Articles by Louise Tillin

The creation of new states has generally been seen as an accident of political timing. Local leaders, arguing for or against separate states, are often seen as acting without intent and merely playing politics. This article argues that this is so because of a federal division of responsibility which facilitates state-level politicians to discount responsibility for their stance and encourages them to focus solely on short-term goals. The central government intervention in the debate about Telangana has meant that regional politicians have become less able to discount the future and have instead begun to engage with somewhat greater intent.