Bhopal, Sep 15 With less than one-and-a-half years left for the next Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, the demand for the formation of a separate Vindhya Pradesh, which comprises 30 Assembly seats, is likely to gain momentum once again.
Sitting BJP MLA from Maihar (Satna district) Narayan Tripathi, who has been raising voice for the formation of Vindhya Pradesh for more than a decade now, said that he would form a political party in the name of Vindhya, and will contest the elections on 30 seats under its jurisdiction.
Tripathi, who is set to begin a foot-march followed by a 'Dharma Sabha' (religious gathering) from religious 'Siddha Pahad' in Chitrakoot (Assembly constituency under Satna district) on September 27, spoke to exclusively on his demand of Vindhya Pradesh's formation and some other issues.
Here are experts from the interview:
Q: There is wide speculation across political circles that you are going to form a political party. What is the reality in it?
A: Yes, things are in process, hopefully we will be able to make an announcement by November or December this year. We will contest the Assembly elections in all 30 seats falling under the Vindhya region. I have been raising the demand for a separate Vindhya Pradesh since 2004, but so far, I didn't make it a political issue because this subject is beyond politics for us. But, now it's the need of the hour to have a political party to strengthen our voice more.
Q: A separate state requires to have many things from revenue sources to infrastructures and many more. At this point, how do you see the possibility of separate Vindhya Pradesh?
A: When Chhattisgarh was made a separate state, the same situation was faced, but now Chhattisgarh has become a growth state. Second, we are demanding our Vindhya Pradesh, which actually exists. We are not demanding for a new state because Vindhya Pradesh was merged with Madhya Pradesh.
Q: Why are you demanding for separate Vindhya Pradesh when it was merged with Madhya Pradesh decades ago?
A: First, making Vindhya Pradesh a separate state is not my own demand but of the people of this region. Of course I am leading this movement, but before me, other political leaders too from Vindhya had time and again pushed for it even before Chhattisgarh was separated. Second, because the Vindhya region was not given importance and has been deprived of development. For example, Chitrakoot, where Lord Ram did 14-year-long 'tapasya' during his exile from Ayodhya. When Ram came to Chitrakoot, he was a prince and after doing tapasya, he became Lord Ram. But Ram's 'tapasya bhoomi' (Chitrakoot) wasn't given much importance. This is just an example. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he wants to make India self-reliant, which is possible only when states become self-reliant and it is possible only when we have small states.
Q: What is the possibility you see and what's the next step you are going to take to push your demand?
A: I am pushing this issue relentlessly with the sole vision of Vindhya Pradesh and will fight for it until it is done. In the last two years, we have visited the entire Vindhya region twice and people have supported our movement. Through the last two movements, we were successful in filling the feeling of Vindhya Pradesh in the minds and hearts of the people. Now, a third movement will start from September 27 with a Dharma Sabha organised at Siddha Pahad.
Q: Despite being a sitting MLA from the BJP, you often raise questions on our own party's government. During local body polls, you said the entire government machinery is working for the BJP and recently you wrote a letter to the Chief Minister on the Siddha Pahad issue. Why?
A: I am a public representative and my duty is to raise questions if anything goes wrong with the people of my constituency. I don't raise questions, but issue an alert when I see something wrong. And this is to convey a message to our Chief Minister, but it doesn't mean that I am against the BJP.
Q: But, your action gives an opportunity to the opposition to corner the BJP government. Also, it gives rise to speculation that you are getting close to the Congress?
A: I raise my voice whenever I see anything going wrong and I have nothing to do with the Congress. Whatever the Congress leaders speculate, let them do, I can't stop them from doing so. I wrote a letter to the Chief Minister over the mining issue on Siddha Pahad in Chitrakoot and see how quickly the Chief Minister took action on it. I am still fighting on that particular issue. Yes, I say that sand and rock mining in the Vindhya region is running on a large-scale with the nexus between politic and government officials.
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