Old Martinians

As part of La Martiniere for Boys’s 175th anniversary celebrations, the school organised a panel discussion in July on the topic ‘federal democracy is a hindrance to India’s unity’.
The panel included the former sports and youth affairs minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, the former CPM MP Md Salim, the head of the political science department of Calcutta University, Bonita Aleaz, and Amar Rai, a former vice-principal of Loreto College, Darjeeling, along with union minister of state for urban development, Sougata Roy, as moderator.
Roy pointed out at the start of the discussion that India has a unitary Constitution with a federal bias, rather than a federal democracy.
Aiyar disagreed that the success of a federal democracy depended solely on Centre-state relations. He said that the threat to India’s unity stemmed from dissatisfaction at the grassroots. “Disillusionment of the poor with the state governments and the indiscriminate handing out of tribal lands and resources to capitalists are some of the reasons. Strengthen the panchayats in rural areas and the municipality in cities,” he suggested.
Amar Rai, a supporter of the Gorkhaland agitation, spoke of the need for smaller states for good governance.
Md Salim and Bonita Aleaz felt the problem of unity emerged from economic inequality. “While some regions have progressed, such as parts of western India, remote corners of the Northeast remain underdeveloped,” said Aleaz.
Most students agreed that Aiyar was the best speaker.

Photos of Miss Mumbai  from Peter Moore

Roshan Khambatta