Chennai/Kerala: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday termed the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies as a ‘sword of Damocles’ hanging over the states, especially in southern India, which reduced their population. He urged the Centre to engage in “meaningful dialogues” before going ahead with the process.
Vijayan, addressing the first Joint Action Committee meeting convened in Chennai by Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, said the Centre was suddenly going ahead with the delimitation process without any consultation as it was driven by “narrow political interests” and not by Constitutional principles or democratic imperatives.
In the meeting, attended by CMs of Punjab and Telangana — Bhagwant Manna and A Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and senior BRS leader KT Rama Rao among others, he further said that if the delimitation was done after the Census, it will lead to an increase in seats for northern states and a reduction for southern states.
“Such a cut in seats for the south and an increase for the north will suit the BJP as it holds greater influence in the north,” he contended.
Vijayan said that while the “political maneuvering” behind the sudden move was clear, it was imperative the union government consider the broader implications of its decision on Indian federalism and the preservation of the country’s cultural and linguistic diversities.
The Marxist veteran also refused to take at face value the Centre’s argument that the states, which lowered their population, will get additional seats on a pro-rata basis.
“The Union has not been able to clarify whether this pro-rata distribution will be based on the current strength of parliamentary seats or on the basis of population figures. Therefore, the Union government should alleviate our fears.
“We need to ensure that the delimitation exercise is carried out in such a way that our current proportional share of seats in the Parliament is retained. This is the consensus that we all need to arrive at,” he said.
Vijayan said that the central government has praised the states which implemented the National Population Policy of 1976 time and again for that achievement, but was now punishing them for the same.
“The approach seems to be — ‘now you have a smaller population, so now you deserve lesser funds and lesser representation’. This is deplorable…
“States being punished for successfully implementing population control policies is unconscionable. We are determined to resist this injustice,” he said.
The Kerala CM said that this stance was evident from the cutting short of the states’ share in taxes by citing their decreasing population.
He further said that if the delimitation exercise was carried out now, Kerala’s reduced population will inevitably lead to fewer parliamentary seats.
“If our parliamentary representation is further reduced while our share of the nation’s wealth continues to decline, we will face an unprecedented situation in which both our rightful share of funds and our political voice to demand them diminish simultaneously,” he emphasised.
Vijayan further alleged that the Centre’s actions, from its fiscal, language and cultural policies to the fixation of representation, were “destabilising” the federal system and democratic framework of the country. “This cannot be allowed to pass,” he said.
He said that delimitation that ignores federalism risks reviving colonial-era centralisation, where diverse voices were subsumed under majoritarian agendas and reminded those at the helm of the nation about how in the end the people united against the colonisers.
Vijayan further said that the delimitation process was a threat to the preservation of the rich cultural and linguistic diversities of the nation.
“When smaller or less populous states lose political clout, their capacity to safeguard their cultural traditions diminishes.
“A homogenised Parliament dominated by populous states could sideline regional priorities, eroding the pluralism envisioned by modern India’s founders,” he said.
He suggested that the Centre engage in meaningful dialogue with the states and incorporate their considerations to safeguard their interests before going ahead with the delimitation process.
Concluding his speech, Vijayan said federalism was not a gift from the Union government, but a right of the states.
“Our collective resistance is not just about seats, it is a fight to preserve India’s soul as a diverse and inclusive democracy,” he said.
