What is regionalism? What factors is it usually based on?
Regionalism in India is rooted in India's diversity of languages, cultures, tribes, and religions. It represents a sense of identity and loyalty towards a particular region that emerges from these diverse markers.
What factors is regionalism usually based on?
Regionalism is usually based on several factors: geographical concentration of identity markers in particular regions; a sense of regional deprivation; language coupled with regional and tribal identity; ethnicity based on tribal identity; and ecology. For instance, in the creation of states like Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand, a combination of ethnicity, language, regional deprivation and ecology provided the basis for intense regionalism.
Explanation
The answer draws directly from the textbook section '6.2 REGIONALISM IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT' which clearly defines regionalism and lists its basis. The text explicitly states that regionalism is 'rooted in India's diversity of languages, cultures, tribes, and religions' and is 'encouraged by the geographical concentration of these identity markers in particular regions, and fuelled by a sense of regional deprivation.' The example of Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand further illustrates how 'ethnicity based on tribal identity, language, regional deprivation and ecology provided the basis for intense regionalism.'