Delimitation must not derail polity

The gathering of leaders of state governments and political parties in Chennai, on Saturday, has again foregrounded the concerns in many parts of the country, especially in the South, over the prospect of delimitation of parliamentary constituencies based on the present demographics of the states. It was the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee on Fair Delimitation and was attended by the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Punjab and senior leaders from other states including Karnataka and Odisha. The meeting called for a freeze on the number of parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 census for another 25 years. The prime mover of the gathering and its host, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, later clarified that the JAC was not against delimitation but only demanded a “fair and just process” that “does not punish states that have contributed to our national progress through their effective population control”.

It is not known if Stalin’s clarification means that the demand for a freeze would not be insisted on if there is a “fair and just process” of delimitation. There would also be differences on what a “fair and just” process would mean. The meeting made it clear that states that have successfully implemented population control measures should not be penalised with a reduced number of parliamentary seats. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made an assurance that the number of seats from the South would not be reduced. But this is no satisfactory answer because the relative parliamentary strength of southern states would be diminished if states that have increased their population get higher parliamentary representation. This is the crux of the problem which has to be addressed because it would otherwise seriously impact India’s federal arrangement – an essential part of the country’s constitutional and political system – and have economic and political consequences.

Apart from the Home Minister’s statement, there has been no announcement from the Central government about what it plans to do about the delimitation. The delay in the population census has created apprehensions about the government’s intentions. Though there is no official word from the government, the ruling party’s representatives have started defending the idea of a demographic delimitation. While the principle of “one person, one vote” should be respected, it should not translate to injustice to a large segment of the population, create a North-South divide and harm the federal nature of the polity. The Centre should listen to all the views on the matter and adopt a transparent and inclusive process towards a solution that is just and acceptable to all – the government has enough time to make it happen.