End of an era: Anglo-Indian representation finally ends in Jharkhand Assembly

Ranchi, Nov 25 : The Election Commission of India has submitted the list of the newly elected 81 members of the Jharkhand Assembly to Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar, marking the beginning of the new Assembly's formation.

Notably, this Assembly will consist of only 81 members, as the practice of nominating a representative from the Anglo-Indian community -- historically designated as the 82nd member of the House -- has been discontinued.

This marks the end of an era in Jharkhand's legislative history. Glenn Joseph Galstaun, who was nominated as the 82nd MLA in the fifth assembly formed in 2019, expressed sadness over the decision. "It’s disheartening that no Anglo-Indian representative will now be seen in the Jharkhand Assembly," he remarked.

The tradition of nominating Anglo-Indian representatives in legislatures began in 1952 and was enshrined in Article 334B of the Indian Constitution. This provision allowed the President of India to nominate up to two Anglo-Indian members to the Lok Sabha, while state Governors could nominate one member to their respective Legislative Assemblies under Article 333.

However, the 126th Constitutional Amendment passed in January 2020 abolished these nominations at both the national and state levels, bringing the practice to an end.

Historically, when Jharkhand was part of undivided Bihar, its Legislative Assembly had 324 plus one Anglo-Indian representative. After Jharkhand became a separate state in 2000, this Anglo-Indian quota was moved to the new state.

In Jharkhand, Joseph Pancholi Galstaun became the first Anglo-Indian MLA in 2005 and was re-nominated in 2009. His son, Glenn Joseph Galstaun, succeeded him, serving as the Anglo-Indian MLA in 2014 and 2019.

With the dissolution of the fifth assembly, Glenn Joseph Galstaun's term has officially ended, and the Anglo-Indian community's presence in the Assembly concludes as well.

This change reflects a significant shift in the democratic and constitutional framework, signaling the end of a longstanding tradition that had been a part of India’s legislative process for nearly seven decades.