Modi govt’s J&K move kindles hope for Vidarbha state

Nagpur: In the wake of Narendra Modi government taking decisive action bifurcating Jammu & Kashmir into Union territories, proponents of statehood for Vidarbha see a ray of hope. They feel the BJP, which has overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha and has good floor management in Rajya Sabha, should now fulfil its agenda of creating smaller states by granting statehood to Vidarbha.
“The way BJP managed to have its say over the issue of removing special powers granted to J&K under Article 370 and without tacit consent of state government to divide the state into two Union territories has set aside the myth that the Centre was not empowered for such action. The BJP cannot use the earlier excuse of not having sufficient numbers in the Upper House with reference to creation of separate state,” said Shreehari Aney, former advocate general of Maharashtra, who is in the forefront of fight for separate state.
“The very logic put forth while dealing with Kashmir — of ridding the state of violence and providing employment— holds good in case of Vidarbha too. For want of avenues, there is rampant unemployment in this region and there is Naxal violence that refuses to die down despite all efforts for decades. So, time is ripe for granting statehood to Vidarbha,” said Aney talking to TOI on Wednesday. “If the Centre is waiting for political violence and uprising as a pre-condition for accepting the demand that would be nothing short of disaster,” Aney added.
Another pro-Vidarbha leader Rajkumar Tirpude is also hopeful that the BJP would now summon the necessary political will to create Vidarbha state. “The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP have always said they want smaller states that are easy to manage and fulfil aspirations of people. Now that they have demonstrated that they can use their brute majority to good effect, the statehood issue should be settled now. The BJP need not wait for violence and bloodshed that preceded creation of Telangana state,” said Tirpude.
“My Vidarbha Maza Party has shown that it could win elections at local bodies level in Katol and Brahmapuri. To replicate it at the state-level may not be possible right now as no political party is committed on Vidarbha issue for different reasons. But, at the same time, the demand is genuine and has silent support of the masses from a long time,” Tirpude stressed.
The pro-Vidarbha leaders also pointed out that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has also indicated that the Centre is capable of taking a decision on creating new state making it clear that even if the BJP-led Maharashtra government does not take an initiative because of ally Shiv Sena’s reservations, Modi government could go ahead on its own and create Vidarbha state by an act of Parliament.