SIR is part of larger ploy to disturb ‘basic structure’ of Constitution: Linguist Ganesh Devy

Likening Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to just one coach of a train, with several other coaches comprising delimitation, census, NPR (National Population Register), women’s reservation and others, linguist G.N. Devy alleged that the larger ploy was to disrupt the ‘basic structure’ of the existing Constitution, and eventually introduce a new constitutional framework.

Speaking at an interaction on ‘SIR Citizenship Question: The Government’s Ploys’ in Hubballi on March 5, he said that systematic clandestine efforts were being made to weaken the Constitution by non-State actors, like the RSS, and attempts were also being made to snatch away the rights of citizens by altering the data pertaining to minorities, backward and the tribals.

Mr. Devy alleged that, through the Bharat Bhasha Samiti, more than 2,000 books were being prepared in different languages to build historical narratives to suit the vested interests of the people behind these moves. He claimed that by December 2028, such efforts could influence public understanding of culture and history.

According to him, census data could be manipulated through the SIR process. He alleged that similar manipulation had taken place earlier when BJP was in power, resulting in artificial increase in population figures of four States, namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Bihar. The manipulation was unearthed during the UPA regime, he said.

Mr. Devy said that delimitation legally depends on census data, and alleged that redefining citizenship through the SIR could affect census figures. He said manipulated census could reduce the representation of southern States in Parliament, reducing representation of south India from the existing 24% to 13 to 16%, further weakening the region’s voice.

He said that these developments were aimed at facilitating ‘One Nation, One Election’, alleging that such a system could be used to topple governments of opposition parties. He alleged that BJP had placed loyalists in important constitutional positions to execute its hidden agenda. He further alleged that the RSS had come out with a list of 18 Articles to be removed from the Constitution so that the rights of minorities and the benefits awarded were brought to nil.

Mr. Devy emphasised the need for the civil society to ‘reincarnate itself’ and stand up against such developments before it is too late.