APPENDIX
(Vide page 524)
List of Trade Unions in the Amritsar District
Serial Name of the trade union Date of
No Registration
1.
N.R.
Locomotive Workshop Mazdoor Union,
14th March, 1943
Amritsar
2.
Amritsar
Commercial and Trade Employees’ Union
10th September,
Amritsar 1954
3.
Punjab
Swarnkar Mandal, Amritsar 18th April, 1955
4.
General
Labour Union, Tarn Taran 10th May, 1955
5.
Imarti
Karakum Committee, Amritsar 5th June, 1955
6.
Punjab
Cine Employees’ Association, Amritsar
20th April, 1956
7.
Press
Workers’ Union, Amritsar 15th October, 1957
8.
Amritsar
Trade Union, Amritsar 16th October, 1957
9.
Rickshaw
Workers’ Union, Amritsar
21st August, 1958
10.
Municipal
Mazdoor Sabha, Amritsar
11th March, 1959
11.
Amritsar
Federation, Amritsar 11th May, 1959
12.
Amritsar
Sabzi and Fruit Merchangs’ Association,
17th October, 1959
Amritsar
13.
Amritsar
Halwai Union, Amritsar
25th November, 1959
14.
Chah
Mazdoor Sabha, Amritsar 28th November, 1959
15.
Amritsar
Cycle Merchants’ Employees’ Union
20th January, 1960
Amritsar
16.
Amritsar
General Mazdoor Sabha, Amritsar
21st January, 1960
17.
Brick-kiln
Owners’ and Contractors Employees’
30th July, 1960
Union, Amritsar
18.
Shop
and Commercial Employees’ Union, Amritsar 30th August, 1960
19.
Private
Car-Drivers’ Union, Amritsar 29th September, 1960
20.
Club
and Hotel Employees’ Union, Amritsar 4th October, 1960
21.
Sarakhsha
Safai Mazdoor Union, Amritsar
14th February, 1961
22.
Municipal Labour Union, Amritsar 24th July, 1961
23.
Amritsar
Oil, Flour and General Mills Union,
8th January, 1962
Amritsar
24.
Khokha-Owners’
Association, Chheharta
18th June, 1962
25.
Municipal
Workers’ Union, Chheharta 28th July, 1962
26.
Harijan
Workers’ Union, Amritsar 26th October, 1962
27.
Shop
Assistants’ Union, Amritsar 21st December, 1962
28.
Newspapers
Editors’ and Journalists’ Association,
11th July, 1963
Amritsar
29.
Amritsar
Food Products Workers’ Union, Amritsar
30th July, 1963
30.
Punjab
Dry-Cleaners’ and Dyers’ Association,
24th January, 1964
Amritsar
31.
District
Amritsar Cycle and Rickshaw Repair Union
5th June, 1964
Amritsar
32.
Municipal
Labour Union, Patti 5th June, 1964
33.
Rickshaw
Mazdoor Sangh, Amritsar
30th December, 1964
34.
Punjab
Commercial and Trade Employees’ Union
15th January, 1965
Amritsar
35.
Punjab
State Barbers’ Union, Amritsar 1st June, 1965
36.
Municipal
Mazdoor Sabha, Jandiala Guru
11th April, 1966
37.
Amritsar
General Labour Union, Amritsar
6th January, 1967
38.
Grow-More-Food,
Tube-wells and Canal Farmers’ 14th
April, 1967
Union, Amritsar
39.
Amritsar
Dry-Cleaners and Dyeing Workers’ Union
25th Oct, 1967
Amritsar
40.
Lower
Grade Municipal Election Union, Amritsar
7th March, 1968
41.
Galla
Mazdoor Sangh, Amritsar 30th October, 1968
42.
Dehati
Mazdoor Union, Amritsar 22nd November, 1968
43.
All-Jammu
& Kashmir Mazdoor Union, Amritsar
27th July, 1969
(Source : Labour Commissioner, Punjab, Chandigarh)
(Note : For the list of the
industrial workers’ unions in the district, refer to Chapter V, ‘Industries’,
pages 214-215.
