With the Maharashtra meeting polls across the nook, the query of Vidarbha’s statehood might as soon as once more come into play, notably if the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) finds itself on the dropping facet, feels Shreehari Aney. A staunch advocate for Vidarbha’s statehood, the previous advocate basic of Maharashtra believes the upcoming elections could reignite the demand for a separate state.
Nevertheless, he additionally warns that political realities make the motion a tough promote for any occasion.In an unique interview, Aney delves into the advanced historical past of Vidarbha’s statehood motion, its close to successes, and why it has didn’t materialise regardless of being one in all India’s oldest statehood calls for.
Vidarbha statehood motion has been ongoing for many years with none success. What are your ideas…
The Vidarbha statehood motion hasn’t failed within the conventional sense, it has simply suffered setbacks. There have been moments when statehood was virtually inside attain. A type of moments was in the course of the management of Jambuwantrao Dhote, who was a powerful advocate of Vidarbha. Again within the Nineteen Seventies, 14 MLAs and two MPs had been elected to the Maharashtra Meeting on the statehood platform. Dhote had the ear of then prime minister Indira Gandhi, and it appeared like Vidarbha was nearer than ever to turning into a actuality. However after Indira’s assassination, the momentum died down. Dhote misplaced the folks’s backing over time, and the motion slowly fizzled out.
The second time Vidarbha got here near statehood was throughout Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure. Ministers like Vasantrao Sathe and NKP Salve — each from Vidarbha — had been instrumental in pushing the problem. Rajiv Gandhi appeared open to the concept, however once more, it misplaced steam as a result of lack of sustained stress and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. In each cases, we had been lacking one thing important — a pacesetter like Ok Chandrashekhar Rao, who spearheaded the Telangana motion with unwavering willpower. Vidarbha by no means had that form of management continuity, which is why we have struggled.
You led a revival of the statehood motion in 2013-14. What occurred throughout that section? Why did not it succeed?
That was a vital time. Once we revived the Vidarbha statehood motion in 2013-14, BJP was within the opposition, and lots of of its prime leaders supported our trigger. Folks like Nitin Gadkari, Devendra Fadnavis, and Sudhir Mungantiwar had been vocal of their assist. Congress was in energy, and BJP capitalised on that, saying they’d push for statehood as soon as they had been in energy. Fadnavis and Mungantiwar even participated in protests, and Gadkari gave us a written assurance that he would elevate the problem in Parliament as quickly as BJP assumed energy. Nevertheless, when the BJP got here into energy at each the state and nationwide ranges, the problem was sidelined. This wasn’t fully sudden, but it surely was disappointing. We had even tried to drift a separate occasion, Vidarbha Rajya Aghadi (VIRAA), and contest the meeting elections, hoping we might get just a few legislators elected who would elevate the statehood problem within the Meeting. However electoral politics is an costly train — operating a marketing campaign prices at the very least `6 crore, and we did not have the monetary sources to make it work. Ultimately, the motion misplaced momentum once more.
At 75, you have distanced your self from main the motion. Why did you make this choice?
I’ve at all times seen myself extra as an academician, an ideologue than a political chief. My contribution to the motion has at all times been by means of concepts and authorized frameworks, not as a pacesetter standing on a platform rallying folks. At my age, I merely do not have the vitality I had after I first joined the motion in my mid-40s. In addition to, statehood is in the end a political choice. It requires backing from a nationwide occasion like BJP or Congress, as they’re those who can move a decision in Parliament. With out the assist of a political large, there is no lifelike technique to obtain statehood. Sadly, we have needed to depend on political events which have larger priorities and agendas than Vidarbha’s statehood.
You have advocated for growth boards for Vidarbha. How successfully have they labored thus far?
Improvement boards had been shaped to deal with a really actual downside — the diversion of funds meant for backward areas like Vidarbha and Marathwada to western Maharashtra. These boards had been presupposed to give attention to important points just like the irrigation backlog. For years, Vidarbha’s agricultural growth was hampered as a result of funds had been being diverted elsewhere. The backlog was large, and the boards had been tasked with calculating it and making certain funds had been correctly allotted. Nevertheless, the boards had restricted energy and jurisdiction. Whereas they did spotlight among the disparities in fund allocation, they did not have the tooth to implement vital adjustments. The end result was that they did not serve their meant function successfully.
What’s the most compelling argument for Vidarbha’s youth to take up the reason for statehood?
For as we speak’s youth, the argument for statehood should transcend obscure guarantees of job creation. Many younger folks will rightly ask, “If nothing modified after we had influential leaders from Vidarbha in energy, what distinction would statehood make?” That is a legitimate query. Subsequently, each argument for statehood must be well-rounded, addressing not simply financial growth but in addition regional id, cultural preservation, and governance. If the motion is to realize traction among the many youth, it must be grounded. We won’t depend on empty guarantees of a greater future. The argument wants to deal with the precise issues of as we speak’s technology, like unemployment, financial disparity, and entry to sources. On the identical time, we have to remind people who Vidarbha’s wealthy historical past and cultural id are price preserving.
Do you assume Vidarbha is prepared for a revolution much like Telangana?
Vidarbha does not want the form of revolution we noticed in Telangana. Our circumstances are completely different. Telangana’s motion was fuelled by a historical past of armed revolts and excessive sacrifices, which isn’t the case in Vidarbha. We needn’t take an aggressive, confrontational strategy. As a substitute, the motion must be strategic, specializing in constructing regional delight and addressing the distinctive challenges we face. Vidarbha has at all times been resource-rich, which has been each a blessing and a curse. Whereas we have had sufficient to maintain ourselves, it has additionally made us complacent at instances. What we’d like now’s a multi-layered strategy — one which appeals to our distinct regional id whereas additionally addressing the financial realities of the area.
