December 5, 2023
Saugata Roy’s speech on The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023
Sir, I rise to speak on the two Bills, the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Let me start by talking about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since Mr. Amit Shah took over as Home Minister. One of the major steps taken by him was to abrogate Article 370, and then covert the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, one is Jammu and Kashmir and the other is Ladakh. It is for the first time in the history of Indian Constitution. Earlier, the Union Territories had been converted into States, and here Mr. Amit Shah’s was the retrograde step of converting a State into a Union Territory. Sir, before I speak on the Bill, let me ask him, through you, what he has achieved. What has he achieved by taking this retrograde step? The militancy has not been controlled. Only two weeks back, we lost a Major, a Company Commander at the hands of militants. Then, we lost two Captains of the Army in Kalakote. So, this is the peace which has been brought by Mr. Amit Shah. What is the change taking place in Jammu and Kashmir? Has investment come in a big way? Has employment been granted in a big way? No. All that is happening is some cultural and sports events are taking place in Kashmir, and we are showing them to the tourists that all is well. But not all is well in the State of Denmark, Hamlet used to say; all is not well in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The Governor just goes for the cultural and sports events. He does not go to inaugurate factories. He does not do anything to improve the cultivation of saffron in the Valley. Many of my friends including Satabdi went to Kashmir recently. She said, Dada, speak about unemployment in Kashmir. The Kashmiri youth demands employment. Sir, let me, before I go into the Bill, go into the history of Jammu and Kashmir. A part of it is given in the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the second Bill. In 1947-48, the first aggression took place. Pakistan occupied a part of Kashmir which is known as PoK, Pak-occupied Kashmir. Then, during 1965 war and again during 1971 war, parts of Kashmir were troubled. The hon. Minister has given the total number of families as 41,804 which were displaced during the three wars. That process has not been reversed. What has happened in Kashmir is that maybe due to misgovernance and many acts of commission and omission by the Centre, Kashmir went into the hands of militants from 1989- 90. People were killed and Pakistan-inspired militants ruled in the Valley. We have gone through that time and that was the time when a large number of Hindu migrants went away from Kashmir Valley. The sufferings of these people have not ended. The total number of such families is 46,570 which left during militancy. The total number is 1,58,976 who have registered themselves as displaced persons. The Government promised much. Have they been able to bring those Hindu migrants, the pandits, who left the Valley? No, they have not been able to do that. Sir, through you, I ask the hon. Home Minister what the roadmap is. Nothing can be done in Kashmir unless you hold election. Last election was held in 2014. For almost ten years, there has been no election. How can you rule a State without giving power to the people to elect? One person Mr. Manoj Sinha was in Parliament with us. He has gone there as Governor. What is his connection with Jammu and Kashmir? Jammu and Kashmir should be ruled by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. I have read all the Directions. Sir, he is a disturbing element.He is a professional heckler. I do not want to listen to him. Ms. Mahua Moitra is also not in the House. Sir, my demand is that he should announce a timeframe for holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Now, they have promised that there will be reservation and the reservation will be changed to OBCs. Now, it is mentioned as ‘weak and under-privileged classes’ and they want to change that to ‘Other Backward Classes’, that is OBCs. Now, there is no State, no Assembly. This