द इण्डियन स्ट्रगल / भारतीय स्वाधीनता संग्राम (नेताजी सुभाष चन्द्र बोस - ऐतिहासिक विश्लेषण)

174 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
would, however, be only for a period of ten years. For
Bengal and Punjab, the Committee decided to have no
reservation at all. The Hindus, who are in a minority in
these two provinces, did not demand any reservation, as
being against the principle of nationalism—and the Com-
mittee considered it unfair and unreasonable that there
should be a reservation of seats for the majority community
—namely, the Moslems. As for the Sikhs, they were prepared
to forego reservation of seats for their community if the
other two communities did so—and if they did not, then the
Sikhs demanded representation in excess of their numbers.
Besides the question of principle which appealed to the
Nehru Committee, practical considerations also showed that
the best solution of the Bengal and Punjab problem would
be not to have any reservation there. In Bengal, under the
existing Constitution, the Moslems have 40 per cent. of the
elected seats and the Hindus 60 per cent.—while the Moslem
population is about 54 per cent. and the Hindu population
about 46 per cent. In Punjab under the existing Constitution,
the Moslems have 50 per cent. of the elected seats, the
Hindus 31 per cent. and the Sikhs 19 per cent., while in
population the Moslems are 55 per cent., the Hindus 34 per
cent. and the Sikhs 11 per cent. The Hindu-Moslem-Sikh
representation now in vogue is based on the 'Congress
League Scheme' which was adopted as a compromise between
the Indian National Congress and the All-India Moslem
League at Lucknow in 1916. In proportion to their popula-
tion, the Moslem representation in Bengal and Punjab was
reduced under the 'Congress League Scheme,' because in
the other provinces the Moslems got representation far in
excess of their numbers and the adjustment of Hindu-Moslem
interests was made on an All-India basis. Moslem representa-
tion as provided under the Congress League Scheme was no
longer acceptable to the Moslems of Bengal and Punjab. At
the same time the Nehru Committee found it well-nigh
impossible to fix another proportion which would be accept-
able to the parties concerned. Therefore, from the practical
point of view also, the Committee found it advisable to decide
on non-reservation of seats in Bengal and Punjab.