The decision to create Telangana is all set to open up a Pandora’s box. Demands for separate statehood, which have so far been simmering, could now gather momentum.
The first shot was fired on Tuesday with Maharashtra Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar demanding the carving out of a Vidarbha state. The protagonists of Gorkhaland and Bodoland on Tuesday threatened to intensify their agitation for statehood. Union minister and RLD leader Ajit Singh has now stepped up the demand for a Harit Pradesh while Bundelkhand leaders would be taking out a march to demand a separate state of Bundelkhand.
Besides these, there are 10 other demands for separate statehood — Saurashtra in Gujarat, Purvanchal in Uttar Pradesh, carving out Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir, a Vindhya Pradesh from Madhya Pradesh, Mithila in Bihar, Coorg in Karnataka, Tulu Land in Karnataka, Kongu Nadu in Tamil Nadu, Kukiland in Manipur and Dimaraji in Assam. J&K chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah described the creation of Telangana as a “dangerous trend”.