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Second SRC States Reorganisation Commission for Telangana?

admin | November 11, 2011 | 0 Comments

It’s official. The Congress wants to set up a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to decide on the creation of new states. The move is to pre-empt BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s proposal for the division of the state into four smaller states. Mayawati wants the state to be divided into Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal, and Paschimanchal, besides Central Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, Mayawati had addressed a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue. Now, she plans to move a resolution in the Winter Session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

In Bhopal, Digvijay Singh, AICC general secretary incharge of UP, said that Congress’ stand on demands for smaller states has always been clear. “A second SRC alone can address such issues,” he said while commenting on Mayawati’s resolution in the UP assembly in support of the division of that state into smaller ones in the winter session. Digvijay also confirmed that the UP CM has written to the Centre on the issue.

AICC general secretary incharge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh said, “Our policy regarding the bifurcation of the state is very open. We demand the formation of a State Reorganisation Commission before the division of the state.” The party insists that there is a need for taking a holistic view on the issue of creation of new states, instead of selectively responding to demands as and when they arise. This also helps the Congress to buy time and delay the decision on the issue. Meanwhile, AICC spokesman Rashid Alvi said the demand for smaller states was not confined merely to Uttar Pradesh but there were similar demands from other parts as well. “The Congress takes decisions in national interest and not in response to demands from a particular state or region. Any decision should be based on the recommendations of the SRC,” Rashid Alvi said. It assumes significance in the backdrop of the demand for a separate Telangana. Responding to a question whether Telangana is an exception, Rashid Alvi evaded a direct reply, saying “It is a long-pending demand. Telangana is a sensitive and burning issue and it is better if this question is directed to the AICC general-secretary incharge of Andhra Pradesh,” Alvi said. Informally, the party leaders seem to prefer linking a decision on Telangana to the recommendations of the Second SRC. It would give the Congress High Command the muchneeded leeway and buy time to take a decision on Telangana. In the context of the raging agitation in Telangana, the party does not want to take a decision in the heat of the moment but take a considered view before making the final decision. It was pointed out that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution of October 31, 2001, was adopted in the backdrop of the separate Telangana demand within the party. The CWC Resolution favoured the setting up of the Second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to study the issue of creation of smaller states Mayawati’s move is being seen in political circles as a ploy to counter the Congress campaign to get stronger in Uttar Pradesh, which has put pressure on her. At the same time, it is believed that Mayawati certainly does not want the liquidation of Uttar Pradesh, which is her stronghold. Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha constituencies – which means there are 80 Members of Parliament, and thus the State becomes a deciding factor in the formation of any government at the Centre. In 2001, Uttarakhand was carved out of the prized hilly regions of Uttar Pradesh. At present, RLD leader Ajit Singh, who has been campaigning for the creation of a separate state out of Western Uttar Pradesh, has threatened to launch an agitation if the demand to form Harit Pradesh out of western Uttar Pradesh is not met.

In New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told the media that the grand old party is for setting up of a commission to address the demand for smaller states. More importantly, from AP’s point of view, the spokesperson said in reply to a question that such acommission will also look into the demand for Telangana as well.

While the statements by these two party functionaries cannot be as yet attributed as the official stance of the Congress sans an announcement to that effect, AICC sources said the general idea was to gauge the response to the idea of a second SRC to raging demands like Telangana and new ones put forth by Mayawati. “The initial idea was to set up a Telangana regional council.But with Mayawati breathing down our back ahead of the assembly elections in UP next year with the demand for the splitting up of that state into smaller ones, a second SRC appears to be the solution to address all such demands which are sure to increase in the wake of the Telangana agitation and the UP CM’s move,” said the sources.

But in Hyderabad, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is spearheading the separate state agitation, made it clear that the constitution of a second SRC as an answer to creation of Telangana will not be acceptable to the people of the region.

“If the Congress goes ahead with such a move, we will ensure that it is wiped out from the political arena in the region for good,” said TRS legislature party floor leader Etala Rajender. T Harish Rao, another leader, said this would amount to cheating and that his party would oppose it tooth and nail and ensure that the Congress pays a heavy price for yet another betrayal of the people of the region. The reported second SRC move of the Congress is slated to be discussed at the TRS Politburo on Thursday.