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BJP & Federalism
Mansukh Kaur
 Akali
Dal manifesto released by the epitome of decentralisation of power,
Sukhbir Singh Badal, promised to work for decentralisation of power
across India by pushing for real federalism. He hopes to get the NDA
to take the country towards real federalism, but omits to mention
that the BJP had always loved a two-party system and cares two hoots
for regional parties.
By its very
perception of politics in
India,
the BJP swears by the principle of
Unitary
State.
True that it has been pushed to recognise at some stages movements
for greater autonomy or statehood and now claims that “the BJP has
always been in favour of formation of smaller States”. True that it
claims credit for the creation of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and
Uttarakhand and backs the creation of Telangana as a separate State
of the Union of India.
But lestthere be
any doubt, the BJP is indulging in a bit of double speak. Its
commitment to federalism is zilch, its reinvention of itself is
proof of opportunistic readiness to make any compromise to win
power. It is saying something else to get power and will do
something completely opposite because its very founding is based on
different principles.
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The BJP is run in a very centralised way, controlled
ideologically by the RSS and speaks of Akhand Bharat. True
federalism has even space for sesessionist voices. Can BJP even
think of the kind of voices that emanated from Texas recently? |
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It is now under
pressure to make politically correct noises because of its stakes in
the north east. It has been part of the ruling coalitions in
Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland. Until Meghalaya
was recently brought under President’s rule, the BJP was part of the
ruling Meghalaya Progressive Alliance led by the Nationalist
Congress Party. Contesting the Nagaland Assembly elections last year
as part of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, it won seven seats
and is presently part of the government, with one Cabinet Minister.
The BJP is also
supporting the demand of the National Conference of Tripura, the
latest of the quasi-separatist tribal based outfits in the State,
for creation of a separate State comprising the Autonomous District
Council areas which account for over two-thirds of the geographical
area of the State.
The party’s choice
of Kheroni in Karbi Anglong district as the venue of L.K. Advani’s
first election rally was clearly intended to send a message that the
BJP was sympathetic to the demand for the elevation of two
autonomous districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills as an
autonomous State within Assam under the provisions of Article 244-A
of the Constitution.
That Article was
introduced to meet some special circumstances that existed when two
other autonomous districts of Assam, Khasi and Jaintia Hills and
Garo Hills, were separated and briefly constituted as an ‘autonomous
State within Assam’ in 1970, before being elevated as the
full-fledged State of
Meghalaya
less than two years later.
The BJP is a party
that has always spoken of a strong and powerful Center, and works as
a monolithic. It is run in a very centralised way, controlled
ideologically by the RSS and speaks of Akhand Bharat. True
federalism has even space for sesessionist voices. Can BJP even
think of the kind of voices that emanated from Texas recently?
22
April 2009
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