Delimitation's Dirty Game: When Women's Rights Become a Ploy
Delimitation's Dirty Game: When Women's Rights Become a Ploy By Jameel Aahmed Milansaar, Bangalore Indian politics loves a good drama, and the delimitation bill debate is delivering one right now. The idea? Redraw constituency lines after the next census to match population changes. Southern states like ours in Karnataka could get squeezed, while the north bulks up. But here's the kicker: some groups that have spent years holding women back are suddenly all about "women's rights" to ram their real plan through. Let's break it down. Delimitation means adjusting Lok Sabha and assembly seats fairly. The north's population has boomed—Uttar Pradesh might jump from 80 seats to 140-plus—while we've kept growth in check with better family planning. Karnataka's 28 seats could feel the pinch. Now, certain northern-heavy alliances are yelling for 33% women's quotas, tying it to the bill. Convenient, right? These are the same folks who've dragged t...