Prof. Suresh Chander
Delimitation has never attracted so much attention in Jammu and Kashmir in the past. Exercise of redrawing of boundaries of constituencies elsewhere is a routine exercise without tempers running high. So why the ‘Halla-Gulla’ now especially unity of valley based parties on this issue. One will have to go back in history to understand the psyche of the valley.
“During Moghal, Pathan and Sikh periods, the lot of the peasant was very hard. In Kashmir Province, they possessed neither proprietary nor occupancy rights. All land was owned by the State. The cultivator was permitted to occupy the land only so long as he paid the rent when it became due; he could neither sell nor mortgage the land, he occupied. The system of assessment in those days must be described as harsh. The State’s share was not less than 3/5 of gross produce and, allowing for unauthorised exactions, the cultivator’s share probably did not exceed I/3. Conditions in Frontier Districts were the same; in Jammu Province they were better. The descendants of the original occupants of the land in Jammu held proprietary rights; many of the proprietors were land-holders of long standing and cultivated their own land; other cultivators were tenants-at-will.’ (Page-15, Census of India, 1941 VOLUME XXII JAMMU AND KASHMIR)
The Kashmir valley for many centuries did not have any rights and conditions or people were miserable. A narrative was created that it was the Dogra rule that created such oppressive measures. On the contrary, conditions in Kashmir started getting better over time for the first time under Dogra rule especially during the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh. They got representation in Praja Sabha. Sheikh Abdullah understood the scenario in post-1947 India. He had no place in Pakistan where he could be a man of his own destiny. Liberal India could allow his aspirations to flourish. So in 1947, role reversal between Master and servant happened. Kashmir became master and Jammu came at the mercy of Kashmir. The valley leadership is determined to keep its hegemony over the entire state and want delimitation as per their interests.
In columns of State Times, it has been proposed that weightage to both area and population may be given while demarcating constituencies of Union Territory (STATE TIMES, July 5, 2021- Tough decisions ahead for J&K Delimitation Commission). The salient features in the said article, according to available data, are based on area and number of voters in each division of the Union Territory.
Area: –
Jammu- 26,293 Sq Km
Kashmir- 15,948 Sq Km
According to area, the respective share of 30 seats for Kashmir and Jammu works out to 11.335 and 18.664.
Voters:-
Jammu- 31,74,417
Kashmir- 32,60,668
According to the number of Voters, the respective share of 60 seats for Kashmir and Jammu works out to 30.402 and 29.598.
Proposed Distribution according to Area and Number of Voters in each division.
Kashmir- 11.335 + 30.402 or 41.735 rounded to 42 seats out of 90 seats.
Jammu- 18.664 + 29.598 or 48.262 rounded to 48 seats out of 90 seats.
Without assuming the role of the Delimitation Commission and with utmost respect to commission, above macro exercise at pseudo micro level is shown in the following tables.
Analysis – Jammu Division (TABLE-I)
There is an increase of eleven seats for Jammu Division. There is no change in the districts of Kathua, Samba, Reasi and Kishtwar while Rajouri, Poonch and Ramban gain one seat each. Udhampur gains two seats. Jammu is the only one district to lose aseat. The increase of seven seats in Doda is not surprising as its area is about 34 percent of Jammu Division. This can cause some misgivings but no formula can be to the liking of everyone.
Analysis – Kashmir Division (TABLE-II)
Kashmir is likely to lose four seats. There is no change in three districts of Shopian, Ganderbal and Baramulla. Anantnag and Kupwara may gain one seat each. Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar and Bandipora may have one seat less. Kulgam is likely to lose two seats because of comparatively lesser area.
Observation:
Political parties are very happy to demand more seats for a district but are reluctant to recommend lesser seats in some other districts. They have their own compulsions. The ultimate decision of demarcation of Assembly Constituencies rests with Delimitation Commission that has to take many other factors into consideration apart from population and area. The decision of the Delimitation Commission is final and can’t be challenged in a court of law.
(The author is former Head of Computer Engineering Department in G B Pant University of Agriculture & Technology).