The Lok Sabha has passed two historic bills that will usher in a new era of development and justice for Jammu and Kashmir. The bills are a bold and visionary step by the Modi government to correct the blunders made by the Congress in 1947 and 1950, which have caused immense suffering and violence in the region for decades.
The first blunder was the premature ceasefire declared by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, when Indian forces were on the verge of liberating the entire Kashmir from Pakistani invaders. This resulted in the creation of Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), which has been a source of constant conflict and terrorism. Home Minister Amit Shah rightly affirmed that PoJK is an integral part of India and that the Delimitation Commission has reserved 24 seats for PoJK in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
The second blunder was the decision to take the Kashmir issue to the United Nations, which gave Pakistan a platform to internationalize the matter and seek third-party mediation. This was a grave mistake that undermined India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Modi government has firmly rejected any external interference in Kashmir and asserted that it is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.
The root cause of terrorism in Kashmir was Article 370, which gave special status to the state and created a sense of alienation and separatism among some sections of the population. The Modi government nullified Article 370 in 2019, bringing Jammu and Kashmir at par with other states and union territories of India with the extension of all central laws and schemes to the region. This has led to a significant reduction in terrorism incidents and an improvement in the security situation.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, will increase the number of seats in the assembly from 107 to 114 and reserve seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, ensuring fair representation and empowerment of the backward classes. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, will rectify the injustices done to the displaced families, especially the Kashmiri Pandit Hindus, who were forced to migrate due to terrorism in the 1980s. Having reserved two seats for displaced Pandits, the bill will politically empower the community that has been politically disenfranchised in the last 75 years and particularly in the last three decades since their exodus from the valley.