B. Pocker Bahadur
Also called: Pocker Sahib · Topic: Framing the Indian Constitution · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Framing the Constitution"
Meaning
B. Pocker Bahadur was a Muslim League member of the Constituent Assembly from Madras. He was the main voice asking to keep separate electorates. A separate electorate is a system in which only voters of one community, here Muslims, elect that community's representatives. He said minorities cannot be "erased out of existence". In his view, only such a system would give Muslims a meaningful voice, because non-Muslims could not understand Muslim needs or choose true Muslim leaders.
Example
On 27 August 1947, just after Partition, Pocker Bahadur pleaded for separate electorates to continue. Sardar Patel called them a "poison" in the body politic. G.B. Pant said they would be "suicidal to the minorities". The demand was rejected.
Don't confuse with
- Reservation of seats: here seats are kept for a group, but all voters together choose who fills them. This is what Jaipal Singh wanted for tribals. It is not a separate electorate.