Chandigarh as UT and Capital: A Long-Standing Tension Between Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh has been a joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. The issue has been there for decades. That seemingly advantageous arrangement to both states had bred an unmistakable division, which made it a political point and the object of recurring discussion and demand. A perennial point of contention, whether Chandigarh is a Union Territory or a constituent of Punjab has remained one of the most crucial issues that straddle regional politics with several attempts having failed in the past.
The issue has gained momentum only recently as it has been reported that the Union Government, led by BJP, has allocated land in Chandigarh to Haryana for the construction of a new Vidhan Sabha building in Chandigarh. Such a move has been strongly opposed by the Punjab Government, which currently stands with figures such as BJP state president Sunil Jakhar, among other political parties. The situation further highlights the friction between the two states about the future of Chandigarh, a city that has symbolized the complexities in their political and linguistic understanding.
The Chandigarh Issue: A Historical Perspective
One will be surprised to see how the status of Chandigarh has evolved amid controversy since its very beginning. More than this, it is still a debatable matter that whether the status of Chandigarh as a Union Territory must be maintained or to become a regular part of Punjab. Various groups have tried to redefine the story of the city which, very often, disregarded history and the struggles that resulted in this separation from Punjab.
The city of Chandigarh was born as an inheritance at the time of Indian partition in 1947 so that it could act as the capital of Punjab. However, being a part of the state of Punjab always makes this status a bone of contention for being a Union Territory. It is often misinterpreted or played down by politically motivated groups against the sacrifices made by the people of Punjab to reclaim their city; thus, it is an issue even more sensitive.
The Origin of Chandigarh: A Divisive Act
Chandigarh’s history dates back to the state reorganization of the mid-20th century. It was in 1956 that Home Affairs Minister Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant constituted a conference to deal with the issue of division along lingual lines in Punjab. The committee recommended dividing the state into Punjabi and Hindi-speaking zones, decided by district boundaries, which was brought about through the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act of 1956. Still, all this did not settle the question of Chandigarh, and relations continued to deteriorate between Hindi-speaking and Punjab-speaking areas.
In 1966, Punjab was divided to form Haryana and Chandigarh was declared a separate Union Territory. This led to a new chapter in the political history of the region, which was then characterised by protests and demands that the city be returned to Punjab. The transfer of Chandigarh and its 22 adjoining villages to the Central Rule caused a feeling of gross injustice in Punjab, as the people of the state saw it as a loss of their rightful capital.
The Struggle for Chandigarh’s Return End
Excluding Chandigarh from Punjab gave a deep scar to its people, and resulted in extensive protests led by great figures such as Sant Fateh Singh. Singh’s fight to appropriate Chandigarh for Punjab identified itself with the larger question, and many individuals suffered in order to believe Chandigarh should be part of Punjab. The death of Sardar Pheruman, fasting unto death in protest, sealed the cause as one of great emotional and political significance.
This continued for years despite the people of Punjab. However, a breakthrough seemed to be on the cards in early 1970s, when the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi accepted to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab for the Fazilka-Abohar region. Even later on, this promise was not transferred; the promise made by Indira Gandhi was not fulfilled.
The Punjab Accord: A Failure Promise
The promise to the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab resurfaced once more during the 1980s, particularly in the tumultuous aftermath of Operation Blue Star. It was during 1985 that Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signed the historic Punjab Accord in which certain provisions were made for the transfer of the city to Punjab, including one relating to Chandigarh being returned in exchange for the Hindi-speaking areas of Punjab. However, the agreement had its own challenges in that it was never completely implemented. Political pressure and opposition from Haryana led by strong personalities like Chaudhary Devi Lal led to withdrawal of the proposal at the eleventh hour.
The Punjab Accord failed ultimately reflecting the difficulty in solving the issue of Chandigarh; the latter further ignited the feeling of betrayal in Punjab. Their provisions, such as the transfer of Sukhna Lake and adjacent areas, were never realized, and the matter remained unresolved.
Commissions and Further Attempts at Resolution
The Chandigarh dispute is characterized by its very complex nature, leading to the inclusion of several commissions-reporting units such as Mathew and Venkata Remiah Commissions that were at many points tasked with the job of finding the appropriate territorial readjustments between Punjab and Haryana. Their task was hard in identifying linguistic boundaries between the two states, and controversies had often preceded recommendations.
The Mathew Commission for instance conducted a mini-census in the Fazilka-Abohar area and identified linguistic imbalances across villages along the Punjab-Haryana border. The Venkata Remiah Commission that had first proposed a twin city format finally offered to cede most of Punjab’s area to Haryana for Chandigarh but the Punjab Government did not agree for the same.
It has been unable to bring a resolution to the dispute and each of its findings is dismissed or reversed on political considerations. Punjab was also opposed to the establishment of the Desai Commission; an example in itself of how this conflict is intractable.
The Struggle Continues
Yet, on the issue of Chandigarh, the question remains pretty emotive and politically charged to this day. People feel a deep sense of loss and injustice as the city that they have recognized as their rightful capital continues to be under Central administration no matter what political negotiations continue to go on in this case, for both Punjab and Haryana continue to claim Chandigarh for themselves.
All in all, the future of the city remains shrouded in obscurity since successive governments both on the state and national level cannot agree on how best to resolve the issue. Even as the impasse prevails, it reminds everyone of the deep political and cultural divisions that remain within the region and of the still-much-enduring legacy of partition.