Can’t have a political marginalisation of the South, says MV Rajeev Gowda on delimitation

He added that southern states understand that they are part of this federal equation. “We need to share with others, etc. So, [we are] sharing resources, contributing more taxes. All of those are not anything that we have a real issue with. If our compatriots are in need, no problem; we can do some more than because we’ve been doing well,” he said.

Dakshin Dialogues: Population not sole criteria for delimitation, says Khushbu

Addressing the challenge

Gowda said that one approach was to consider the Finance Commission’s approach. “The current system doesn’t strictly adhere to the principle of one person, one vote, one value due to variations in state sizes,” he noted.

“Therefore, we should explore ways to balance this inequity. The Finance Commission already considers principles such as equality, performance, need, and various factors like population, forest area, geographic area, and tax effort to allocate resources more fairly.”

He added that Karnataka, representing itself, experienced resource losses during the past allocation despite the Finance Commission’s intent to provide more. It was, thus, essential to discuss possible compromises.

“One option is to adopt a system similar to the US Senate, which aims to ensure broad representation of population trends. Alternatively, the Rajya Sabha could serve as a compromise. However, enhancing the powers of the Rajya Sabha would be necessary to ensure the additional representation is meaningful and not merely symbolic,” he explained.

Gowda also said that recent delimitation exercises in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam appeared politicised, with a focus on marginalising minorities and reducing their representation.

“This is not the path we should take. On a positive note, the government seems open to considering alternative formulas beyond pure population-driven representation,” he said.

He further said that he noticed a significant clue in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech in Telangana, where he criticised Rahul Gandhi’s stance, which suggested that the government might be contemplating a formula that did not solely rely on population metrics for representation.

“It’s crucial that this formula is unveiled transparently, and we should avoid any unexpected announcements in Parliament. This should be a nationwide conversation because it’s not just about population control; it also involves factors like migration. We witnessed the mass migration during the initial lockdown, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach,” he said.

Gowda also asked: “Do we aspire for the Rajya Sabha to wield as much power as the American Senate? The answer is not straightforward, as it requires a larger constitutional exercise. It’s heartening to see discussions like this happening in the South and your book also contributing to this discourse. Let’s engage constructively in these discussions, as our aim isn’t to create divisions but to find collaborative solutions.”

Related: Tharoor calls for southern consciousness to quell delimitation fears

Dakshin Dialogues

Dakshin Dialogues is South First‘s annual thought conclave that brings together South India’s biggest political and judicial minds, and social activists, on one stage.

While federalism was the primary theme of last year’s event, it is the core of each session this year, too, as South First continues to focus on the other half of the India story.

Dakshin Dialogues 2023 is seeing the likes of Vidadala Rajini, Khushbu Sundar, Shashi Tharoor, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and many others, discussing delimitation, the Southern model of governance, and so much more. Let the dialogues begin!

Watch the event live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI7PiM5KFJI