By IANS
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s signal for the state’s trifurcation has led tribals of the state’s Vindhyachal region to demand a separate state too.
Tribal bodies of the region, bordering Bihar, plan to stage a dance demonstration in front of the state assembly building here Oct 31 to press their demand for what they have christened ‘Sonanchal’ state.
The demonstration will be held under the banner of Sonanchal Sangharsh Vahini (SSV), a nodal body of several smaller tribal groups that were active in Sonbhadra and adjoining areas of south-eastern Uttar Pradesh.
“We have already given a formal notice about our programme to the district administration,” SSV convenor Roshan Lal Yadav told IANS.
Asked about his plans for a tribal state, he said, “We want an independent state to be carved out of the tribal dominated districts of Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Chandauli.”
Praising Mayawati for favouring smaller states in the interest of better governance, Yadav said: “We are really impressed by her announcement at the Bahujan Samaj Party rally in Lucknow (Oct 9) when she said she would prefer trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh.”
Yadav said: “The four tribal districts in the Vindhyachal region are bigger than states like Haryana and the region elects as many as 36 MLAs and four MPs, which is more than those elected by states like Mizoram, Tripura, Goa and Pondicherry.”
He went on to add: “Sonebhadra and Mirzapur are already well established as leaders in energy generation and the entire Vidhyachal region is highly mineral rich too.”
The SSV, which is closely associated with the Jharkand Mukti Morcha, hopes to rope in thousands of activists who will converge in Lucknow Oct 31.