DIMAPUR, JUNE 12 (MExN): The Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO) has submitted a representation to the Delimitation Commission of India against the re-initiation of the delimitation exercise in Nagaland.
Addressed to Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, Chairperson, Delimitation Commission of India, the CPO representation said that the process of delimitation in the State of Nagaland has a long chequered history and “our objections today holds credibility and finds support from the historical factual developmental timeline that precedes the present day position and situation.”
It appealed against re-initiation of the delimitation exercise in the State of Nagaland on the basis of the “faulty, archaic, non workable and also obsolete Census of the year 2001.”
The CPO said that the 2001 census population figures, published by the Registrar General of India in respect of Nagaland “had considerable and absurd inaccuracies and therefore has the potentials of upsetting the balance between various tribes and tribal areas by including the floating population, illegal migrants etc.”
The delimitation exercise based on such figures would be highly controversial and would cause serious damage to the developmental activities, tribal parity and socio-economic condition of the weaker districts, it added.
It further stated that using the 2001 Census for delimitation “will inevitably destroy the whole purpose of the delimitation which is basically intended to bring about equitable distribution of people’s representation and developmental activities in the State.”
The CPO informed that it had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in 2006 before the Gauhati High Court concerning protecting and organizing the “unique and special identity of the hill people of the State of Nagaland.”
“The said petition had been moved praying for a judicial review by the Court in the matters relating to the delimitation exercise in respect of the Assembly and Parliamentary Constituencies in Nagaland on the basis of 2001 Census,” the CPO informed.
The CPO noted that the High Court stayed the process of delimitation in the State of Nagaland by passing of such interlocutory order.
Following this, the Parliamentary Sub-Committee passed the Delimitation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 (No.1 of 2008) and Nagaland was exempted from the delimitation exercise.
“A reading of the said order Dated- 08.02.2008 would go to unfailingly show that the relevant factors taken into consideration for such stalling of Delimitation, was an acceptance by the Union of our contentions about the faulty Census of 2001,” the CPO claimed..
It stated that while analyzing the 2001 census published by the Registrar General of India, “alarming record of population in several districts have been detected which is apparently done with the intention to get more Assembly seats at the expense of other districts.”
“The much exaggerated and abnormal entries of population in some election districts is nothing but to meet the greed of those whose intention is purely to snatch more Assembly seats and gain political mileage, the consequence of which, if not rectified will create disparity and injustice to the tribal identity,” the CPO said.
The CPO stated that the decision to conduct the pending process of Delimitation of Assembly Constituencies in the present manner and mode “is not only arbitrary and a hasty decision but it also stands contrary to the very idea behind conducting Delimitation.”
“The attempt of the commission to fall back upon the 2001 Census to conduct Delimitation in the year 2020, that too when a new Census of 2011 exists, speaks volume of the lack of clarity and disoriented approach of the Union towards the said Delimitation exercise,” the CPO said.