CHAPTER XVIII
PUBLIC LIFE AND VOLUNTARY SOCIAL SERICE
ORGANIZATIONS
|
(a) |
Representation of the District in the State and the Union Legislatures |
|
(b) |
|
|
(c) |
|
|
(d) |
(a)
Representation of the District in the
State and the Union Legislatures
Although
India had a Legislative Council as early as 1861, yet it was under the Indian
Councils Act, 1892, that the representative principle was first introduced. The
Indian Councils Act, 1909, for the first time largely recognized the principle
of election which was further extended under the Government of India Acts of
1919 and 1935.
Elections of 19311.—In the
elections to the Punjab Legislative Assembly held in 1937, under the Government
of India Act, 1935, there were wholly or partly 16 seats in the Amritsar
District, as per constituencies given below :
Particulars Name of the
constituency Number
of
seats
1. General
Constituencies Urban Amritsar City 1
Rural Amritsar and Sialkot
II. Muhammadan Constuencies Urban Amritsar City 1
Rural
Amritsar 1
Tarn
Taran 1
Ajnala 1
III. Sikh Constituencies Urban Eastern
Towns 1
(including the Amritsar
District)
Rural
Amritsar North 1
Amritsar
Central 1
Amritsar South 1
IV. Women’s
Constituency Amritsar 1
V. Indian
Christians’ Constituency East
Central Punjab 1
VI. Landholders’
Constituency Central
Punjab Landholders 1
VII. Labour
Constituency East
Punjab 1
1Krishna Swarup. The Punjab Elections Manual (Lahore, 1936)
AMRITSAR
The First General Elections, 19522.—After
the independence (1947), the main task before the coalition Government at the
Central was to frame the new Constitution for the country. The Constituent Assembly
set up for the purpose completed this colossal task. The Constitution was
finally approved in November 1949, and enforced from January 26, 1950.
Thereafter, the coalition Government was to seek the confidence of the people
through General Elections. Before independence, the right to vote was only with
13 per cent of the population and that, too, in a very complex manner, i.e., by
laying stipulations of adult on attaining the age of 21 becomes entitled to
vote if he is otherwise eligible. This system of universal suffrage entitled 50
per cent of the population to vote.
The delimitation of constituencies was the next stage in the elections. In the early part of 1948, the Constituent Assembly called upon the Government to undertake a census of the population. The population figures of 1941 were never considered to be reliable. Besides, these were over 8 years old. The partition of the Punjab had been accompanied with a mass inter-migration of population. Certain areas of the Lahore District (of Pakistan) were added to Amritsar. After collecting the data and, in accordance with the provision of clause 6 of the Constitution (Delimitation of Constituencies), an assembly seat was allocated to a population of 1,00,079 or 46,571 voters. On the above basis, 2 parliamentary Constituencies and 14 Assembly seats were allocated to the Amritsar District.
After
the calculations had been made, the district map was taken out and, under the
name of each tahsil, police-station, zail
or town, the number of votes for the unit concerned was noted down together
with the number of Scheduled Castes votes, the total number of votes being
shown as the numerator and the Scheduled Castes votes as the denominator.
According to stipulation, the constituencies with a high percentage of
Scheduled Castes population were them marked. Two adjoining units of
concentration were then paired off to form double constituency with two
seats-one general and the other reserved for the Scheduled Castes. According to
this procedure, 2 Assembly Constituencies were declared double-member
constituencies. These were reserved for the Scheduled Castes. This was done to
ensure a proper representation of the Scheduled Castes. This was done to ensure
a proper representation of the arrangement. Thereafter, new electoral rolls
were prepared in view of the increase in the number of voters, delimitation of
constituencies, etc.
