief's hunger strike, a counter-movement for united state has begun in other regions. The largescale resignations of MLAs belonging to Congress, TDP, Praja Rajyam and few MPs has pushed the state into a political crisis. The state assembly proceedings have come to grinding halt leaving no scope for discussing the pressing problems of the common people or the loot of mineral wealth by Bellary Reddy brothers. The entire atmosphere in the state has deteriorated today, leading to a critical situation. There is an atmosphere of growing divisions among people belonging to different regions.
The responsibility lies fully with the Congress. It has since the beginning been playing around with the unity of the state. The long standing opportunistic stance of Congress has resulted in a situation today where with each passing day the urge for the division of the state is growing firmly in Telangana. The Congress never took any steps to remove the backwardness of the region and all its promises made in this regard for electoral gains have been thrown into dustbin. The formation of Regional Boards to oversee development, the implementation of G.O. 610 to protect jobs in the region etc were all neglected by successive Congress governments. The present decision of the Congress is height of its opportunism. On the one hand it announced its intention and the very next day it is giving different signals. But in the process it has very much complicated the situation.
The undivided Communist Party and later the CPI(M) have from the beginning stood for a united state not only here but at the all
Que: The CPI(M) principle of linguistic states is being attacked citing the case of existence of numerous Hindi-speaking states in the country.
There is an important difference here. The linguistic states formed here emerged as part of the freedom movement against British imperialism. There were huge struggles led by both Congress and Communists for formation of linguistic states, which resulted first in Andhra Pradesh and later Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka etc. There were no such movements in the princely states in the North. These states were formed mainly on administrative basis. So it is wrong to equate both.
The ruling classes increasingly feel that having strong states is an hinderance to their ongoing loot of national wealth. The imperialists and the foreign MNCs also feel that smaller states would facilitate their entry and their loot of natural resources. In fact, they are encouraging this process worldwide. The BJP is also actively seeking splintering of states because it feels that it can effectively take its communal agenda forward in smaller states. This is one aspect. The other aspect is that during the time of crisis when the condition of people deteriorates by each passing day, the ruling classes always bring to fore various emotional issues to divert people's attention from the real problems. They keep stoking the flames without resolving those issues. The Congress party is doing the same now in the state. The Congress government's failure is glaring in the way the prices of food items and commodities have soared; the cuts made in the welfare schemes; the fall in revenues; halting of work on irrigation projects etc. To deflect the anger of people against the state government, it is using the emotive issue of separate statehood.
If one sees the experience historically or even if one takes the recent experience of smaller states, it is clear that this argument is not correct. There is no case that merited the division of the state. In the capitalist path of development, particularly post-neo liberal reforms, there has been intensification of uneven development in the country. Profit is the only criteria for the movement of capital. With the role of the State being constricted, the possibilities of development of neglected areas is receding further. All the political parties which opportunistically try to use this uneven development for political gains, actually support these neo-liberal policies. Only by fighting against these policies can there be development of such backward regions.
(Peoples Democracy)
