Without saying it in so many words, the Maharashtra government recently gave a new contour to the concept of state autonomy in India. Angry at Delhi refusing to give it the demanded strength of paramilitary forces to counter a possible law and order problem over the impending arrest of Bal Thackeray in Mumbai, the state's home minister-cum-deputy chief minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, threatened to pull out the State Reserve Police guarding central government installations (like nuclear power plants and airports) and use it instead to control the riots that could emerge from putting Thackeray in jail.

In just one go, Bhujbal's bravura had painted the 'autonomy' board in the red hue of danger, complete with a skeleton skull sign atop. The man was showing what an individual state could do --- what it would in fact do if Farooq Abdullah's autonomy call went as far as its unthinking supporters seem to want.

Bhujbal's perverse outburst was also symptomatic of the ghetto mentality of several of India's state chief ministers elected by universal adult franchise for which, even 50 years after our Constitution was adopted, the brunt of our population doesn't seem quite worthy of.

rest of the article is at http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/aug/09arvind.htm

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