Formation of India’s 29th State is creating ripples all across the country and Gujarat is no exception. The proposal of Telangana ignited Statehood demand in the relatively smaller Gujarat as voices are being raised for three separate States — Saurashtra, Kutch and Bhilistan.
Demands for all the three separate States are decades-old but movement in Gujarat is not as violent as that of in Andhra Pradesh. However, the Centre’s green signal to bifurcate the southern State has given fresh air to the movement.
Strongest demand for the separate State has come from the India’s second largest district (area wise) Kutch. Erstwhile ruler of Kutch Maharav Pragmalji III initiated the movement four decades ago. Kutch Vikas Sena (KVS) was also formed under his chairmanship. The patriarch of Kutch’s royal family says that immediately after independence till the year 1956, Kutch was enjoying Statehood, but it was merged with erstwhile Mumbai State and later on with Gujarat in 1960 - both the times without taking Kutchi people in confidence.
“Culture and language of Kutch are different. Neither the Congress nor the BJP has paid attention to address issues of Kutchi people. After 67 years of the Independence, Kutch remained parched. Despite industries are being set up here, fruits of the development have not reached,” says Gopendra Gadhavi, advisor of KVS, which has nearly 70,000 members.
Former MlA Babu Meghji Shah says that he had raised the issue of separate Kutch State in Gujarat Assembly in 2004 but unfortunately the issue was not discussed. He says that promises were given to form Kutch Development Board way back in 1975, but it was never formed.
Movement for separate Saurashtra State was initiated in 1972 by advocate Ratilal Tanna, who was close aide of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, says Parag Tejura, president of Saurashtra Sankalan Samiti. Tejura claims that more than 300 organisations across the Saurashtra region support the demand of the separate State. “Compared to other parts of Gujarat, Saurashtra is underdeveloped. Big industrial projects are coming near Ahmedabad and Vadodara, while Saurashtra is being ignored,” he said.