Srinagar: The Government of India on Wednesday introduced four bills in the Indian Parliament, three on quota and one on electoral reservation of Jammu & Kashmir.
As per details, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai introduced a bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 that seeks reservation of three seats- two for Kashmiri migrants and one for displaced persons from Pakistan Controlled Kashmir- in the legislative assembly of Jammu & Kashmir.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 was enacted by the legislature of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir. The bill was brought in the Parliament as the legislature of Jammu & Kashmir is currently not in existence. The powers of J&K legislative assembly are presently vested with the Parliament,” Govt of India told the parliament.
National Conference MP Justice (retd.) Hasnain Masoodi opposed introduction of the bill, citing legal challenge to The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act in the Supreme Court.
Moreover the other three bills introduced by the BJP led government of India would likely shake up the quota structure for education and employment in Jammu and Kashmir, even as anger is mounting as protests by Gujjar-Bakerwal community intensify against the bills.
The Tribal Affairs Ministry introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, through which the ‘Pahari Ethnic Group’ will be added to the Union Territory’s Scheduled Tribes list, along with three other communities, namely, ‘Gadda Brahmin’, ‘Koli’, and ‘Paddari Tribe’.
The Social Justice Ministry, meanwhile, introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which proposed to add ‘Valmiki’ as a synonym for the Chura, Bhangi, Balmiki, and Mehtar communities in the region’s Scheduled Castes list.
The Govt said; these bills seek to rechristen “Other Social Castes” as “Other Backward Classes” in Jammu and Kashmir.
(With KNO Inputs)
