1. Regionalism

Regionalism refers to sub-nationalism and sub-territorial loyalty. It implies the love for a particular region or state in preference to the country as a whole. There is also subregionalism, that is, love for a particular region in preference to the state of which the region forms a part.

Regionalism is "a subsidiary process of political integration in India. It is a manifestation of those residual elements which do not find expression in the national polity and national culture, and being excluded from the centrality of the new polity, express themselves in political discontent and political exclusionism”4 .

Regionalism is a country-wide phenomenon which manifests itself in the following six forms:

(i) Demand of the people of certain states for secession from the Indian Union (like Khalistan, Dravid Nad, Mizos, Nagas and so on).

(ii) Demand of the people of certain areas for separate statehood (like Telengana, Bodoland, Uttarkhand, Vidharbha, Gorkhaland and so on).

(iii) Demand of people of certain Union Territories for full-fledged statehood (like Manipur, Tripura, Puducherry, Delhi, Goa, Daman and Diu and so on).

(iv) Inter-state boundary disputes (like Chandigarh and Belgaum) and riverwater disputes (like Cauvery, Krishna, Ravi-Beas and so on).

(v) Formation of organisations with regional motives which advocates a militant approach in pursuing its policies and goals (like Shiv Sena, Tamil Sena, Hindi Sena, Sardar Sena, Lachit Sena and so on).

(vi) 'Sons of the soil theory’ which advocates preference to local people in government jobs, private jobs, permits and so on.

Their slogan will be Assam for Assamese, Maharashtra for Maharashtrians and so on.