For conducting elections, elaborate polling arrangements for the district were planned and organized. To avoid inconvenience to the voters, polling-stations were so arranged that no voter had to travel more than 3—5 kilometres to cast the vote. Care was taken to arrange the simultaneous polling throughout the State to distribute the anti-social elements evenly. About 7,000 polling-stations had to be set up against 1,300 in 1946; and thousands of subordinate staff had to be initiated into the new complicated election procedure. The experience of the general elections in 1951-52 revealed several shortcomings of the gigantic exercise. The defects and deficiencies were removed in the subsequent general elections.
2Report on the First General Legislative
Elections in the Punjab State held under the Constitutions of India, 1951-52
(Simla, 1952).
Out of the total population of the district
numbering 13,67,040 (151 Census), 8,61,956 persons were eligible to cast votes
in the First General Eelections, 1952.
There
were two Parliamentary Constituencies, viz. Tarn Taran and Amritsar. Both the
elected candidates had party affiliation with the Congress. The number of votes
polled by different political parties was as follows :
Name of the party Number Percentage of
of
valid total valid
votes
votes polled in
polled the district
Indian National Congress 1,64,589 46.2
Akali Dal 67,800 17.0
Communists 54,844 11.2
Forward Block 15,282 3.3
Ram Rajya Parishad 21,883 5.3
Independents 68,467 17.0
Total 3,92,865 100
For the Vidhan Sabha, there were 12 constituencies consisting of 14 seats in the district (2 constituencies being double-member), viz., Ajnala, Ramdas, Amritsar (double-member constituency), Amritsar City North, Amritsar City East, Amritsar City Central, Amritsar City West, Jhabal, Khalra, Patti, Tarn Taran (double-member constituency) and Beas. From these constituticies, 11 Contress, 2 Communist, and 1 Akali Dal candidates were declared elected. The total number of votes polled by each party are given below :
Name of the party Number Percentage
of
votes
polled
Congress 1,88,827 36.8
Akali Dal 1,06,069 20.6
Communists 64,562 12.6
Lal Communists 13,062 2.5
Socialists 10,596 2.1
Jan Sangh 11,169 2.2
Ram Rajya Parishad 8,104 1.6
Forward Bloc 5,798 1.1
Independents 1,05,546 20.5
Total 5,13,733 100
The Second General Elections, 19573.—The
task of conducting the First General Elections, 1952, being the first exercise
of the type, was of great magnitude and complexity. The Second General
Elections, however, were attended is some respects with even greater
difficulty. The area involved was much larger, because the former Pepsu had
since merged with the Punjab. However, the total period for the polling was
reduced appreciably. Voting for the Assembly Constituencies was completed in a
single day or, in a very few cases, in two days, instead of being spread over a
number of days, as in 1951-52. The counting of votes was also taken up in each
constituency as soon as the polling had been completed, instead of after the
polling in the entire State had been completed.
The delimitation of constituencies was done in 1951, 1953 and then in 1956. The contingency to demarcate the constituencies arose in 1956 on account of the merger of PEPSU with the Punjab. Two Parliamentary Constituencies and 13 Assembly Constituencies were declared double-member constituencies and were reserved for the Scheduled Castes.
With the reduction of the total period of polling in each constituency, it became necessary to deploy a much large number of polling staff as well as police in 1956-57.
Out of the total population of 13,67,040 (1951 Census) in the district, the number of electors was 8,22,175. Total number of votes polled was 5,23,362.
