Mr Amit Shah is not speaking the truth. State Governments do not confer ST status on any community. They make recommendations. The President issues Notification.
The Home Minister is misleading the country on grant of ST status & Article 370.
Article 370 was never an impediment in the development of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and neither an impediment in the grant of Scheduled Tribe status to Pahari’s or other similarly situated communities as is being repeatedly stated by BJP leaders and now by the Home Minister of India at public meeting in Rajouri & Baramulla.
If Article 370 was an impediment in the grant of ST status to any community, may Shri Amit Shah inform the country & J&K in particular as to how in the past before 2019 a good number of Communities of Ladakh and Gurez were granted ST status. The people of Ladakh were given ST status during my party NC(K ) govt headed by my late husband G M Shah in 1985 & besides that the Gujjar and Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir too were granted ST status in 90/91 with Article 370 being a part of the Constitution.
The statement of the Home Minister that granting ST status to Paharis became possible only because of the abrogation of Art 370 is far from the reality with the Home Minister ignorant of past history. The Home Minister did not speak the truth and mislead the people in J&K & the rest of the country.
I would also like to mention that twice in the past before 2019 , NC Chief Ministers & Dr Farooq Abdullah in particular recommended to the Government of India on many occasions for grant of ST status to the Pahari’s of Jammu and Kashmir. The recommendations were not accepted by the Concerned Authority namely the Registrar General of India, on the ground that the ST status cannot be granted on the basis of the language of any community and therefore Pahari’s don’t qualify to be considered for ST status. No objection at that time was raised by the Government of India that the recommendation made by the State Government cannot be considered due to Art 370.
Is the Home Minister Amit Shah ji aware of this & if not, then the BJP is clearly using this for vote bank politics, the same way as they did with our Kashmiri Pandith brethren.
For the information of the Hon’ble Home Minister, let it be made clear to him that Article 370 champions the cause of the downtrodden & provides for a status for each & every community. The historic land to the Tiller is proof enough of the importance & relevance of Article 370 embedded as one of the pillars of the Constitution. It cannot be wished away at any cost.
On the detailed reply of the developments that have taken place during the National Conference rule in Jammu & kashmir given by National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah in reply to the baseless & frivolous accusations hurled by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah publicly at Baramulla.
I would add the following to complete the missing link of the period 1984 to 1986 when the state was ruled by my party at that time called National Conference (K) with it’s government headed by my late husband & National Conference stalwart Late G M Shah, a life long associate of my father Late Sherekashmir Sheikh Mohd Abdullah along with the members of his cabinet from 1975 to 1982 being members of the NC(K) government of 1984 to 1986.
Mr Amit Shah was not born during the days when Sherekashmir & his colleagues were fighting for power to the people & the quit kashmir movement against autocracy that finally engulfed the whole country with autocracy coming to an end throughout the country which finally saw the dawn of Independence in 1947. The relationship between the leadership of kashmir & the leadership of India dates back to pre partition days with kashmir recognised since thousands of years for its secular credentials.
I have personally had the honour to host the father of the nation Mahatama Gandhi along with my mother when he came to visit our family on his only trip to kashmir in 1947. He was accompanied to his prayer meetings by me & my mother where prayers from all religions were recited. My mother Late Begum Sherekashmir recited verses from the Holy Quran. Amit Shah, Narenderan Modi & his likes are too small to lecture us on nationalism, patriotism, secularism & democracy.
Coming back to the achievements of the National Conference pre & post 1947 & then the periods it shaped the state of J&K, Amit Shah ji got more than what he must not have imagined from Dr Farooq Abdullah. Let me burden him on some more of the very important milestones recorded in the National Conference Govts right from 1948 to 1953, 1975 to 1982 ( Sherekashmir’s Govts) & 1984 to 1986 (G. M Shah Govt)
(A) 1948 – 1953 & 1975 – 1982:
– The first J&K emergency
administration of 47- 48 achieved exemplary success in ensuring Zero loss of life of Kashmiri Pandit brethren & other minorities. Three NC volunteers stood guard outside the doors of each minority residence with bloodshed going on throughout the country.
