The delimitation issues of Manipur

Kachui Timothy Zimik (IRS)
Contd from previous issue
(f) Moreover, the migration of people from other areas to these hill sub-divisions are taking place on account of better business and employment opportunities available there.
The above factors have contributed in increasing the population of some sub-divisions in the hill districts.
PLEA FOR INCREASE OF SEATS BASED ON POPULATION AND GEOGRAPHICAL AREA
As submitted above, it is imperative that the population and the geographical area are taken into account while redrawing and re-adjusting the legislative Assembly Constituencies of Manipur for the simple reason that the State of Manipur has some unique features such as the big divide between the Imphal valley and the hill areas in terms of geographical areas, extreme remoteness of hill districts, brutalized people due to long-drawn armed conflicts, under-representation and marginalization of the hill districts. The average area per Assembly Constituency of Imphal valley is 56 square kilometres, whereas it is 1004 square kilometres in the hill areas. This being the case, there is a strong case to increase the State legislative Assembly Constituencies from the present 60 to 70 seats plus and redraw the boundaries of legislative Assembly Constituencies of Manipur on equitable basis between the Imphal valley and the hill areas. It may be noted here that, in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, the Delimitation Commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai has increased the Assembly seats from 83 to 90.
CLUBBING ANOMALY IN THE PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCIES OF MANIPUR
In Manipur, there are two Parliamentary Constituencies namely (1) Inner Parliamentary Constituency covering the four districts of Imphal valley and (2) Outer Parliamentary Constituency covering the five hill districts of Manipur. The Outer Parliamentary Constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes of Manipur. However, 8 non-tribal legislative Assembly Consti- tuencies of Thoubal district (erstwhile Thoubal sub-division) are clubbed with the Outer Parliamentary Constituency for the purpose of Lok Sabha elections. Initially, this arrangement was done to make up the voter shortage of the hill districts and to bring parity with the voters of the Inner Parliamentary Constituency of Manipur. However, this arrangement has harmful consequences and is no more valid for the following reasons:
As per population census 2001 and subsequent population census records, the hill districts of Manipur have sufficient electorate to have a reserved Parliamentary Constituency of their own without the outside support of the valley areas.
The electorate of 8 legislative Assembly Consti- tuencies of Thoubal district have been deprived of their Constitutional rights to contest election for the Lok Sabha seat as a result of their Assembly Constituencies being unfairly clubbed with the reserved Outer Parliamentary Constituency. These 8 Assembly Constituencies must be clubbed with the Inner Parliamentary Constituency so that the electorate of these Constituencies can contest the Parliamentary election or elect the right candidates of their choice.
The clubbing of 8 legislative Assembly Constituencies of the valley to the Outer Parliamentary Constituency has been used as a tool by the political parties to elect a candidate of their choice through various undesirable means. It is observed that it has been extremely difficult to elect the right candidate without the support of the people of these 8 legislative Assembly Constituencies who have no stake in this Parliamentary election.
Therefore, these 8 legislative Assembly Consti- tuencies should be rightfully clubbed with the Inner Parliamentary Constituency and free the Outer Parliamentary Constituency from this undesirable arrangement.
CONCLUSION
The hill tribes of Manipur have been unjustly deprived of their legitimate right of equitable and proportionate representation in the State legislative Assembly, and therefore, the delimitation exercise of redrawing and re-adjustment of the legislative Assembly Constituencies of Manipur must be carried in a fair and judicious manner immediately so that the grievances of the hill people of being under-represented in the Manipur Assembly are addressed and the big divide between the developed Imphal valley and the under-developed hills of Manipur are bridged to a great extent.
The Author is the former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax. The views expressed in this article are his personal views.