The31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Mahabalipuram, under Union Home Minister Amit Shah, can be called successful to the extent that it has paved the way for further negotiations to thrash out interstate and federal issues. A major upshot was the assent of the two Telugu states to sort out the matters of the division. “Regarding issues concerning the division of assets and liabilities between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, both states agreed to resolve these matters in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs,” a Central government release said. By and large, regional water disputes, parliamentary delimitation, and more devolution of federal funds dominated the meeting, which was attended by Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu C Joseph Vijay, N Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh along with, Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu), Karnataka’s D K Shivakumar and Keralam’s V D Satheesan, Lieutenant Governors of Puducherry K Kailashnathan and Andaman & Nicobar Islands Admiral D K Joshi (Retd.), and Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel. There was near unanimity about delimitation and on retaining the current proportion of southern states in the Lok Sabha, albeit with shades of difference.

While Shivakumar urged the council to accept the 1971 census as the basis for delimitation and continue with the Lok Sabha’s existing strength of 543 seats for the next 25 years, Vijay insisted on an unambiguous legislative assurance from the Union government for their continuation of their percentage of representation in Parliament. Unsurprisingly, the two other Congress-ruled states Karnataka and Keralam, supported Shivakumar’s stand. Sharing of river waters, however, was a divisive issue among southern states. Shivakumar elaborated upon the benefits of the Mekedatu dam on the Cauvery not just for his own state but also for farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It may be recalled that last month Vijay had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to ensure that no statutory or administrative approval was granted to the Mekedatu project unless it was consistent with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s 2007 award and the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment. Satheesan also spoke about the said Mullaperiyar dam, which is resisted by Tamil Nadu. Vijay didn’t appear adamant on the delimitation and river matters, but the Opposition in his state, led by DMK, is not slamming him for not protecting the interests of the state. This is a problem not just with Tamil Nadu but other states as well. When regionalism and sentimentalism blend, the concoction is often toxic. Even reasonable agreements are dubbed as ‘sellout.’

The Central government emphasised this very point. Shah said that protecting the interests of one’s state is not wrong, but if this results in states being deprived of water for years while it simply flows into the sea, then no actual interest is being served. He also said that linking major rivers, from the Brahmaputra to the Kaveri and Godavari, could ensure that India faces no water shortage for the next 100 years. Besides, the proposed interlinking would create multiple waterways that can provide a cost-effective and fuel-saving transportation system. Such interstate and Centre-state interactions should increase in frequency. They will not just make our federal structure stronger and more resilient but also give a boost to economic development and national integration. Moreover, this will help keep toxic regionalism in check.