The Battle for Chandigarh: Unravelling Punjab’s claim
Chandigarh is a city that’s been a point of contention between Punjab and Haryana for a long time. It’s currently the shared capital of both states, but this unique arrangement has created clear divisions between them.
The issue is deeply emotive and has been part of the political discourse in the region for years. Successive governments at the Centre have struggled to resolve the issue, with some attempting to allocate land to one state or the other. For instance, there have been reports of the BJP-led Union Government allotting land to the Haryana Government for a new Vidhan Sabha building in Chandigarh, which has been vehemently opposed by the Punjab Government, including BJP state president Sunil Jakhar, and other political parties.
THE CHANDIGARH ISSUE
Introduction
The controversy surrounding Chandigarh’s status as a Union Territory or its potential merger with Punjab has been fuelled by politically motivated groups. These groups are not only misinformed about the historical context of Chandigarh’s creation but also disregard the significant struggles and sacrifices made by the people of Punjab to reclaim their city.
Historical Background
- Punjabi and Hindi zones
On October 15-17, 1956, Home Affairs Minister Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant convened a conference to address the language issue in Punjab. A six-member committee, chaired by the Punjab Chief Minister, was formed to consider the State Reorganisation Commission’s recommendations. The committee agreed to demarcate Punjabi and Hindi zones based on districts, with two exceptions:
- Jind and Narwana tehsils (Sangrur district) would join the Hindi region- Ropar and Kharar tehsils (Ambala district) would join the Punjabi region
The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, was enacted to formalise the linguistic divisions in Punjab. Subsequently, on July 4, 1957, the Punjab government notified the division of the state into two distinct regions. Ropar and Kharar tehsils of Ambala district were declared part of the Punjabi-speaking area by Punjab Governor CPN Thakur (1953-1958) in a joint session of Punjab Assembly and Council.
However, the three-member Boundary Commission, headed by Justice JC Shah, later allocated the entire Kharar tehsil to Haryana as a Hindi-speaking area, citing 1951 Census statistics. This decision was contentious due to concerns about the reliability of the census data.
The President issued an order in November 1957, constituting regional committees for the Hindi and Punjabi regions of the Punjab state. The areas falling within the two regions were specified.
The Official Language Act of 1960 aimed to establish Hindi and Punjabi as official languages in their respective regions in Punjab, but its implementation faced significant hurdles. The Act mandated that Hindi would be used in Hindi-speaking regions, while Punjabi would be used in Punjabi-speaking regions, effective October 2, 1960. However, this linguistic division sparked intense agitation from proponents of both languages, demanding a state division based on language.
In 1960, there was a vehement agitation by Punjabi enthusiasts, which led to the incarceration of approximately 50,000 Punjabis. Later, the agitation was withdrawn, followed by a short-lived lull in the storm. The demand for a “Punjabi Suba” resurfaced in 1965. On September 6, 1965, the Home Minister announced plans to find a cooperative solution to the issue.
- Formation of Chandigarh Union Territory
November 1, 1966, marked a pivotal day in Punjab’s history, resulting from the tumultuous partition of India in 1947. On this day, Haryana was carved out of Punjab, transferring hundreds of Punjabi-speaking villages to the new state. Additionally, Punjab’s districts of Shimla and Kangra merged with Himachal Pradesh due to geographical considerations.
The capital was then sanctioned away from Punjab, and the Chandigarh region, along with its 22 surrounding villages, became a separate entity known as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, under Central Rule. This led to the trifurcation of the Punjab province overnight, with a new order taking effect from November 1, 1966.
Subsequent Events
The exclusion of Chandigarh from Punjab in 1966 left a deep scar on the people of Punjab. Justice Gurdev Singh Dutt, a member of Punjab Boundary Commission, strongly advocated for Chandigarh to be part of Punjab in his dissenting note. This note is still considered crucial reading today, offering valuable insights into the commission’s verdict.
The people of Punjab organised massive demonstrations, led by the late Sant Fateh Singh, who was willing to sacrifice himself to reclaim Chandigarh for Punjab. The situation was dire until Speaker Hukam Singh intervened, conveying Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s promise to return Chandigarh to Punjab.
The struggle for Chandigarh’s restoration is also remembered through the supreme sacrifice of Sardar Pheruman, who fasted unto death, driven by his conscience and conviction that Chandigarh rightfully belonged to Punjab.
Prime Minister’s Promise
The Chandigarh dispute has a long and complex history. Thanks to Punjab’s persistent efforts, Indira Gandhi agreed in 1971-72 to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab in exchange for Fazilka-Abohar, while Hindi-speaking areas would go to Haryana. However, this promise was never fulfilled. Even on the eve of Operation Blue Star in 1984, Indira Gandhi reiterated this promise in a national broadcast, appealing for an end to the Sikh agitation.
The aftermath of Operation Blue Star led to significant challenges and changes across India. Later, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi attempted to resolve the Punjab issue with the help of Governor Arjun Singh. This led to the historic Punjab Accord on July 24, 1985, between Rajiv Gandhi and Sikh leader Sant Harchand Singh Longowal.
Article 7.1 of that Accord runs as follows:
“The Capital Project Area of Chandigarh will go to Punjab. Some adjoining areas, which were previously part of Hindi or Punjabi regions, were included in the Union Territory. With the Capital region going to Punjab, the areas, which were added to the Union Territory from the Punjabi region of the erstwhile state of Punjab, will be transferred to Punjab and those from the Hindi region to Haryana. The entire Sukhna Lake will thus go to Punjab.”
In pursuance of this clause in the Punjab Accord, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi declared that Chandigarh would be transferred to Punjab on January 26, 1986, but he backed out at the eleventh hour and all the necessary preparations for the merger came to naught. Presumably, Rajiv Gandhi felt excessively threatened and cowed down by the Haryana demonstration to the Parliament House led by Chaudhary Devi Lal.
Commissions
Article 7.2 (para 1) of the Punjab Accord lays down the following:
“It had always been maintained by Indira Gandhi that when Chandigarh is to go to Punjab, some Hindi speaking territories in Punjab will go to Haryana. A Commission will be constituted to determine the specific Hindi-speaking areas of Punjab which should go to Haryana in lieu of Chandigarh.”
The Mathew Commission conducted a mini-census in the Fazilka-Abohar area, which was claimed by Haryana, and found that although there were 83 Hindi-speaking villages, they couldn’t be transferred to Haryana due to contiguity issues. A significant Punjabi-speaking village, Khandu Khera, stood in the way. This verdict highlighted the complexities of linguistic divisions in the region.
The Venkata Remiah Commission took a different approach, deviating from its prescribed terms of reference, which included linguistic affinity, contiguity, and villages as a unit. The Venkata Remiah Award suffered from irrelevance, inequality, and redundancy. Initially proposing a twin-city, the commission later recommended transferring 70,000 acres of Punjab land to Haryana in exchange for Chandigarh.
Following the failure of both commissions to identify Hindi-speaking villages in Punjab along its border with Haryana, the appointment of the Desai Commission proved futile, as it was rejected outright by the Punjab Government. This underscores the reality that Punjabi is the predominant language in Punjab, spoken by people of various faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and others.
