By Dr. Dinesh
For decades, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have remained a proud yet voiceless outpost of India’s democracy, governed directly from the Centre, administered by officials, and represented in Parliament by just one Member of Parliament. The absence of a local Legislative Assembly and a legally recognized domicile framework continues to distance the people of these islands from decisions that affect their daily lives.
Every election season, these issues return to the headlines. Political parties renew promises of granting the islands their own Assembly, of protecting local rights, and of ensuring job security through a “local certificate” law. Yet, once the ballots are cast, the conversation quietly fades away, leaving islanders with the same old bureaucratic structure, one that often struggles to reflect local aspirations or protect local interests.
The demand for a Legislative Assembly for Andaman & Nicobar Islands is neither new nor unreasonable. In fact, it was first raised when other Union Territories, such as Puducherry and Delhi were granted legislative powers decades ago. The Pradesh Council, which served as a semi-legislative body for the islands until 1994, was abolished without replacement. Since then, every administrative and developmental decision has flowed through the Lieutenant Governor’s office, leaving little room for locally elected voices.
In December 2021, Member of Parliament Kuldeep Rai Sharma introduced a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament seeking to amend the Constitution to create a Legislative Assembly for the islands, modeled on the Puducherry framework. The Bill, though not passed, symbolized the growing consensus that Andaman’s unique geography, demography, and developmental needs deserve a representative legislature of their own. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), too, has passed resolutions demanding the same. Yet, the matter remains stuck in the corridors of procedural uncertainty.
Parallel to this is the unresolved issue of domicile and local identity. For many years, residents of the islands benefited from a “Local Certificate” system that helped safeguard government employment and educational opportunities for long-term islanders. But in 1992, the Supreme Court, in the Union of India vs. Sanjay Pant case, struck down such preferences due to the absence of proper statutory backing. Since then, despite several administrative circulars, the local certificate framework has remained legally fragile.
Recognizing this gap, a Private Member’s Bill in 2019 sought to reserve government jobs in Andaman & Nicobar Islands for residents who had lived here for at least 10 years and possessed a valid domicile certificate. The Bill invoked Article 16 of the Constitution, which allows Parliament to make residence-based exceptions in public employment, but it was never taken up for debate.
The absence of both, a legislature and a legally recognized domicile system has created a vacuum in local governance. Policies affecting land use, tourism regulation, tribal welfare, and environmental conservation are often decided without sufficient local debate. Meanwhile, educated island youth face growing competition from mainland applicants in government jobs, heightening a sense of alienation and loss of opportunity.
The BJP-led central government has both the authority and the parliamentary strength to act. The Constitution empowers Parliament to create legislatures for Union Territories through ordinary legislation, as was done for Delhi and Puducherry. Similarly, a statutory domicile law can be enacted by Parliament under Article 16(3), clearly defining who qualifies as a local resident, based on residence, education, or family ties, while remaining within constitutional limits.
These measures would not just fulfill political promises; they would restore a sense of ownership and dignity to the people of the islands. A locally elected Assembly would ensure accountability, transparency, and responsiveness, essential traits of good governance. A legal domicile framework would protect local youth from economic displacement while preserving the multicultural character of the islands.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are not just another Union Territory, they are a living frontier of India’s strategic and ecological heritage. Granting them both a voice through an Assembly and an identity through domicile recognition is not a political favor; it is an overdue act of democratic justice.
The people of these islands have waited long enough. It is time for the Centre to turn promises into policy, and assurances into action, before yet another election comes and goes, leaving the same questions unanswered.
(The author is not a political analyst or politician. This is a neutral opinion piece based on publicly available facts).