‘Full statehood’ for Delhi is a bad idea, and won’t work

On what criteria can Delhi become a full state Linguistic, religious, social backwardness, cultural uniqueness, economic prosperity, or political one-upmanship

Despite the incumbent Delhi chief minister’s ceaseless rhetoric urging “a government with a big heart” (referring to the Centre) to accord full statehood to Delhi, it is important to understand why the nation’s capital needs to retain its special status and should never be granted “full” statehood. The Delhi CM has even said one “has to see whether the present government will show that big heart or the next government”, with his political ranting continuing by stressing the point that the people of Delhi “pay Rs 1.30 lakh crore to the Centre in Income Tax but get only Rs 350 crores in return”; and that “even the British had not looted Delhi the way the Centre has”.

One would urge the Delhi CM to first try understand and grasp the bigger Indian picture with a “big heart” rather than play politics over a virtual non-issue. First, Delhi is not India, and India is not Delhi. Delhi is only India’s capital city and India is a country with all the ingredients of a continent. Article 1(1) of the Constitution says India is a “Union of States” and Article 1(3) clarifies: “The territory of India shall comprise (a) the territories of states; (b) Union territories ; and (c) such other territories as may be acquired”. Today’s India has 29 states and seven Union territories, including Goa and Sikkim, which fall under the category of “such other territories as may be acquired”.

Each and every state and Union Territory is a stakeholder in Delhi, which is the capital city of everyone in “India, that is Bharat”. On this count alone, Delhi can never become a “full” state. Else, India is likely to emerge as one of the 10 biggest nations, the second most populous in the world, without a capital city, thus resembling a super banana republic of incompetent, inefficient and politically ignorant rulers more interested in their Quixotic make-believe dream projects.

Second, on what criteria can Delhi become a full state Linguistic, religious, social backwardness, cultural uniqueness, economic prosperity or for political one-upmanship Further, what will Delhi do becoming a full state Only to create additional posts for politicians and bureaucrats with enhanced pay and perks and “free” goodies for life Creating more lobbyists and seeking to further only the material prosperity of the people of Delhi Thereby going back to the desperate days of Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316), whose unabashed and brazen Delhi-centric policy (at the cost of overall development of the entire kingdom) invited caustic comments by contemporary historians: “While the capital was fed, the country at large was bled ”

Coming to the bizarre logic that because Delhi’s citizens pay '1.30 lakh crore in Income Tax, they deserve to get a “full” state, it must be pointed out that this is not the formula to make or break a state. There have been “full” states of, and in, India (since 1947) which have been filling up the kitty of the Central government much more than what the Union territory of Delhi used to pay, and that federal structure and system of tax collection and distribution among various states and Union territories has its own set pattern and formula. That has nothing to do with creation of a state. There are states from where meagre or negligible amounts of tax have been collected in the past and even today, yet they exist as states. But the difference between a state and the Union territory of Delhi has already been clarified. Delhi being the country’s capital, it can never be, and must not be, made a “full” state. That would be sure path to political suicide and giving birth to a widespread conflagration across the ountry.

One just has to apply one’s mind coolly and rationally, rather than resorting to needless and avoidable instigation of the electorate of Delhi and playing to the gallery and a segment of votebanks that appear to have come into existence in the nation’s capital too.

The politicians with a short-term vision need to remember some basic facts. Article 30 of the Constitution stipulates: “All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.” Clearly, therefore, a minority is not only religious but also linguistic.

How many of our politicians are aware of it Going forward to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution [read with Articles 344(1) and 351], it is found it lists 22 languages (including the two official language of English and Hindi). It so happens that only four languages appear on signboards in Delhi’s roads. Why Why not all 22 languages Will our myopic politicians be able to take responsibility and be accountable for (potential) future disturbances and civil unrest It is very easy to ignite and instigate the mind of the electorate with negative and utopian slogans, thus playing with fire; but it’s not easy to rule India’s capital city through constant confrontation and conflict as Delhi reflects the mirror-image and soul of a country of 1.25 billion people.

What if all states start making specific demands on the government of the capital city of Delhi on hearing that it is likely to become a full state, thereby resorting to “preservation” and “reservation” (from educational institutions to the job market) for local Delhiwallahs and people from adjacent states only, thus depriving those from distant states from either entering Delhi or discriminating against them for the sake of “sons of the soil” and local voters

To top it all, India’s Constitution simply doesn’t allow the tiny territory of Delhi to become a “full” state. Today Delhi, tomorrow Mumbai, day after tomorrow Kolkata, followed by Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad All in the name of political demands: “small is beautiful and small is efficient”

Why don’t our political stalwarts bear in mind that the nonstop political unrest, tensions, crisis and anarchy in Delhi has a negative fallout for the country’s image globally With a population of 1.25 billion heads (which will keep swelling), is this the way to solve the nation’s economic woes Of course, there could be many protagonists to draw parallel to some Western capitals in support of their demand, but they must also bear in mind that India can’t be compared with much less populous countries of the West. India’s problems are its own, and other countries’ solutions may not always apply here.

The writer is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court