Regional discontent & the need for dialogue

I have had the opportunity to tour South and Northeast India quite extensively during the first decade and a half of this century. Earlier, I had the opportunity to be in J&K for a few tumultuous years and in Punjab, my home state and also the state that was allotted to me in the IPS (1966). It has been a ringside view of this great nation and I have often marvelled at its sheer vastness.

Touring, inspecting and attending meetings in various places through a career in the government spanning almost five decades does give the principle of 'unity in diversity' an enriched perspective. I have witnessed the strength of the nation through this underlying principle and the wisdom of our forefathers in giving us this equilibrium through Article 15 in the Constitution.

I have also, through my career in the police, witnessed the havoc which can be created when old and new fault lines are played up by vested interests.

These days, a lot is being carried in the national media about activities in South India and it is also a hot topic of discussion in political, administrative and social circles. The immediate cause of this turbulence is the expected delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies to be done on the basis of a Census to be conducted in 2026. The other factors are the implementation of the UCC, NEP, anticipated imposition of Hindi, perceived weakening of the federal structure, along with inadequate flow of funds from the Centre to the states.

The southern states feel, and perhaps rightly so, that they are more advanced than central and north India in overall development indices, specifically in the IT sector, manufacturing, human resource development, pharmaceuticals and higher technical and school education. They also have a large number of expatriates who add billions of dollars to the national kitty.

South India has a rich history of trade by sea with the Gulf and other countries, which has integrated it more internationally through business and extended families. Today, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai are at the forefront of GCCs (global capability centres), boasting of large expatriate communities and white collar jobs.

The fear is that delimitation will cut at the very roots of their political and financial future. Education made the South aware of the advantages of family planning and they have achieved considerable success. If the exercise of delimitation is carried out, they would lose out on the percentage of seats in Parliament, with the gains mainly transferring to UP, Bihar, MP and Maharashtra.

The subject, which is now in the open, used to be discussed in hushed tones at bureaucratic levels when I attended some meetings in the South. The fear was that in spite of education, controlled population, institutional and educational infrastructure and contribution to the national economy, they would never be in the driver's seat politically because of the numbers. This much was expressed openly and the rest left for you to draw your own conclusions.

In the absence of an open dialogue with the Centre, the politician has made his entry onto the stage and is saying what was left unsaid earlier. He does not want delimitation, he does not want the UCC, he does not want imposition of Hindi. Rather, he wants more finances and a greater say on the national political stage.

The imperative question is whether anyone is talking to them. It is the duty of the government to anticipate potential problem areas and ensure that fault lines don’t get converted into major flare-ups.

The Dravidian movement has had a strong resonance in regional politics and the DMK, AIADMK and MDMK, all originate from it. The five major southern states (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) have 129 of the 543 seats in Parliament, representing a mere 23.7 per cent of the vote share. In contrast, the four states (UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, MP) which have the largest to gain by a population census already represent 197 of the 543 seats, i.e. they have 36.2 per cent of the vote share in Parliament, with the balance being shared between the 27 other states and UTs.

If you are from the South and facing a dominant North which is raring to become even more overbearing, you would be justified in fearing a loss of significance.

But I fail to understand why there has been no serious dialogue at the highest levels. From family disputes to national and international ones, dialogue has been the way out. It can take place at the first sign of trouble or in the midst of an ongoing problem. Why is there a hesitation to talk? Talking is not a sign of weakness; it is a willingness to resolve problems. The best people to initiate a dialogue are the parties directly concerned.

Let the Central government's highest representatives talk to the states concerned; let the talks be held under the open sky. The most intractable problems can be resolved by open-mindedness.

The same holds true for the Northeast. It has been an area where accord and discord coexist, where the national media and politicos are generally missing. You hear one thing on the mainland and see the opposite on the ground.

Under the guise of an accord, Nagaland has been ruled by the underground for decades; Dimapur is their town and de facto capital. They impose road blocks and embargoes whenever and wherever they want and lift them at will.

Mizoram gives refuge to the influx from Myanmar against the wishes of the Centre. It has established camps for the influx as well as the dispossessed Manipur tribals. The Myanmar border is almost an open border for Manipur and Mizoram.

Manipur is an unfolding tragedy where many lives have been lost and even more have been rendered homeless even as armed bands of various hues have a free run of the land. They rob, rape and kill at will; large-scale looting of arms has taken place from police armouries.

Why is a comprehensive dialogue with the heads of all tribes missing? Will the jackboot be the only answer?

The other perennial sources of concern for the nation are Punjab and J&K. After a period of respite, they have become active again. They are like volcanoes which keep simmering below the surface and erupt suddenly.

However, unlike volcanoes, we can take steps to bring peace to these areas. Both Central and state governments must engage with Parliament, state Assemblies and the people. The people should be taken into confidence; we all have a stake in peace.

Both Punjab and J&K are getting active again and it seems that our neighbours across the border are once more stoking the fires. Serious incidents are taking place daily and all we get to hear from the government is just platitudes. Religion and politics are a deadly cocktail, as we have seen earlier. These incidents cannot be brushed under the carpet.

Political parties should stop scoring points. The government should show its will and the administration its resolve — if not now, then when?