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 their feet on women in power. The BJP gave women just 12% of tickets in 2019. Congress? More family faves than fresh faces. And don't get me started on the bigger picture—honour killings up north, women stuck out of jobs (barely 20% in the workforce), fighting triple talaq tooth and nail until it suited them. In Karnataka, women turned the tide in Bengaluru seats back in 2023. We've got the literacy, the IT jobs, the grit. Why let them lecture us?

This "women's rights" talk is a smokescreen. They want to link delimitation to a fresh census count, guaranteeing northern gains. Census 2011 pegged us at 1.21 billion; the north grew way faster. Freeze it now, and the south stays balanced. But they cry foul to flip the board.

We've been here before—the 2001 redraw shortchanged us. From Bengaluru's buzzing offices to Mysuru's vibrant streets, our women are leading the way. The Modi government should cut the nonsense: pass delimitation without census games, roll out women's reservation on its own (like the 2023 Nari Shakti Bill), and let the hypocrites squirm.

Southern states, time to stand together. Women's rights aren't poker chips. Call their bluff.

The writer comments on politics and community from Bangalore.