[This article first appeared as the cover story (on regionalism) in the December edition of Mutiny print. Mutiny is the first blog to go print. Click here to subscribe to Mutiny.]
My home is in a small town in the middle part of Kerala and I work in Kerala’s capital city. There is a common perception that people in this southern capital city are arrogant and cannot be trusted. When I was about to move to this city, I was told by many people that “do not trust them, they always cheat” or “the women out there are so clever and cunning” etc. Even people who live in the other southern districts were of the same opinion when it came to the capital city. After I moved to the new place and started interacting with my colleagues, some of them had curious questions about the northern part too. Questions like, “I heard that in the northern part, women head families and men are like mere servants?” or “I have had bad experiences while I was in your town. Don’t take me wrong, but most of the people from the northern part are not trust worthy”. I couldn’t help myself but laugh at these questions and I told them that it is the same perception that exists in the northern part about people from south.
And I am not talking about North India, when I say North. It is just the northern part of a state in India – Kerala. This is among the people who share the same language, culture and customs. And I think that the regional conflicts are going to be the next biggest threat that India will have to face after the current phase of communal issues. Or I should say India is seeing it already?
Ever since India has got freedom from the British, the nation has seen separatist movements from several parts of the country. The fact that India was a land divided of small countries in itself was a huge task for the people who took over the administration from the British to establish national integrity. It is a mysterious thing that we still stand united even though we have huge differences in many levels.
The differences were many – racial, linguistic and cultural. Telangana movement which dates back to the independence era was among the first of this kind which was based on the linguistic difference where Telugu speaking people did not want to be a part of Tamil dominated Madras state. There was Jharkhand movement which later became separate state. Take the anti-Hindi movement, led by the eminent Tamil leader Periyar Ramasamy, which was a result of fighting against making Hindi as official language of India. Or the Gorkhaland movement. Or the Khalistan.
But it is not just in the history that we have to search for examples of regionalism. Kashmir still stands in the front row when we look into the current issues. The north-eastern states in India feels alientated by the rest of India and separatism has taken form of militancy in some of parts of this area. ULFA in Assam for example. People fight in the name of linguistic pride whenever two states have a conflict between them. Remember the riots between Kannadigas and Tamilians in the south India? Or the discrimination and violence against north-east people and their women in the northern part of India. Or Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s violent anti-North movement. Or the Biharis being targeted by the militants in Assam.
The other day I was discussing with my friends about the possible solutions to end religious conflicts in India. So many suggestions came up – like promoting agnostism and atheism, a stricter implementation of a secular state etc. Then one friend suggested that the only possible solution is more and more of a globalized world. “Globalization would displace people. It will force them to migrate to other parts of the country or world, in search of a better living and earning. Then they will be forced to mingle with other linguistic, religious groups and they will be stayed away from their regional/religious/community cocoons of comfort. This would give them no space to organize and fight for causes like regionalism or religion. Yes, they will be alienated from their roots. But peace will return.” But then, if globalization had helped people to alleviate conflicting issues, there would not be so much troubles still existing in the world.
India is witnessing more and more internal conflicts these days which are based on the regional and linguistic differences. The fact remains that we do not see this under current in the present situation of religious tensions. But once that is gone, is it going to be regionalism and related differences which will emerge as a stronger enemy to the very concept of India?