Demands for Autonomy

Different states and different political parties have, at various points, demanded greater autonomy from the central government -- though what "autonomy" actually means has varied from one state or party to another. Broadly, these demands can be grouped under four heads.

First, some demands seek a change in the constitutional division of powers itself, so that more subjects and stronger powers are assigned to the states rather than the centre. States such as Tamil Nadu, Punjab and West Bengal, and parties such as the DMK, the Akali Dal and the CPI(M), have raised such demands from time to time.

Second, there are demands for what is called financial autonomy -- states wanting independent sources of revenue and greater control over the resources generated within their territory, so that they are less dependent on transfers decided by the centre. In 1977, for example, the Left Front government in West Bengal issued a document calling for a restructuring of centre-state financial relations, and the autonomy movements in Tamil Nadu and Punjab also implicitly pushed for greater financial powers for states.

Third, some demands concern administrative autonomy -- states resenting the degree of central control exercised over the administrative machinery that actually runs the state. …