Chennai: Kamal Haasan, the actor-turned-politician and president of Makkal Needhi Maiam, has strongly criticised the Union government's push for parliamentary constituency delimitation. He warned that it could undermine India's federal structure and diversity and promote a homogenised "Hindia" that threatens the country's inclusive vision.
Speaking at the All-Party Meeting, he said, "The issue of parliamentary constituency delimitation based on population is not just a concern for Tamil Nadu; it also affects states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Odisha, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Northeastern states."
He said that states that effectively managed population growth to support national progress should not be punished for their responsible planning and stated the importance of balancing democracy and federalism to achieve a vision of an inclusive and developed India. He highlighted that these two principles are interconnected, like two eyes, and must be valued equally.
"Back in 1976, India was considered a developing country on the global stage, with a population of 550 million and 543 members of Parliament. Today, our population has grown to 1.45 billion, yet we continue to function effectively with the same 543 MPs. This proves that our current parliamentary representation is sufficient to uphold democracy and federalism at the national level," he pointed out.
Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam party maintains a steadfast stance against altering the number of parliamentary representatives in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, regardless of the ruling alliance.
Haasan emphasised the distinction between policy-making at the Union level and implementation by state governments. He argued that if population-based representation is to be increased, it should occur in state legislatures, not Parliament.
"Who is raising the issue of constituency delimitation? Why are they bringing it up now? What is their real agenda?" questioned Haasan
Kamal Haasan slammed the Union government for meddling with states' rights and unfairly allocating funds only to poll-bound states while ignoring Tamil Nadu's rightful share of financial resources. He also accused the government of trying to impose Hindi through a "three-language policy" and coercing state governments into compliance by tying financial aid to it.
Haasan criticised the government's decision to skip the census due to COVID-19, only to push for delimitation in 2026, and questioned the motives behind this move, suggesting that the real goal is to consolidate power in Hindi-speaking states and secure a decisive electoral victory.
He stated that India should remain inclusive, but the government's actions seem to be pushing for a "Hindia" instead. He questioned the need to fix a functioning democracy, highlighting that redrawing constituencies would disproportionately affect non-Hindi-speaking states.
At an all-party meeting, 58 parties, including organisations, participated and passed a resolution requesting Prime Minister Modi to ensure that any delimitation is done; it will be based on the 1971 population census from 2026 to the next 30 years.