SONS OF THE ZONES! – UGLY CHAUVINISM
The disease of regional
chauvinism, which, of course, always manifests through ‘popular’ sentiments,
and which in case of Telangana resulted in the undermining of some
constitutional provisions/conventions even, to create a separate state by
bifurcating a well-developing first post-independence linguistic state of
Andhra Pradesh, that without any wide discussion on the generally accepted
linguistic reorganization of the country, let alone any consensus to upset the
same, mainly to further the narrow partisan interests of the then and the now
ruling parties – has not died down but the madness has reached to its peaks as
manifested in the recently passed Telangana
Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct
Recruitment) Order, 2018, obtained by the clever manipulations of the
opportunistic chief minister of Telangana, perhaps through a secret deal with
the ruling party at the centre. Strangely, this is achieved through a
Presidential Order – and not any statute passed after any debates in the Parliament
– issued by the powers given to the President under Article 371D, which in fact
was a contrivance made as an exceptional measure to keep up and promote the
unity of the [undivided] State of Andhra Pradesh! So now, 95% of all government
employment except in some state headquarters offices are reserved for the sons
of zones created by KCR, after earlier dividing Telangana into some 31
districts in the name of administrative convenience – but which in fact leads
to more of an administrative mess. Actually, how far the bifurcation of the
State of AP itself is
constitutionally valid – that too without a constitutional amendment either
removing or materially altering this Article 371D - is yet to be decided by the
Apex Court which is still sitting pretty on several 2014 writ petitions filed
challenging the same. This openly flies in the face of Articles 15 and 16 of
the Constitution which basically assert the fundamental rights of non-discrimination on grounds of religion, race,
caste, sex or place of birth and of equality of opportunity in matters of
public employment, through a presidential fiat under Article 371D - an
exception carved out for a very different purpose. Well, then, India can/may
also be divided into hundreds of zones by such exceptional measures overriding
the basic provisions, and a multi-zone India, with no linguistic/ethnic
community-wise provincial autonomy, may be the dream come true of the religious
fanatic unitary state-mongers ruling the country now. Well, let all progressive,
democratic, and the left and liberal sections too applaud such moves as the necessary
and proper means to establish ‘political correctness’ and promote
‘multiculturalism’! §§§
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