JC's questioning mind never stops, though one cannot answer his rhetorical question with certainity. In the context of Special Status, it would be pertinent to read Ramakant Khalap's piece in yesterday's Navhind Times or on Goanews, where it appeared much before. He mentions Jammu and Kashmir's case under Article 370 amd the BJP has demanded that the Article be abolished and J@K be not given this special status. The demand for statehood for Puducheery (former Pondicherry) is growing. The Af After the cession of French colonies in India, which included Yanam, Mahe, Karaikal and Pondicherry in 1954 and the signing of the Franco-Indian treaty in 1956, Pondicheery has been an Union Territory as Goa. However, Goa got a statehood while Puducheery hasn't yet. Fears are that the colonies such as Yanam and Mahe, where are geographically in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, makie be lost to to Pudducheery, as did Daman and Diu to Goa. Like Goa, Puducherry too has unique culture, Indo-French, and French is also official language of the Union Territory.Goa lost out on making a demand for Portuguese and blame in on the divisiveness of the leaders of that time because the leaders were on either Marathi or Konkani sides. Tf Puducherry gets statehood, one can be sure it would also demand Special Status. However, I am not sure if migrants flood the territory as is the case of Goa.
Eugene