Veer Khar
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah introduced two statutory resolutions in the Upper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) on August 5, 2019.
The first was to recommend that President Ram Nath Kovind issues a notification rendering Article 370 of the Indian Constitution inoperative.
The second was to accept the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill.’
According to Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir had its own Constitution, and all laws passed by Parliament were not be applicable to the State, unless the State government gives its concurrence.
Abrogation applauded
Indian Association (Manukau) of New Zealand strongly supports the abrogation of article 370 and 35A in Kashmir, India.
The Association has a strong membership of people of Kashmiri origin who have been ecstatic on hearing the news of this rectification of the inhuman law.
For those who are unaware that these laws were discriminatory, in the sense there were different rules for men and women.
A man marrying someone outside the Province was acceptable, but a woman marrying a man from outside would lose her residency. Also, in guise of these laws, there was a definite drive towards fundamentalism which surfaced majorly in 1989 when 300,000 Non-Muslims were chased out by these fundamentalists.
Major Corruption Issues
The State of Jammu and Kashmir in India has had some major corruption issues and the only people who will be troubled by the change will be the entrenched politicians who, between a few families, were running the rot for the last 70 years.
India definitely has shown the will to correct the wrong and all the free world needs to support this correction.
The Association has information that a majority of the population has had a sigh of relief in Kashmir and once the current security alert is tuned down, the whole region will participate in the jubilation.
Our Association is keeping a close watch on the bias shown by some of the politicians which could be seen as irresponsible in a volatile situation.
The Indian Association (Manukau) of New Zealand hopes that the people of the Pakistan realise the folly of perpetual animosity towards India and breeding of the religious fundamentalism. It is important that Pakistan looks at its own situation of near bankruptcy rather than indulge in Indian affairs which are quite complex but approached with humane intent.
Veer Khar is President of the Indian Association (Manukau) of New Zealand, based in Papatoetoe, South Auckland. The above article, sent to us on August 3, 2019 has been regrettably delayed.
Photo Caption:
Home Minister Amit Shah introducing the ‘Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Bill’ to Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on Monday, August 5, 2019 (Photo Credit RSTV)
