Delimitation Commission Report: Is It Greater Jammu Or Greater Kashmir?

Dogra politicians of the Jammu region would express apprehensions about its Muslim dominated sub-regions perceiving Kashmiri based political parties wanted to merge them with Kashmir. Only last year senior BJP leader Davinder Singh Rana warned “powers that be” against implementing the Dixon plan of the 1950s in J&K. Now Jammu based political parties are accusing the BJP of imposing the Dixon Plan in J&K through the Delimitation Commission exercise. Kashmiri political parties are keenly watching the developments. After the abrogation of Article 370 and mass-scale arrests of mainstream political leaders including three former Chief Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, Kashmiri political parties are very cautious in their reactions and actions.  That is why most political reactions and protests are seen in Jammu city rather than in Srinagar.   

What is Dixon Plan?  In 1950 Australian jurist Sir Owen Dixon was appointed representative for Jammu and Kashmir were chosen by the Security Council. Dixon who had served as Australia’s ambassador during World War II was well known and respected in Washington. In his plan to resolve Kashmir he preferred to limit the plebiscite to the Valley and to divide the other parts of the state between India and Pakistan according to the ethnic and communal character of their inhabitants. This proposal still referred to as the Dixon Plan, had come to the fore in the discourse in Jammu and Kashmir last year after reports that the government is creating two separate divisions linking four districts of the Valley with the four districts of Jammu.

In political circles of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Jammu, the most talked-about issues these days is Greater Kashmir, Greater Jammu, and China, the Taliban, and somehow they are linked with a draft report of the Delimitation Commission that tore through the existing electoral political structure to create new realities. The delimitation commission has obliterated several assembly constituencies and altered their boundaries drastically, leaving many political leaders shocked.

“My constituency was divided into four areas. We should be thankful that the delimitation commission didn’t add areas of Afghanistan and China with some constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir. I don’t think any political party has got any benefit from it,” says former MLA from Shangas constituency of Anantnag, Peerzada Mansoor.

In Jammu political leaders from different political parties are equally surprised. Differences are emerging within the BJP also.  Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad described the delimitation commission as a novice tailor, who had no idea how to sew clothes. Many others describe it worse than what British lawyer John Radcliffe did to British India.  “They have erased some constituencies altogether. They have played with communal fault lines. There was communal harmony between communities and they have destroyed it. There will be migrations,” warns former Minister Lal Singh.

Singh, who is president of the Dogra Swabhimaan Sangathan, alleges that the commission has made constituencies as Muslim and Hindu Lok Sabha constituencies. “They are destroying the identity of Jammu. They are destroying the identity of Kashmir,” Singh says.

Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission’s interim report has given six additional seats in the Legislative Assembly to Jammu and one to Kashmir, which has caused deep resentment against the Commission in Kashmir with political parties terming it discriminatory and turning the political majority of J&K (Muslims) into a political minority.

At the same time, the Commission has clubbed Muslim majority two districts of Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch with Anantnag constituency of Kashmir region and it has created a storm in Jammu. With it now Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat will spread over the districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Anantnag and Kulgam.

While in Jammu, hard-liners describe it as akin to Dixon Plan or Greater Kashmir, mainstream political parties in Kashmir reject it calling it an exercise of gerrymandering to benefit BJP and its affiliates. Many see it prelude to Greater Jammu with South Kashmir, for the first becoming part of the Jammu parliamentary constituency.

The Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency will now spread over five districts, as against three in the past. It will emerge as largest in terms of population at 2677448. Srinagar will have two Assembly segments from Ganderbal district, eight from Srinagar district, three from Budgam, four from Pulwama district and one from Shopian district. Jammu Lok Sabha seat will comprise Jammu, Samba and Reasi. Udhampur Lok Sabha seat will spread over Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur and Kathua districts. And Baramulla will include Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla and parts of Budgam district.  Earlier Srinagar had three Lok Sabha seats and Jammu two. Now with Jammu’s Rajouri and Poonch districts and Anantnag and Kulgam districts joined together, the Commission has given the impression that it has distributed the seats equally.

Former Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu says, “Is Pir Panchal now a part of Jammu or of Kashmir? Will the legislative seats for Pooch and Rajouri be now counted as a part of the Kashmir Division taking its share to 56? Legislative seats aren’t based on executive administrative divisions but on statutory electoral demarcations.”

“On second thoughts, don’t be surprised if the Delimitation Commission counts the legislative seats of Anantnag along with those of Jammu to make it 51 for Jammu Division and 38 seats for Kashmir!,” he adds.

“We are witnessing greater Muslim Kashmir plan unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir through the delimitation commission. It is like dividing Jammu within and handing over its parts to Kashmir Valley,” says advocate Ankur Sharma, president IkJutt Jammu. He says Muslim majority areas of Jammu province are connected to Kashmir through south Kashmir to implement the greater Muslim Kashmir formula envisaged by Sir Owen Dixon. “We consider very dangerous for the nation,” says Sharma. Sharma called it a decisive step towards implementing Dixon Plan or Vajpayee Pervez Musharraf formula or greater Muslim Kashmir formula. He said two years ago, the Union Govt in line Vajpayee-Musharraf formula had attempted to create new administrative units in J&K by clubbing Muslim majority districts of Jammu with Muslim exclusive districts of Kashmir. “Since that was opposed by all nationalists in the region, govt is now using the delimitation commission as a tool for executing the plan,”  he added.

