The meeting of well-known poll strategist Prashant Kishor with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has triggered speculation about fresh efforts to create a non-BJP and non-Congress front. This puts the focus back on regional satraps such as Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik even though he has so far consciously avoided aligning with any political group at the national level.
However, there is no denying the spectacular rise of regional parties in Indian politics, a phenomenon that has strengthened our democracy by giving voice to regional aspirations and helping decentralization of power. Notwithstanding occasional clashes between the Centre and states led by regional chieftains, such as the one recently witnessed in West Bengal, the growth of regional parties has led to improvement in the quality of governance.
On the other hand, growth of strong regional parties – with some of them seeking greater autonomy for the states where they are in power – also indicates that governments at the Centre are not always successful in addressing region-specific issues. Some of these issues have been festering for a long time.
A good example of this is the Centre’s failure to concede Odisha’s demand for special category state status. The demand has been raised by Patnaik right since he came to power in 2000 when he led a coalition government with BJP as his partner. The then NDA government at the Centre paid little attention to the demand as it apparently felt uncomfortable about admitting to the fact that the state had been neglected for a long time and required special treatment.
The demand is completely justified considering that Odisha has been at the receiving end of natural calamities such as cyclones and floods for a long time and they have dealt a blow to its economy. The cost of rehabilitation and reconstruction in the wake of each such disaster sets the state exchequer by several crores. The compensation from the Centre is invariably not proportionate to the loss suffered by the state.
Patnaik, who is also the president of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the most successful regional party in the history of the state, had himself pointed to – during his address at the BJD Yuva Janata Dal working committee meeting in Bhubaneswar last year – the limitations of national parties in dealing with the distinctive requirements of states. He had rightly pointed out that national parties were bound to compromise on the distinctive needs of a state for gains in the larger national context.
It is precisely this problem that has led to the emergence of strong regional parties, including the BJD. The leaders of these parties remain committed to not only articulating but also realizing the hopes and aspirations of their people and dealing with the Centre on equal terms. There is nothing wrong in that. The centre should help states grow which would then willingly contribute their best to the collective growth of the nation. That is the crux of cooperative federalism.
In cooperative federalism ,the centre should pay proper attention to the demands of the state’s so that the states are not neglected and the states should contribute to the collective growth of the nation.The demand of our beloved CM for a special status to Odisha is purely justified as the State is suffering from the disasters due to natural calamities every year shattering it’s economy .
So our beloved CM is raising this issue since 2000 and the centre should consider it on priority for the benefit of the state.
Bande Utkal Janani.