Majority of people from the States of north India – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar—speak Hindi. If all these States are combined to form one State, would it be in tune with the idea of federalism? Give arguments.
Combining the Hindi-speaking States of north India into one large State would not be in tune with the idea of federalism.
First, federalism is based on decentralisation of power. The context highlights that a vast country like India needs power sharing within States. Creating one huge State would concentrate power and go against the principle of decentralisation.
Second, the existing States are already very large. The context notes that Uttar Pradesh is bigger than Russia in terms of population, and Maharashtra is about as big as Germany. Combining these States would create an unmanageably large administrative unit, making effective governance difficult.
Third, the context shows that the formation of linguistic States has strengthened Indian unity, not weakened it. It states that linguistic States have allowed India to escape the fate of 'One language: 14 or 15 nations'. Smaller States based on language have helped accommodate regional identities.
Fourth, many of these States are internally very diverse. The context emphasises the need for power sharing within States. A single large State would ignore this internal diversity and regional aspirations.
Therefore, merging these States would undermine the federal principle of decentralisation and power sharing that is essential for India's unity and governance.
Explanation
This question tests students' understanding of federalism and the rationale behind the formation of linguistic States in India. The textbook context clearly establishes that linguistic States have strengthened unity, not weakened it. The context also emphasises decentralisation and notes that Indian States are already very large. Combining Hindi-speaking States would contradict the federal principle of distributing power across multiple tiers of government. Students should argue against such a merger by citing the need for decentralisation, administrative convenience, and accommodation of regional diversity.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify that the question asks whether merging Hindi-speaking States aligns with federalism
Step 2: Recall from context that federalism requires decentralisation and power sharing
Step 3: Note that existing States like UP are already very large (bigger than Russia in population)
Step 4: Apply the context's argument that linguistic States have strengthened unity
Step 5: Conclude that combining States would undermine federal principles