‘With BJP govt in UP, hope of Bundelkhand state rises’

Raja Bundela, an actorturned politician, has been passionately involved with Bundelkhand since the past two decades. He has even put his career in films on the backburner and has travelled thorough organizations like Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha and National Federation for New States and now New States for New India to demand statehood for Bundelkhand.

His one- point agenda has taken him from the Congress to the Bundelkhand Congress and now the BJP. The formation of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has given him hope and Bundela is reviving his movement.

In an interview with AMITA VERMA, he talks about his plans for Bundelkhand as a state.

After two decade of struggle, what gives you hope for Bundelkhand’s statehood? All these years, there were different parties in power in the state and at the Centre at any given time. With BJP holding power at both places, we finally have hope. Moreover, the BJP is one party that has favored creation of small states and that is encouraging for us.

But why statehood for Bundelkhand and will it solve all problems? Bundelkhand gives `27,000 crore to the Centre and `13,000 crore to the state but the region remains a beggar. Bundelkhand, which also includes some districts of Madhya Pradesh, has rich mineral resources that can be best utilized for the development of the region and its people. At present it is Sabka Vikas without Bundelkhand. The governments, till date, have not even been able to solve the water problem-what to say of industrialization and development.

Can you image, the proposed Bundelkhand states has six rivers passing through it but small children still crave for water and farmers commit suicide because of debts?

Is development possible only with smaller states? The case of Uttarakhand is before us. The state is merely 17 years old and is on the path of progress. The natural resources of Bundelkhand are being sucked out and no one is accountable for it. Once Bundelkhand has its own government, it will be directly answerable to the people and its resources will be used for its own people.

But Uttarakhand and Jharkhand are yet to stand on their own feet. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav had said -”Uttarakhand aur Jharkhand hamari laash par banege’. Today, the GDP of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand is higher than that of UP and Bihar. Gujarat is also doing better than Maharashtra. It is on this basis that we are demanding statehood for Bundelkhand.