again , region-wise distribution of seats was done arbitrarily to ensure continuation of Kashmiri dominance . The term of the Assembly is six years , contrary to the rest of the country where the legislatures have a five-year term . There is no justification for the same except to emphasise the State ’ s presumed special status and flaunt Kashmiri identity . However , the delineation for additional 11 seats was done only in 1995 — on orders of the then Governor , by Justice ( retd ) KK Gupta , who allotted six seats to Kashmir and five to Jammu . Logically , the next delimitation should have been held in 2005 .
Following in the footsteps of his father , Farooq Abdullah , who returned in 1996 as the Chief Minister , played the biggest fraud by passing a resolution in the State Assembly ,
freezing delimitation till 2026 . Concerned with the rise of growing anger among the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions against Kashmiri dominance , Farooq amended the State ’ s Constitution through 29th amendment of 2002 , inserting a new para in Section 47 ( 3 ) of the Constitution , freezing fresh delimitation till first Census taken after the year 2026 . As a matter of fact , no fresh delimitation is possible till 2031 because that is when theCensus would be due after 2026 , a master stroke of Farooq to ensure continuation of Kashmiri hegemony . While Section 49 grants political reservation to SCs , the STs ( Gujjars , Bakarwals , Gaddis ), which form more than 12 per cent of the State ’ s population , are denied the political reservations . Going by Farooq ’ s dubious master stroke , justice cannot be provided to the tribal communities of the State till 2031 . Around 24 seats earmarked for the people of POJK serve no purpose except to strengthen our claim on the illegally occupied part of the State . About eight-10 seats out of these should also be allotted to Jammu since all POJK refugees are settled in Jammu region . Using his guile and influence , Sheikh Abdullah did not let any of the refugees from Mirpur-Muzaffarabad belt settle in Kashmir though going by geographical proximity , Kashmir should have been the natural habitat of refugees from Muzaffarabad . The displaced community of Kashmiri Pandits should also have reserved seats in Kashmir .
( The writer is a Jammu-based political commentator , columnist , security and strategic analyst )
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