Himanta Biswa Sarma raises population point on delimit

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said Parliament will have to deliberate on whether population can continue to be the main basis of the delimitation exercise, as it means discouraging those adhering to population control.

Last month, EC announced the delimitation exercise of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam using the 2001 census figures. The state government has decided to merge four new districts with respective original undivided districts.

"As of now, our policy delimiting constituencies is based on population. The central government has asked us to control population. Some places have controlled the population and some have not done so. In a way this is a premium to those who are violating the policy and punishing those who are violating the policy," Sarma said. "The government of India and parliament asked us to control the population and we are being punished for that."


Sarma said, "In the next delimitation exercise, I wish Parliament debates whether people who have abided by the policy be punished or rewarded. In Assam's context, people of Dibrugarh and Sibsagar abiding by law kept the population under control. Some did not abide by the two-child norm and had 12 children."

He added, "Delimitation exercise is the last hope to keep the race alive, as we did not do well in NRC. Even in the Assam Accord, we did not get as desired. This can be one exercise through which the future of Assam will be safeguarded for at least two decades. It is a non-political exercise based on data. The same will be challengeable in court. It is an exercise in fairness..."