The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 107
r [ 107 1 Fixing of rights, in ()ther words, means assignment of constituencies for each community from which none but a member of the same community could stand as a candidate for election. Thus according to the Nehru-Report, the minontles, in provinces other than the Punjab and Bengal, may have seats reserved in proportion to their numerical strength, if they so desire. According to this rule, there is to be open competition between the Hindus and the Muslims over the seats in the Punjab and Bengal, without any restric tion whatsoever. If the N. W. F. Provinces, Baluchistan and Sindh are formed into separate provinces, then in these provinces, the Hindus shall have the option to have seats reserved for· themselves on population basis. and to fight for additonal seats "�ith the Muslims. In other pro vinces the Muslims also shall enjoy similar rights. lln other words, according to the above recommenda tion, not only the demands urged by the Muslim League have been left unsatisfied, but even their present rights have been taken away from them. The Muslim League had demanded safeguards for what the Muslims were already enjoying, and for additional seats the League demanded that the Muslims should be left free to fight it out with the Hindus ; the same. ::oncess1ons to be granted to the Hindus in provinces where Muslims form an over whelming majority. But the Nehru Committee would give to the Mussalrnans only such representation as they are entitled to on the population basis. The result is that in the United Provinces, the Muslims are occupying at present 30% of the seats in the Council, but according to the Nehru-Report, theh representation shall be reduced to 15 % with the right to win additional seats in open contest, if they so choose. Similarly in Behar, Madras, Assam and Bombay, the Muslims form less than 10, 6 t