Maharashtra Vidarbha Separate Statehood - Political Turm essays

Maharashtra Vidarbha Separate Statehood - Political Turm essays Maharashtra Vidarbha Separate Statehood - Political Turmoil Maharashtra is a state in west-central India with a population over 97,000,000, making it the second most populous state in India. Vidarbha with a population of over 20,000,000 is located in eastern Maharashtra and has been demanding separate statehood within India since the early 1950s. Separate statehood has not been accomplished to date. Several reasons, which have been the recent focus of political turmoil, have emerged as major barriers in acquiring Vidarbhas statehood. Vidarbha is rich in natural resources, national parks, diverse culture and people with a passion for life. It is this wealth of resources that prevents Vidarbha from gaining separate statehood because leaders of Maharashtra are well aware of this gem. Vidarbha can be a strong state if given the opportunity to lead and manage its own human and natural resources. Vidarbha is a real goldmine for development. The natural resources that are found in this region are many. Some of its products are oranges, which has earned the region the nickname the California of India, cotton, spices and rice. It has dense forest cover with lush flowers and greenery, which appeal to tourists. The mineral wealth of Vidarbha contains coal and manganese as the major minerals and iron ore and limestone as potential wealth. Famous national parks are Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Navegaon National Park and Tadoba National Park. The infrastructure of Vidarbha is solid and has several power plants. Education is considered a major moneymaking business due to several private educational institutions, especially those of higher education, which have multiplied in the region. Given the vast amount of resources listed above, why has this region been referred to as backward? A key reason is the neglect shown by the Maharashtra government. Vidarbha is discriminate...