– Exemplary success achieved by the Sheikh Abdullah administration in ensuring availability of essential items with guns blazing all over.
– Immediate control in the massacre of around 3 lac Muslims in Jammu within days of Sherekashmir assuming full charge as Prime Minister of J&K State.
– Forceable Education of the girl child was ensured much before 1947 by Sherekashmir. All our girl/ womenfolk bearing the fruit of that relentless pursuit headed by my mother Begum Abdullah & her dedicated team of women.
– Creation of Auqaf Islamia bringing all Dargahs & other important places of worship from an unorganised into an organised sector under the Auqaf Islamia trust.
– With health & education as top priority of Sherekashmir, apart from the massive infrastructure laid out for the university’s, colleges & hospitals that you see around J&K are all creations of one man – Sheikh Mohd Abdullah.
– The present majestic Dargah Hazratbal complex was built with public funds collected for years by Sherekashmir.
– The National Highway bypass of Srinagar & Jammu cities built under the visionary plans of Sherekashmir & so were the Poonch- Srinagar Mughal road & the Srinagar – Kishtwar Simthan pass constructed & thrown open for traffic as alternate routes for the Banihal Highway.
– The Jammu Bagh e Bahu designed & completed in a record 11 Months time dedicated to people of Jammu as a tourist spot.
– The new bridges on river Tawi & extension plans of the Tawi water front from Bagh e Bahu laid down with execution of all the above projects in J&K coming up in a record time of 5 years brilliantly executed for Sherekashmir Govt by late G M Shah as works & Power Minister of that era.
– The J&K State power generation & distribution policy was laid down with work started & completed in record time for the Uri, upper Sindhi, lower Jhelum power projects.
– The concept of Micro & Mini Hydal Power Projects given birth with technology support from the Chinese. The Govt of India facilitated visit of J&K Power Minister G M Shah & team to visit China.
– A 20,000 MW hydal potential of J&K state was identified. Major strides were taken on launching new projects & later by Dr Abdullah’s Govt starting the prestigious Baghliar, Dulhusti, Kishenganga & other major projects.
– Industrial policy for Jammu & kashmir divisions laid down with opening of major industrial estates across J&K for the first time since independence.
– Ladakh division opened up for tourism for the first time since independence.
– Removal of food subsidy from J&K state. The list is endless Amit Shah ji.
( B ) 1984 to 1986
– Nationalisation of Forests.
– ST status to Ladakh.
– Retirement age 58 to 60 yrs.
– 21,000 fresh govt jobs given to youth.
– 40,000 daily wagers made permanent.
– Bagh e Bahu Jammu phase 2 started.
– Ravi Tawi Irrigation project started.
– Corruption free process of employment & open merit based admission to medical, engineering & other professional colleges ensured.
– Age Bar for widow pension removed. More than 20,000 widows of all ages benefitted.
– Abolotion of middleman practice in procurement & marketing of handicrafts. A record breaking 85,000 artisans benefiting with govt making on spot purchase from artisans.
– Chief Ministers quota for admission to professional colleges abolished.
– 1800 Kms new road construction across J&K started.
– A massive programme of repairs, construction & establishing schools, dispensaries, health centres, damaged bridges, culverts put on fast track.
– A massive programme on repairs of school & college buildings along with creation of new colleges put on fast track.
More than three times of 15,000 Crores investment since 1948 has been accounted for. Let me end by asking Amit Shah to let us know the details of their 50,000 Crores investment coming into J&K in the last three years.
Spell out the project details, completion dates, & employment generation capabilities.
In the meanwhile, May I suggest a fast track redressal of providing jobs to more than 3.5 million unemployed youths across J&K while 50,000 Crores investment is on way.
Mere Jumla baazi wont take you far, Amit Shah ji. Said Begum Khalida.
