00994pab a2200109 454500008003600000100002000036245002500056520072000081650003000801650003800831773001500869180718b   xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aMukarji, Nirmal  aA more Federal India  aThe decade of the eighties witnessed a struggle to get the federal issue on to the nation's agenda. the non-congress parties were all for it but the congress was reluctant, and eventually it stalled the issue by appointing the Sarkaria Commission. This took years to submit its somewhat conservative recommendations and then more years just went by. The nineties have ushered in a more hopeful period, because now even the Congress is favourably disposed. the Prime Minister has spoken of providing greater autonomy to the states and significantly, has not ruled out special status for problem states like Punjab within the framework of the constitution. There is thus a consensus, at this point time, on a more fed  a Central - State Relation  aFederal - State Relations - India  aMainstream