3Report on General Eelctions in Punjab, 1957 (Chandigarh,
1959)
There
were two Parliamentary Constituencies, viz. Tarn Taran and Amritsar. Both the
elected candidates belonged to the Congress. The position of the contesting
parties was as under :
Name of the party Number Percentage
of
votes
polled
Congress 2,43,344 46.50
Jan Sangh 95,198 18.18
Communists 1,53,294 29.30
Independents 31,536 6.02
Total 5,23,362 100
For the Vidhan Sabha, there were 11 constituencies, constiting of 13 seats (including 2 seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes) and, as such, there were two double-member constituencies. The names of these constituencies were : Patti, Sirhali Kalan, Tarn Taran (double-member constituency), khalra, Ajnala, Majitha, Amritsar City east, Amritsar City West, Amritsar City Civil Lines, Amritsar (double-member constituency) and Beas. From these constituencies, 8 Congress, 2 Jan Sangh, 2 Communist and 1 Independent candidates were elected. The number of the votes polled by each contesting party is given below :
Name of the party Number Percentage
of
votes
polled
Congress 3,00,385 49.00
Communists 1,18,823 1.5
Praja Socialist Party 8,962 1.5
Jan Sangh 70,930 11.6
Independents 1,13,643 18.5
Total 6,12,743 100
The Third General Elections, 19624.—A
major improvement in the matter of elections in the State this time was to
further reduce the period of poll. While it took 19 days to complete the poll
during the Second General Elections, 1957, the poll this time was held and
completed in a single day, i.e., on 24th February, 1962, throughout
the State except in the Kulu and Seraj constituencies where polling was held
towards the end of April. The Punjab was thus the only State which had the
distinction of having a single-day poll both for the Parliamentary and Assembly
elections. The counting of votes in regard to 152 constituencies was started on
25th Fegruary and completed by 28th February, 1962.
As
a result of the bifurcation of the two-member constituencies, 13 Assembly
Constituencies were formed as against 11 Assembly Constituencies (2 constituencies
being double-member constituencies). The position in respect of the
Parliamentary Constituency remained unchanged.
Out
of the total population of the district (1961 Census) of 15,34,916, the number
of electors was 8,55,530.
There were two Parliamentary Constituencies, viz., Amritsar and Tarn Taran. The Congress candidates were elected from both the constituencies. The number of votes polled by each of the contesting parties was as under :
Name of the party Number Percentage
of
votes
polled
Congress 2,85,072 45.1
Communists 1,58,049 25.0
Akali Dal 1,10,617 17.5
Jan Sangh 67,849 10.7
Independents 6,987 1.1
Ram Rajya Parishad 4,040 0.6
Total 6,32,614 100
4Report on General Elections in Punjab, 1962,
(Chandiarh 1963)
For the Vidhan Sabha, there were 13 constituencies in the district, viz., Sirhali Kalan, Patti, Khalra, Tarn Taran, Nagoke, Jandiala Guru, Amritsar City East, Amritsar City Civil Lines, Amritsar City West, Ajnala, Majitha, Amritsar Sadr and Beas. From these constituencies, 7 Congress, 2 Akali Dal, 2 Jan Sangh, 1 Independent and 1 Communist candidates were elected. The number of votes polled by each party is given below :
Name of the party Number Percentage
of
votes
polled
Congress 2,70,359 46.6
Akali Dal 98,881 17.2
Communists Tahsil). The Contress candidates were elected from both the
constituencies. The party position and votes polled by each candidate was as
under :
Name of the party Number
of votes polled
Beas Constituency—
Congress 22,623
Independent 18,615
Patti Constituency—
Congress 22,452
Independent 18,747
Independent 2,746
The Fourth General Eelctions, 19675.—The
General Elections held in 1967 were the fourth in the country and the first in the
new State of the Punjab which came into being after reorganization on 1st
November, 1966. Consequently, the constituencies delimited in 1965 were
subjected to fresh delimitation, as notified by the Delimitation Commission in
November 1966. By this order, the district was divided into 2 Parliamentary
Constituencies and 14 Assembly Constituencies.
As
at the time of the Third General Elections, the poll throughout the State was
held on a single day on 19th February, 1967. The counting was
started on 21st February and completed on 24th.
In
the Fourth General Elections (1967), the total number of voters in the district
was 8,80,129.
