Do smaller states make sense?

After dithering for years the UPA government made up its mind to grant statehood to Telangana. While reorganisation, birth of new states have been a major emotive issue in India, the birth of Telangana was preceded by violence, threats, days of shutdown and a lot of political calculations behind closed doors.

While some argue that the UPA did so in view of minimising the electoral damage that the Congress might suffer in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, the declaration of statehood to Telangana has already triggered a domino effect. While Assam seethes in violent protest for Bodoland and separate statehood for Karbi-Anglong district, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has called for a bandh in Darjeeling. Given the surge of emotions among various stakeholders things will only become more volatile in the coming months.

But behind the demand for new states lies the important questions of whether smaller states equals better governance? And also the major question that demands an answer how many states will India have in the future?

Join us for a lively debate with representatives from Telangana Rashtra Samithi, who spearheaded the Telangana movement, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which wants a new state of Darjeeling, Sudhindra Bhadoria of the BSP whose party wants Uttar Pradesh to be divided into smaller states, the Congress, BJP and opponents of small states.