What will keep it(India) together, same stuff that keeps the USA together.
1.India is much younger in terms of median age, so most of the population does have any identity that is not Indian.
2.Humongous salaried class, public sector and private sector, these poople see the advantages of mobility among 25-27 states to better their personal balance sheet.
3.India has a pretty good record of making former rebels the 'ruling' party, probably among the best in the world, let me see the DMK/AIDMK in Tamilnadu, Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Assam, Punjab Andhra pradesh to varying degrees, in some cases what I refer to as rebels were just the opposition party in other cases really rebels.
4. Culture, religion, history and all that stuff, plus the not insignificant fact that India has always suspected the 'foreign hand' out to destabilize and break up India and that India is pretty proud of being a secular democracy however impaired that may get at times.
5. Besides UP and Bihar breaking away would be like Pennsylvania and Massachusetts breaking away.
6. The kind of break away that has happened and will happen is the kind that has happened in the US too, economic breakaway, Robert Reich (ex-labor Secy.) has alluded to the seccession of the Suburbia in the US. Yes in India too there is enormous stratification, some old but many new due to gulf wealth, software wealth, export money etc. etc.
Ramesh. |
