Kalpa Media House | Special Article |
Since the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the Indian Union after independence, various ups and downs have occurred. In the 1980s, a wave of terrorism hit Jammu and Kashmir. People who had lived on their land for centuries were uprooted, and their concerns were overlooked by successive governments. If effective measures and strength had been applied to eradicate terrorism at that time, many Kashmiris wouldn’t have had to leave their homeland. Amit Shah, known for his politics of empathy, presented the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the Lok Sabha on December 6, 2023.
In any society, uplifting marginalized individuals is a fundamental principle of the Indian Constitution. Respect is more crucial than assistance in advancing the cause of the underprivileged. In amending the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, the Modi government not only aimed to provide reservations but also introduced the constitutional term ‘Other Backward Class’s to honor these individuals.
Reviewing the history of the Congress government, from the Kaka Saheb Kalelkar Commission to the Mandal Commission, it is evident that the reservation for the backward class was placed on the sidelines. In the past nine years, under the leadership of Amit Shah in the Modi government, efforts have been made to provide reservation to the backward class and integrate them into the mainstream of society.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on August 5 and 6, 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah, by abrogating Article 370, listened to the voices of all those oppressed individuals who hadn’t been heard for years. The entire country knows that after the removal of Article 370, there has been a significant reduction in terrorist incidents in Kashmir. The mortality rate of security forces has decreased, theaters have reopened in the valley after years, and the tricolor proudly waves at Lal Chowk. Those who are perturbed by the removal of Article 370 should understand that the bill included judicial delimitation. If the process of delimitation itself is not sacred, then democracy cannot remain sacred. Hence, the bill incorporated provisions for judicial delimitation.
For the first time in the history of delimitation, nine seats have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes, and reservations for seats have been arranged for Scheduled Castes as well. In Jammu, the seats have been increased from 37 to 43, and in Kashmir, from 46 to 47. Additionally, 24 seats of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir have been kept reserved. Earlier, there were 107 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly; now, it has been increased to 114. Previously, there were two nominated members; now, there will be five nominated members. According to the laws of Jammu and Kashmir, two women are nominated by the Governor; now, one woman from the Kashmiri diaspora and one from Pakistan-administered Kashmir will also be nominated.
The efforts of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, a senior leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party, will be remembered by every Kashmiri who has suffered and is backward. To provide justice to those wandering in their own country for years, the Indian government has reserved two seats and provided reservation to refugees from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The Modi government has also done the work of conferring constitutional dignity to the weak by giving the constitutional term ‘Backward Class’ instead of ‘Weaker Section’ in the bill.
The duo of Modi and Shah has effectively wiped away the tears of the displaced over the past nine years, like threading a precious pearl in the string of numerous transformations brought to the country.
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