Harit Pradesh Demand,Telangana storm hits India, separate state demands up, India Divided

Centre blinking on the issue of formation of Telangana, RLD chief Ajit Singh decided to revive his demand for Harit Pradesh to be carved out of Uttar Pradesh after the Parliament session.

Chief Minister Mayawati today supported the demand for the division of Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati said the BSP government was ready for the establishment of separate Bundelkhand and Western UP states.

Even before Telengana fire could reach UP, Mayawati has thus pushed the ball in the Centre’s court. The chief minister said the Centre should allow the state government for division.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh was the first to reiterate his demand for a Harit Pradesh (Green State) by carving out the agriculturally rich districts in western Uttar Pradesh.

Singh, who has long been seeking formation of Harit Pradesh, to be carved out of parts of western Uttar Pradesh, said that unlike Andhra Pradesh, the situation in UP is different "as there is a general consensus (among votaries of separate Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal) for the state's reorganisation".

Assam tribes’ demands

Ethnic groups in Assam have raised the banner of revolt with demands for separate states to be carved out of the region. Among the prominent groups that have already raised the issue of separate statehood are the Bodos, the Karbis, and the Dimasa tribes in Assam.

The first to raise the issue is the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), an ally of the ruling Congress party in Assam. "If Telangana can be carved out of Andhra Pradesh, why not a separate Bodoland in Assam," BPF leader Hagrama Mohilary told IANS.

Divide UP: Maya

Meanwhile, CM Mayawati has demanded that Uttar Pradesh be split into Bundelkhand and Harit Pradesh. “Our party supports the principle of smaller states,” she told reporters in Lucknow. "I have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to give us clearance for creating independent states of Budelkhand and Harit Pradesh out of a giant-sized and unmanageable Uttar Pradesh," she said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal supreme Lalu Yadav also said the party supported creation of separate states like Purvanchal and Bundelkhand. However, on the demand for creation of Mithilanchal state, Lalu was cryptic and said "I will talk".

Pressure for separate Vidarbha

The demand for statehood to Vidarbha in Maharashtra gained momentum as former Union minister Vilas Muttemwar today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded a separate state for the region.

Muttemwar, senior Congress MP from here and protagonist of statehood campaign for Vidarbha, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him to take steps for creation of separate Vidarbha.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Muttemwar said people of Vidarbha have been peacefully demanding statehood to Vidarbha region since long. The region has great potential and was economically viable, he said.

The proposal for creation of separate Vidarbha has been studied by many committees from time to time, Muttemwar said while thanking him for settling the Telangana issue once for all and agreed for separate Telangana state.

’Karaikal as separate UT’

An 'apolitical organisation' in Puduherry seeking Union Territory status for Karaikal, has renewed its appeal.

Karaikal is part of the Union Territory of Puducherry.

S.P.Selvashanmugham, convenor of the Karaikal struggle group (KSG), told PTI that his outfit, comprising freedom fighters,senior citizens and other people, welcomed the Centre's initiative to set in motion the necessary process for carving out a separate Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.

Gorkhaland statehood just demand: Jaswant

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has said its demand for a separate 'Gorkhaland' should also be accepted on the same grounds. And to press for the same, they have gone on a 96-hour hunger strike starting Friday and would also enforce a three-day bandh in Darjeeling hills from December 14.

The hunger strike was started by GJM members in all the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling district, besides in the plains in Siliguri.

Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh Friday said the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland was "valid" and added that if "legitimate demands" were met, then violence would not be an option.