 “Since the formation of the modern Jammu and Kashmir state, this is the first-ever political unit that transcends the natural geographical boundary between Kashmir Valley and Jammu region. The newly created Lok Sabha Constituency has been named as Anantnag-Rajouri, with the second-largest population component and the highest Scheduled Tribe percentage,”  says political analyst Zafar Choudhary.

The BJP leaders publically welcome the recommendations with party leaders saying it has empowered Jammu politically and geographically, thus giving credence to votaries of Greater Jammu.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that those who are questioning the report of the Delimitation Commission must have some other motives. He said the BJP trusts the legitimacy and integrity of the Delimitation Commission which was constituted by the election commission of India.  “Commission follows certain laid down norms and parameters and there cannot be any deviation in the commission’s report. Anybody who questions its working or the criteria followed by them, either have not studied the parameters which guide its working or else they have some other motives,” Singh said. But within the party there is resentment against the draft report.

The Delimitation Commission report has proposed massive changes in Kashmir. Many of the assembly seats in Kashmir state including Habba Kadal have vanished.   Habba Kadal was known as Kashmiri Pandit seat. Barring Khanyar, Sonwar and Hazratabal assembly seats of Srinagar district, all other seats have been redrawn and merged with new assembly seats.

The delimitation commission comprises Justice Desai, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra, State Election Commissioner KK Sharma and Chief Electoral Officer J&K Hridesh Kumar. The newly created Union Territory of J&K was the only region in the country delimitation exercise is being carried out.

The interim delimitation report was shared by the Commission with five associate members, the five J&K Lok Sabha MPs comprising three from the National Conference (Farooq Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi and Akbar Lone) and two from the BJP ( Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore) Friday evening for their suggestions. The associate members have been asked to submit their views by February 14 after which the report would be put in the public domain, the officials said.

The commission has ignored the objections filed by the National Conference NC on December 31 last year, rejecting the proposal to increase six Assembly seats in the Jammu region as against just one in the Kashmir division.

The NC has criticised the Commission for ignoring population as basic criteria for the creation of new constituencies, saying Kashmir division, despite having a higher population compared to Jammu, got only one seat in the Assembly.

According to the 2011 census, the population of Kashmir Valley was 68,88,475 with 96.40% Muslims. Jammu division had a population of 53,78,538, with Hindus 62. 55 %, Muslims 33.45 % while Ladakh region has 2,74,289 people residing there, 46.40% of them Muslims, 12.11% Hindus and 39.67% Buddhists.

National Conference (NC) spokesman Imran Nabi Dar said his party summarily rejects draft working papers made available by Delimitation Commission to associate members. He says NC on February 5 rejected the second draft proposal of the Delimitation Commission. He said the National Conference will come up with a detailed response within a few days to the delimitation commission report.  He said the National Conference had rejected the earlier draft of the delimitation commission and had put detailed recommendations. He said even in the second draft the Commission has come up with its own recommendations and they are not acceptable to the party. “We don’t accept it. We reject it,” Dar said.

The PDP leader Rouf Bhat said that the delimitation commission interim report is aimed at changing the demography of J&K. “They want to change political demography first and then will change the real demography,” Rouf Bhat said.

 Rajouri based chairman of the J&K Panchayat Conference Shafiq Mir, said people in Rajouri Poonch are happy with the decision. Mir said the delimitation commission has done a commendable job. “Now our demand is that there should be another province in Jammu and Kashmir. It should be known as Pir Panchal province comprising, Poonch, Rajouri and Shopian districts,” he added.

J&K Assembly

The J&K Assembly was dissolved in November 2018 and the region was first under Governor’s rule and now under the President’s rule since June 2018. The government has been saying the elections in J&K will be held after the Delimitation Commission completes its exercise and gives its report.  According to J&K Reorganisation Act that the number of seats in the Assembly of J&K would be increased from 107 to 114, 24 of which are reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while the election will be held for 90 seats.

Before August 5, the State of Jammu and Kashmir had 111 seats including 24 reserved for PoK and elections were held for 87 seats. With the creation of Ladakh as Union Territory, four seats of the region were reduced and the Assembly was left with 83 seats. In the previous Assembly, Kashmir had 46 seats, Jammu 37 and Ladakh four.

Last Delimitation Commission was set up in 1995 with Justice (Retd) K K Gupta as its Chairman when the State was under the President’s rule. Gupta Commission had increased J&K’s Assembly seats from 76 to the present 87. Of 76 seats, Jammu had 32, Kashmir 42 and Ladakh 2.  Of 87 seats of J&K Assembly, Kashmir has 46 seats, Jammu 37 and four in the Ladakh division.