India’s southern states contribute nearly 60% of India’s total tax revenue but receive only about 35% of federal funds. Despite having a population growth rate half that of the North, the Southern states have seen their parliamentary seats reduced after each delimitation phase.
A recent survey found that 70% of urban residents in the South felt underrepresented in national policymaking, leading to increasing demands for regional autonomy. Southern states feel discriminated against in government financial policies, as they contribute more to the national budget than they receive in return.
An ethnic divide also exists within the Indian military, where regional affiliations cause issues of nepotism, promotions, deployments, and welfare benefits within the higher leadership.
Author Kaushik Roy, in his book “India and World War II: War, Armed Forces, and Society, 1939–45,” argued that the absence of ethnic and sectarian hostility in the Indian Army during British rule contributed to the lack of rebellions. However, after Independence, the ethnic composition of the army remained unexamined.
According to the “Journal of Military, Veterans and Family Health,” minority personnel in the Indian military face more harassment and discrimination than their non-minority counterparts, affecting India’s military strength.
The discrimination faced by Southern states, with preferential treatment given to the North, has led to alienation and rising demands for autonomy. The imposition of Hindi as the national language is also seen as a threat to Southern cultural identity.
While the South is known for religious harmony, growing sectarian tensions in the North, fueled by the BJP’s Hindutva ideology, continue to concern citizens. Civil societies must persuade the Modi government that further ethnic-religious divisions will harm both the state and society.