is a State law and you are making the changes here. You are making a big change there for the first time. From migrant families, they are nominating not more than two members, one of whom shall be a woman from the community of Kashmiri migrants, people who belong to Kashmir and who have left. This was recommended by the Delimitation Commission. Also, one member is being nominated from the displaced persons from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. There is no Legislative Assembly. Why are you making these changes? Have a Legislative Assembly, then bring these amendments. I do not know what is the hurry. The hurry should be in having elections. I want to state that the step of the BJP Government to abrogate Article 370, abolish the State of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory and a Union Territory for Ladakh – I have told you – is a retrograde step. They did it just to fulfil the BJP’s election promise: “एक प्रधान, एक मवधान, एक मनशान” – यह श्यािा प्रसाद बाबूके सिय स्लोगन होता था, उसी को पूरा मकया है। यह कश्िीर के लोगों के मलए नहीं है। Kashmir has been a conflict point. It is India’s position that Kashmir is an integral part of India. It is also India’s position that the territory of Pak Occupied Kashmir should be brought back to us. Does the Home Minister have any time frame as to when he is going to get Pak Occupied Kashmir into India? No. Everything is in the air. He is bringing two laws. Kashmir is called the paradise on Earth. It is the most beautiful valley anywhere in the world. Will Kashmir remain only a tourist place? Will we have a tourist territory of Jammu and Kashmir or will it be for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to have a proper Legislative Assembly? Sir, this is a matter of opinion. This opinion is voiced by those who go to Kashmir as tourists saying, “Oh! Dal Lake; Shikaras are so nice; the cherries are blossoming; and the apples are there on the trees. What about the people of Jammu and Kashmir who live in Baramulla, Anantnag, Kokernag and in various other places of Kashmir? What is their condition? Kashmir is not for tourists. Kashmir is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Give it back to them. आज िैंआशा करताह ां मक िाननीय िांत्री जी अनाउांस करगेंेमक कब जम्िू कश्िीर िेंचनुावहोंगे? … (व्यवधान) र्ीमलमिटेशन किीशन नेअपना काि पूरा मकयाहै। आज आप कानून पास कराएगां ेमक कश्िीरी िाइग्रेंट्स िेंसेदो लोग आएगां ेऔर मर्सप्लेस्र् लोगों िेंसेदो लोग आएगां े। यह ठीक है, लेमकन आप बोमलए मक हि जल्द ही जम्िूकश्िीर िेंलमजस्लेमटव असेंबली बनानेजा रहेहैं। हिनेजो मकया था, उससेहिनेसोचा था मक कुछ बनेगा, लेमकन कुछ बना नहीं। हि कश्िीर िेंशाांमत लानेिेंनाकाियाब रहे। Sir, in this discussion, I do not want to oppose these Amendments because there is nothing wrong in having two nominated Members from Kashmiri migrants. But everything is wrong in the Government’s handling of Jammu & Kashmir, particularly Mr. Amit Shah’s handling of Jammu & Kashmir. He took it in his hands मक िैंकरूूँगा, जो श्यािा प्रसाद बाबूचाहतेथे, िैंधारा370 को ऐब्रोगेट कर दूगूँा। िैंकश्िीर को, एक स्टेट को यूमनयन टेररटरी बना दूगूँा और वह जगह मपछड़ा रह जाएगा। आज यहाूँबैठकर कश्िीर के लोग बहुत सर्र मकए हैं। हिारी दो जांग हुई थीं, वर्ा1965 िेंऔर वर्ा 1971 िें। वर्ा1947 िेंपामकस्तानी हनादार, They are called invaders. They captured part of Kashmir and againthe militants took control of the valley and because of that people had to leave. We must restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. We want to see elections take place there. We want to see a nationalist person like Mr. Farooq Abdullah again occupy the Chief Minister’s Chair and only then will Kashmiris realise their Kashmiriyat. Kashmir is very special. उनकी एक अलग कश्िीररयत है। वहाूँकोई महन्दू-िसु लिान का झगड़ा नहीं है।… (व्यवधान) यह आपवहाूँपर ित लगाइए। कश्िीर, कश्िीरी को कश्िीररयों सेचलाया जाए, मदल्ली से नहीं और मदल्ली सेभेजेगए गवनार सेनहीं। िैंयही बात इन दो कानूनों केबारेिेंबोलना चाहता ह ।ूँ अमित शाह आज िान लेंमक उनकी जो कोमशश थी, कश्िीर िेंनया कुछ मदखानेकी, जब-जब र्ूल मखले, र्ूल मखलानेकी, वह नाकाियाब रही है। कश्िीर मर्र लोकतांत्र के रास्तेपर चले, यह िागूँ करके िैंअपना छोटा सा भार्ण सिाप्त करता ह ।ूँजय महन्द।
