Amit Shah Defends J&K Bills, Cites Justice for Kashmiri Pandits

In a parliamentary session, Union Home Minister Amit Shah passionately defended two bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing their role in providing justice to those deprived of rights for over 70 years. Shah, without directly naming the Congress, pointed out that the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits could have been prevented if terrorism had been addressed without succumbing to vote-bank politics.

The bills under discussion are the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill. Shah stated that these legislative measures aim to offer representation to individuals who had to leave Kashmir due to terrorism.

During his address, Shah disclosed that one seat in the Kashmir assembly will be reserved for those displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Additionally, one of the bills proposes the nomination of two individuals from the Kashmiri migrant community to the assembly.

Highlighting the plight of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Shah stressed that around 46,631 families were forced to live as refugees in their own country. The bills, according to him, are designed to secure rights and representation for this community.

Shah lamented the consequences of not addressing terrorism early on, asserting that the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits could have been averted. He criticized those responsible for preventing the exodus, accusing them of enjoying vacations in England while neglecting the crisis.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, focuses on amending the union territory's reservation act. It seeks to provide reservation in jobs and educational institutions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other backward classes, extending the benefits to socially and educationally backward individuals in remote areas, including those along the Line of Control and International Border.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill empowers the Lieutenant Governor to nominate up to two members from the Kashmiri migrant community to the assembly, with at least one being a woman. Migrants are defined as individuals who migrated from the Kashmir Valley or any other part of the state after November 1, 1989, and are registered with the Relief Commissioner. As these bills spark discussions in Parliament, their implications for the region's socio-political landscape remain a focal point of national discourse.