With respect, I do not think that the movements - especially in the South of India & in the North-eastern areas can be dismissed quite so easily. It is interesting that Indologists such as Dyakov in the former USSR, were quite familiar with the concept of India as a multi-national state. Indeed even at the time of its formal foundation as a semi-colony (rather than a true military occupied colony) there was clear recognition of this. The substitution of the 'national question' in India - by the 'religious question' - was a masterly of the old game of divide & rule. The game is played on now. But I do not think that the prevailing rule of the Central Indian state can continue without some serious changes. Either it recognizes the sense of a multi-nationalism & stops force feeding Hindu language etc; or, it will drift into the consciously Hindutva fascist ideology. That latter, is the prevailing trend it would seem. The equivalence of the BJp with its more brazen and openly fascist cousins like the Shiv Sena is where the attention should be placed. The earlier rubbishing that the Indian state bore comprador relations to the USSR, was in my view somewhat naive. By the way Ulhas, I am definitely not a Maoist, as the anarchist had earlier pointed out. Comprador relations - not invoke the direct $ linkage, but they also speak to the attempts of the Khruschevite & Brezhnivites et, to form a series of bastions against USA imperialism. Hari