From
the two Parliamentary Constituencies in the district, viz. Tarn Taran and
Amritsar, a Congress and a Jan Sangh candidate were elected. The details of the
votes polled by each party are given below :
Name of the party Number Percentage
of
votes
polled
Congress 2,70,359 46.6
Akali Dal 98,881 17.2
Communists 58,550 10.1
Jan Sangh 49,850 8.5
Independents 72,446 12.1
Swatantra 18,163 3.2
Praja Socialist 11,716 2.0
Hindu Maha Sabha 893 0.2
Ram Rajya Parishad 513 0.1
Total 5,82,371 100
During
the period of the Third General Elections, i.e. from 1962—1967, bye-elections
were held in 1964 in two constituencies as the election of the then sitting
M.L.A.s was held void. The first was the Beas Constituency (having in its
extent the Beas Thana and the Malhian
zail in the Jandiala Guru Thana in the Amritsar Tahsil) and the
second was Patti Constituency (having in its extent the Patti and Valtoha Thonas in the Patti Tahsil, Uddoke Village in Kathunaugal Thana in the Amritsar Tahsil, and
Bahamniwala Village in the Sirhali Kalan Thana
in the Tarn Taran Tahsil). The Congress candidates were elected from both
the constituencies. The party position and votes polled by each candidate was
as under :
Name of the party Number of
votes
polled
Beas Constituency—
Congress 22,623
Independent 18,615
Patti Constituency—
Congress 22,452
Independent 18,747
Independent 2,746
The
Fourth General Elections, 19675.—The General Elections held in
1967 were the fourth in the country and the first in the new State of the
Punjab which came into being after reorganization on Ist November, 1966. Consequently,
the constituencies delimited in 1965 were subjected to fresh delimitation, as
notified by the Delimitation Commission in November 1966. By this order, the
district was divided into 2 Parliamentary Constituencies and 14 Assembly
Constituencies.
As at the time of the Third General
Elections, the poll throughout the State was held on a single day on 19th
February, 1967. The counting was started on 21st February and
completed on 24th.
In the Fourth General Elections
(1967), the total number of voters in the district was 8,80,129.
From the two Parliamentary
Constituencies in the district, viz. Tarn Taran and Amritsar, a Congress and a
Jan Sangh candidate were elected. The detail of the votes polled by each party
are given below :
Name of the party Number of Percentage
votes polled
Congress 2,53,810 37.8
Jan Sangh 1,04,035 15.5
Akali Dal (Sant Group) 1,69,199 25.2
Akali Dal (Master Group) 39,788 5.9
Swatantra 31,008 4.6
Communist Party of India 11,273 1.6
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 11,598 1.7
Independents 51,558 7.7
Total 6,72,269 100
5Report on General Elections in Punjab 1967 (Chandigarh, 1968)
For the Vidhan Sabha, there were 14 constituencies (including 3 Scheduled Castes constituencies) in the district, viz. Khadur Sahib, Patti, Valtoha, Atari (S.C.), Tarn Taran, Bes, Jandiala Guru (S.C.), Amritsar East, Amritsar South, Amritsar Central, Amritsar West, Verka (S.C.). Majitha and Ajnala. From these constituencies, 5 Congress, 4 Akali Dal (Sant Group), 3 Jan Sangh, 1 Communist Party of India and 1 Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidates were elected. The votes polled by each of the contesting parties are given below :
Name of the party Number
of Percentage
votes
polled
Congress 2,16,077 37.3
Akali Dal (Sant Group) 1,46,110 25.3
Jan Sangh 66,204 11.5
Praja Socialist Party 16,320 2.8
Communist Party of India 30,867 5.4
Akali Dal (Master Group) 888 0.1
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 32,556 5.6
Independents 69,347 12.0
Total 5,78,369 100
Mid-term Poll, 19696..—In
the Fourth General Elections, no single political party had gained absolute majority
in the Vidhan Sabha. The policical parties, viz. the Akali Dal (Sant Group),
the Jan Sangh, the Republican Party and the Right Communists joined together to
form the People's United Front which formed its ministry on 8th March, 1967,
After a short period, defections started and Sardar Lachhman Singh Gill, the
then Education Minister, defected along with a few other M.L.A.s of the Akali
Dal and formed his ministry on November 25, 1967, with the support of
Independents and the Congress. The relationship between the ministry and the
Congress did not continue to be smooth and the Congress withdrew its support.
