Federal democracy under threat due to delimitation: DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar termed the delimitation exercise a political assault on southern states for controlling population growth, improving literacy and empowering women

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said federal democracy was under threat due to the proposed delimitation, which will be done "solely on population".

He termed the delimitation exercise a political assault on southern states for controlling population growth, improving literacy and empowering women.

"The very foundation of our democracyfederalismis under threat. The very pillars of our federal democracy, enshrined by Babasaheb Ambedkar and the visionary framers of our Constitution, are being dismantled brick by brick," Shivakumar said during a meeting on delimitation in Chennai.

On a call given by DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, chief ministers, ministers and representatives of various political parties assembled in Chennai to discuss the fallout of the delimitation process.

The political parties in southern states are aggrieved that the delimitation based on population will render them powerless and they will have little say in the country as they will get less Lok Sabha seats compared to their North Indian counterparts.

"Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and every progressive state in this room faces a stark choice: submit to domination or rise in resistance. We choose resistance," Shivakumar said.

The proposed delimitation exercise, based solely on population, is not just a technical adjustment but a political assault on the southern states as it seeks to punish them for their success in controlling population growth, improving literacy, and empowering women, he alleged.

"Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and other southern states have contributed immensely to India's growth. We have prioritised education, healthcare, and sustainable development. Yet, the Centre now plans to reduce our parliamentary representation, effectively silencing our voices in the national discourse," the Deputy CM charged.

The reduction in parliamentary representation was a betrayal of the constitutional promise that development and good governance should be rewarded and not penalized, he stated.

He told the gathering that Karnataka contributed over Rs four lakh crore annually to the Centre's Gross Tax Revenue and gets Rs 45,000 crore in tax devolution and Rs 15,000 crore in grants.

"For every rupee Karnataka contributes, only 13 paise comes back to us. This is not just an economic injustice; it is a systemic plunder of our resources," Shivakumar said.

According to him, Karnataka, with just five per cent of India's population, contributes 8.4 per cent to the national GDP. The state has the highest GST contributors in the country.

"Southern states, contributing 35 per cent of India's GDP, are treated as ATM machines for the North. Yet our share in central funds is disproportionately low," Shivakumar alleged.

The relentless push' for One Nation, One Language' seeks to erase the diversity of the country. "From railway signboards to competitive exams, the imposition of Hindi undermines our linguistic and cultural sovereignty. Let me be clear: Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and other regional languages are not mere dialects; they are the lifeblood of our civilisations," the Deputy CM asserted.

Shivakumar said the delimitation exercise is not only about parliamentary seats but also about the future of federalism in India.

"If the Centre proceeds with this unjust formula, it will alter the federal balance, giving disproportionate power to states that have failed to control population growth. This will not only marginalise the southern states but also undermine the principles of cooperative federalism enshrined in our Constitution," he stated.

He also told the gathering that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting any delimitation exercise based on the new census.

"We demand that the 1971 Census remain the basis for delimitation, as it rewards states for their efforts in population control and sustainable development," he insisted.