The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 144
[ 144 ] ( 1) To grant to any community representation in ex cess of their population ratio is contrary to the principle of Representative Government. (2) If the Muslims are granted representation in excess of their population ratio, it would be an injustice to the other minority communities. (3) If a third of the seats in the Central Legislature be reserved for the Muslims, then it would be difficult to allot the seats to the provinces. Under the circum stances, the Muslims shall have to be granted reservation of seats in the Punjab and Bengal, a suggestion which we have already discarded. Thus apart from such re servation being contrary to principles, it is difficult of practical application. (1) INCREASED REPRESENTATION NOT WRo. G IN PRINCIPLE. The first argument that it is contrary to the principle of Representative Government to grant to any com munity representation in excess of their population ratio is altogether wrong. Had it been otherwise, then in all international negotiations the bigger nations ,ivould have had a larger number of represe;ntatives than the smaller nations. But the fact is that, in the matter of votes, we find the small state of Belgium enjoying the same rights as the vast British Empire with its four hundred millions of population. Thus, in the consideration of national questions, it is not numbers alone that count, but there are also other factors to be taken into consideration. To my mind, in order to understand the principle of proportion in representation, it is necessary to understand the real significance of Representive Government. The basis of Representative Government lies in the principle