| Indeed, population of Jammu is more -- I | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 12: District Development Commissioner (DDC) office Jammu appears right when it contests 2011 census figures relating to the population of Jammu and says population of Jammu City is 17.75 lakh and not 15 lakh as the census figures suggest. Not only the actual population of Jammu city is more but the population of Jammu province is also more as compared to Kashmir Valley. In fact, the concerned citizens have consistently expressed this view and it was vindicated by the NC itself a few days ago when its five top leaders, including former Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather opposed the official move to rationalize the assembly constituencies.
The people of Jammu province, it needs to be underlined, have been discriminated against. Their political representation in the Assembly has been diluted due to the absence of delimitation based on the criteria laid down by the Representation of People's Act (RPA). Those at the helm have all along played with the census figures in order to ensure more than fifty per cent representation to Kashmir in the Assembly. It has all through been the charge of the people of Jammu province that the "Kashmiri leaders always fudged the census figures with a view to harming their interests". They did not cross the line when they consistently complain that "they are underrepresented in the Assembly" and asserted on occasions more than one that "it is this under-representation which is responsible for their all round neglect". They also make a valid point when they say that "it is the composition and complexion of the Assembly which shapes the politico-administrative and socio-economic policies of the state" and that the people of Jammu province must be given due share of representation in the Assembly.
It may be emphasized that the people of Jammu have been demanding since 1951 "due share in the Assembly strictly in accordance with the criteria laid down by the RPA - land area, voters/population and nature of terrain and accessibility".
The area of Jammu Province is 26,293 sq km. According to the 2002 voters list, there were 30, 59,986 voters in the Jammu province, whose terrain is also very difficult and treacherous. Bulk of the area of this province is inaccessible in the absence of proper road network. As for Kashmir, it has an area of 15,953 sq km. The number of voters in this province was 28, 83,550. As for the accessibility and communication network, Kashmir is very fortunate in terms of road connectivity and accessibility.
Till 2002, Jammu used to return two members to the Lok Sabha and 37 to the Assembly at the rate one per 15.59 lakh voters and 84,270 voters, respectively. In contrast, Kashmir had the privilege of returning three members to the Lok Sabha and 46 to the Assembly at the rate of one per 9.61 lakh voters and 62,673 voters, respectively.
Kashmir had 46 Assembly segments at the rate of one per 344 sq km on an average and Jammu 37 Assembly segments at the rate of one per 710 sq km on an average. This is the root cause of conflict between Kashmir and Jammu. The people of Jammu province always complain that "it is the Kashmir's excessive share of representation in the Assembly which has deprived them of their legitimate due share in the state's political, economic and social processes".
Yet another issue of immediate concern is the controversial census operation carried on in the state in 2001. Several political groups accused the State Government of "fudging" the census figures. According to this census, the population of Kashmir was 54,76,970 and that of Jammu 44,30,191. As for Kashmir, the break-up was like this: Srinagar - 12,02,447, Budgam - 6,29,309, Anantnag - 11,72,434, Pulwama --- 6,52,607, Baramulla - 11,69,780 and Kupwara --- 6,50,393. As for Jammu province, the break up is: Jammu - 15,88,772, Udhampur - 7,43,509, Kathua - 5,50,084, Poonch - 3,72,613, Rajouri - 4,83,284 and Doda --- 6,91,929. This shows that population difference between Kashmir and Jammu was 10,46,779. It was a huge, huge difference. (To be continued) |
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