From: narayana@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu (Kuram T Narayana)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Should Indian states need more autonomy?
Date: 4 Sep 92 20:22:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.Bu2Ly5.GKC
Organization: Penn State Computer Science

In article <3409@creatures.cs.vt.edu> juvvadi@csgrad.cs.vt.edu (Ramana R. Juvvadi) writes:
>In article <1992Sep2.155100.5571@oracorp.com> narayana@oracorp.com (K. T. Narayana) writes:
>
>
>>States are allowed to tax and raise revenues! 
>
>This is not the point. The real question is what percentage of a ctizen's
>tax goes to centre and what percentage goes to states.
>
>
><stuff deleted>
>
>>I have yet to come across one single state that managed its economy
>>better than the center's management of the national economy! Don't
>
>It is true that states have in general done a bad job. That is not a reason
>for not delegating any authority to them. Just like individuals even 
>institutions learn only after experience. This is the same argument that
>British gave for not granting independence to India. They said Indians
>were irresponsible to govern themselves. There was some truth to the
>argument. But I don't know of any one who thinks that was a sufficient reason
>for the Britishers to continue. This is like a mother accusing that daughter
>doesn't know cooking but never letting her enter the kitchen.
>
No! The British did not say that we cannot govern! The British were
in India, because they profitted from it. If India was a drain on their
resources, then they would have left haste-post. 

>Under the Nehru dynasty rule even the miniscule autonomy that was
>given was eaten away and the states were reduced to dole-out instituions.
>Chief ministers were decided in Delhi, not in the state capital. The
>result has been that all the power has been usurped from state governments.
>No one looked to states for delivering any results. 
>
There is a difference between state govts and the election of leaders
in the party! The party rules and their constitution determines how
their leaders are  elected, if at all they are elected. Asking 
for autonomy for states is different from asking for autonomy for
political parties of the state from their national bodies. The
states are constitutional instruments and their rights are 
governed by the constitution of the nation not of the constitution
of the party in power.

>It is true the state governments who cry hoarse about central authority
>have been hypocritical about delegating authority futher down. The idea of 
>decentralization is more than shiftimg power from central governments
>to state governments. It involves passing the authority to the lowest
>possible level in the heirarchy. If there is one malady that is afflicting
>Indian psyche and Indian administration it is looking up to some God
>at higher levels to deliver results rather than taking the responsibility
>themselves. 
>
Actually the Panchayat raj system was to have delivered this devolution
of power. To some extent it does deliver even in the present day
Andhra Pradesh. What people do not know is how much of it is delivered
and how much of it needs to be delivered. That is people have not
seen documentaries explaining what is intended by the Panchayat
raj system and whether it has been getting through! 

>BTW, I don't mince words when I am trying to convey an idea. I openly
>accept that I am willing to consider seceding if that is what it takes
>to teach people responsibility. However, I consider it a waste of energy
>trying protect ourselves from each other pouring money into defence.
>It is far better to stick together for a common defence for protecting
>against both external and interanal aggressors. However I firmly oppose
>any group taking recourse to arms and violence, be it LTTE or Sikh militants,
>for achieving their means. Your kind of reaction, i.e. branding every one who
>talks of autonomy as a terrorist, only adds fuel to the fire.
>

If responsibility means autonomy, it is a disastrous exercise of
autonomy ideas. Responsibility comes by adhering to cherished
constitutional values and a system of valued precedents in
handling situations that are difficult to address! Provisions 
exist in the federal constitution for delegating
responsibility to the people and of governance! If we produce
bozos as our leaders (like our NT Rama Rao) we are bound to
be condemned for ever for our lack of exercise of the understanding
of constitutional values.

>BTW, I'll be off for the week-end. You can continue the discussion
>with others. I'll join after the week-end break
>
>>just to mention the otherside of the autonomy story!
>>...kt