Muslims in India are politically
deprived, says study
By
Ehtasham Khan
NEW DELHI: Delhi's Hamdard University has proposed the introduction
of a new electoral system to ensure the full participation of
all minorities and suppressed groups in the country's political
process.
The proposal was the result of a
300 page study, 'Electoral System And Inclusive Democracy: Muslim
Under-representation', by Professor Iqbal Ahmed Ansari. According
to the study, Muslims have not, in comparison to their demographic
strength, been adequately represented in Parliament or most of
the state assemblies.
The study, which is based on the
number of Muslim candidates elected to Parliament and 12 state
assemblies since 1952, the year independent India's first Parliament
was elected, says this has led to a feeling of 'discrimination
and alienation' among Muslims, who form about 13 per cent of India's
one billion population.
Hamdard University Vice-chancellor
Siraj Hussain said the study is aimed at bringing this under-representation
to the attention of academicians, lawmakers, political parties,
media and activists.
India's democratic system allows
all citizens to contest elections if they fulfil certain conditions.
Certain constituencies, however, are reserved for the scheduled
castes and tribes because of their high numbers in those constituencies.
This reservation was meant to empower them politically.
The study claims that many of these
constituencies actually have a Muslim majority. This denies Muslims
the opportunity to contest elections from constituencies where
they are most likely to win.
It also alleges that political parties
have been prejudiced when it comes to naming Muslims to represent
them in the electoral fray. They believe that Muslim candidates
will lose in areas with a Hindu majority. This fear has increased
after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. The study found
the Congress party to be the worst offender in this matter.
Some
of the study's findings are:
-
There should have been 47.45 per cent more elected Muslim representatives
in Parliament from 1952 to 1999. The expectation is based on India's
Muslim population in the same period.
- The level of Muslim deprivation -- in terms of electoral representation
vis-à-vis population -- in state assemblies has ranged
from 13.79 per cent in Delhi to 79.27 per cent in Gujarat. Gujarat,
in fact, has five Muslim MLAs against the expected 24.
- The Madhya Pradesh assembly that was constituted in 1993 did
not have a single Muslim MLA.
Rajasthan had only two Muslim MLAs from 1952 to 1994, while the
community's share in the state's population demanded at least
21 representatives.
- Muslims achieved a satisfactory representation of about 76 per
cent in the five Delhi assemblies from 1951 to 1998, though their
representation in the Lok Sabha was poor. Only one Muslim has
been elected from Delhi to the Lok Sabha in 50 years, whereas
their numbers in the national capital would have suggested seven
members.
- Muslims attained the highest level of representation in the
Lok Sabha and many state assemblies from 1978 to 1984; the political
climate during this period was Muslim-friendly. In 1980, Muslims
from Uttar Pradesh were actually over-represented in the Lok Sabha.
- Some constituencies with marginal Muslim populations have elected
Muslim members to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in every
election.
According to the study, the reasons for persistent under-representation
of Muslims in elected political bodies are:
Inadequate
nomination of Muslim candidates by political parties, especially
the Indian National Congress, and their near exclusion by the
Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress has given tickets to just
6.67 per cent Muslim candidates since 1952 when the number should
have been about 13 per cent.
The record of the Communist Party of India, Marxist, in this matter
has been satisfactory. The nominations by some Janata Dal formations
since 1989 and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party and Samajwadi Party
have been generally fair to the minorities, but this has not always
translated into an equitable share of seats.
The second reason is the single-member constituency and the first-past-the-post
system.
Prof Ansari's study suggests certain remedial measures, including
switching to a proportional representation system.
This
would ensure fair representation to women, the minorities, and
backward castes under a single formula by allotting certain 'uncontested
additional seats' to the election's 'best losers'. It would also
increase the number of seats in Parliament and in the state assemblies.
Currently there are 543 seats in Parliament. The number of seats
in the assemblies varies from state to state.
Prof Ansari believes this format,
which is used in Mauritius, would help Muslims, women and other
suppressed groups achieve representation in elected bodies that
would be in tune with their demographic strengths.
Implementing this solution would
require an amendment to the Representation of Peoples Act. To
put this format into play, a certain percentage of Lok Sabha and
assembly seats would have to be reserved as 'uncontested' under
the law. After the election results are declared, the 'best losers'
-- those candidates who lost to the winner, but still got a decent
amount of votes -- from among women, religious minorities, and
backward castes would be allocated a certain percentage of seats
to bring their level of representation to a certain pre-defined
number. Even among the minorities, the seat-distribution formula
would take care of gender, religion, and social class.
"These
reforms," says Prof Ansari, "will help all segments
of society get a fair share of representation, promoting inclusive
democracy in the country." - Rediff.com
