The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 114
[ 114 J one group comes to power, its rule may continue in definitely, and there is the fear that it may during its long regime injure the interests of the rival community. , For example, the party in power might show in the census a decrease in the strtngth of its rival, as is done in Europe, where a political group on capturing the Govern mental offices resorts to tactics such as recording a de crease in population against the vanquished group, or framing such electoral rules as might tend to benefit 1t at the expenses of the rival group. In order to protect the weaker parties against such tac6cs, it is necessary to have reservation of seats so as to remove mutual susp1c1on. For, it is obvious that so long as mutual dis trust prevails among the various groups, there can be no peace in 'India. Thus the system of reservation of seats is conducive, and not inimical to peace. When the Muslims apprehend that their interests are in danger, there is no reason why their seats should not be reserved even in the Punjab and Bengal. It is after all their legi timate share that they demand, and nothing more. To refuse to give them their right is to strengthen their sus p1c1on that there is something more behind, and that the Hindu compatriots do not mean well by them. It should be borne in mind in this connection that the Nehru-Report has admitted that under a jo:nt electorate system communities are liable to suffer in their interests, and it has cited the instance of England, where the con servatives with comparatively fewer votes defeated the Labour Party that had commanded a large number of votes. The same applies to the Muslims. They have only two provinces where they enjoy a bare majority. They would be confronted with a real danger if the party with fewer votes should come off victorious over the party with larger votes.