Consequently, no single party or workable alliance of the parties could form a
stable Government. Therefore, on the recommendation of the Governor, the
President's Rule was proclaimed from 23rd August, 1968.
6 Report
on the Mid-Term General Election to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, 1969 (Chandigarh,
1971).
The
mid-term poll throughout the State was held on 9th February, 1969. The counting
was started on 10th and completed on 11th February, 169.
In
the mid-term elections, 1969, the total number of voters in the district was
9,22,676.
There were 14 Vidhan Sabha constituencies (including 3 Scheduled Castes constituencies) in the district, viz., Khadur Sahib, Patti, Valtoha, Atari (S.C.), Tarn Taran, Beas, Jandiala Guru (S.C.), Amritsar East, Amritsar South, Amritsar Central, Amritsar West, Verka (S.C.), Majitha and Ajnala. From these constituencies, 6 Akali Dal, 4 Congress, 1 Jan Sangh, 1 Communist Party of India, 1 Communist Party of India (Marxist) and 1 Praja Socialist Party candidates were elected. The votes polled by each of the contesting parties are given below :
Name of the party Number
of Percnetage
valid
votes
polled
Congress 2,46,972 38.1
Akali Dal 1,83,794 28.1
Jan Sangh 57,594 9.1
Independents 42,639 6.5
Communist Party of India 40,394 6.0
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 43,986 7.0
Praja Socialist Party 20,282 3.1
Janta Party 13,983 2.1
Swatantra Party 86 —
Total 6,49,730 100
After the partition, 8 M.L.C.s returned to the Vidhan Parishad from the areas forming party of the Amritsar District.
(b) Political Parties and Organizations
Indian National Congress.—The party is
wedded to the ideology of democratic socialism . Being a national party, it has
a secular and ntional outlook. Its economic policies of socialistic pattern of
society obviously have an appeal both for the labour and the inteliigentsia.
The party enjoyed popularity among the Harijans and educated Hindus and Sikhs.
After the reorganization of the former Punjab State in 1966, the influence of
the party considerably waned. In the Fourth General Elections (1967) and the
Mit-term Elections (1969), the party failed to secure a majority of seats in the
Assembly and was reduced to the largest single group among the opposition
parties. However, in the Firth General Elections (1972), the Congress gained
absolute majority.
In
the First General Elections (1952), the Congress had bagged both the
Parliamentary seats. Out of the 14 Assembly seats, the party had won 11 seats.
In the Second General Elections (1957), both the parliamentary seats and 8 out
of 13 Assembly seats were won by the party. In the Third General Elections
(1962), the party won both the Parliamentary seats and 7 out of the 13 Assembly
seats. In the Fourth General Elections (1967), one Parliementry seat out of the
two fell to the share of the party. Out of the 14 Assembly seats, the Congress
could bag only 5 seats. In the First General Elections, the Congress got 46.2
percent of the total valid votes polled for the Lok Sabha and 36.8 per cent of
the total valid votes polled for the Vidhan Sabha. In the second General
Elections, the party got 45.5 per cent out of the total valid votes polled for
the Lok Sabha and 49 per cent out of the total votes polled for Vidhan Sabha.
In the Third General Elections, the party got 45.1 per cent votes out of the
total votes polled for the Lok Sabha and 46.6. per cent out of the total valid
votes polled for the Vidhan Sabha. In the two bye-elections in 1964, the party
got 54 per cent votes out of the total valid votes. In the Fourth General
Elections, the party got 37.8 per cent out of the total valid votes polled for
the Lok Sabha and 37.3 per cent out of the total valid votes polled for the
Vidhan Sabha. In the mid-term poll of 1969, the party got 38.1 per cent votes
for the Vidhan Sabha out of the total valid votes polled.