The Chandigarh paradox: Why three states fight for a city that remains above the fray
Last week, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was in Chandigarh on a mission: he met Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to seek a 7.19 per cent share in the Union Territory, arguing that Himachal, carved out of the erstwhile Punjab in 1966, was entitled to it as a successor state.Earlier this year, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann made Chandigarh the centerpiece of his Republic Day address, reiterating that Punjab would ensure complete control over the city.This is a well-trodden arena. Four years ago, shortly after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Central civil service rules will be implemented for all employees under Chandigarh Administration, replacing Punjab’s, the AAP government convened a special Assembly session to pass a resolution seeking the city’s immediate transfer. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini maintains that Chandigarh remains their joint capital, while simultaneously pushing for land to build his state’s separate Assembly building in the city.
Arc of a contested city
Six decades after it became the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh continues to be hotly contested. Yet, while governments continue to debate its ownership, the city itself has quietly evolved into something larger than a territorial prize. Conceived after Partition as Punjab’s replacement for Lahore, Chandigarh became Independent India’s first planned city, designed from scratch by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. Its Capitol Complex, comprising the Assembly, Secretariat and High Court, now enjoys the UNESCO World Heritage status and has been among India’s most significant architectural achievements. Chandigarh’s political future, however, was never settled. When Punjab was reorganised on the linguistic lines in 1966 into Punjab, Haryana and the hill areas that later became Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh was designated a UT and made the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana as an interim arrangement. In 1970, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced that Chandigarh would be transferred to Punjab while Haryana would receive the Fazilka tehsil, or equivalent territory, along with financial assistance to build a new capital. The proposal never took off.
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