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RAJIB KUMAR

Will events like IPL bid adieu to the age-old policy of marginalizing the states?


Ever Since India attained independence, union governments have implicitly and explicitly worked towards weakening individual states. The philosophy behind this “official line” was empowered states were a threat to the center. The public position was of course that this would augment thoughts of secession from the Indian state.

The dreaded article # 356 of the Indian Constitution (or as some would say a section in the Indian Penal Code!) has been freely used over the years to teach errant states a lesson.

This was quite in contrary to the way of life in, say, America, where you would observe the same vociferous support in Chicago for the Bulls as for the US soccer team and with undiluted official sanction.

Perhaps the realization that stronger states mean a stronger nation came to India managers only post globalization.

Events like the Indian Premier League which has caught the nation’s imagination (including the most wanted men and women of Bollywood) might just give the much-needed fillip to greater feelings of federalism.

It is silly that thus far this was scorned upon. In Chicago, Illinois you would spot banners of Bulls happily fluttering alongside the stars and stripes just like those of Phoenix Suns would in Phoenix, Arizona.

I take the American example because of the synonymity with the Indian Example: Both are huge countries (America huger ofcourse and both have a huge number of states (America 50, India, not too far behind… 28 and 7 so called “union territories”) The American citizen’s loyalty to his state and country is equal and mutually exclusive. Thanks to market forces we get to see the celebration of the “state” in the lanes and bylanes of Kolkata…. Kolkata Knight Riders banners fluttering all over the place. The next obvious question is: when shall we get to fly the tricolor atop our apartments?


The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily purport to constitute an official position of Offline or Material World. The author’s write up is based on an entirely personal reflection and is bereft of any intention of a personal tirade against any individual or group or section of society

(Offline,Volume-5, No- 2, April 2008)