‘Modi introduced a new culture in Indian politics’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, May 9: Maintaining that controversial Article 370 was a great barrier in the progress of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State at par with rest of States and Union Territories of the country, Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh today said this Article had not only deprived J&K of progress for several decades but also the masses of Kashmir were exploited in its name.
In an interview to a news channel, the Union Minister said though this barrier was artificial and the then Prime Minister, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru had said in the Parliament that it is a temporary provision when the former president of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Dr Shyama Prasad Mookherjee had asked him to have second thought on incorporation of Article 370 in the Constitution. “This is a temporary Article and it will get eroded with the span of time (Gistey Gistey Gis Jayay Ga)”, he said while quoting Nehru.
Dr Jitendra Singh, however, said this did not happen and Article 370 did not erode as some politicians had developed a vested interest in continuation of this temporary provision in the Constitution and they used it for their personnel interests.
The Union Minister, while elaborating said that during emergency the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi in 1975 was asked that the public opinion for her party is not good and the elections should not be conducted at that juncture so she extended the term of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies to six years instead of five years through the 42 and 43 amendment.
This amendment was also introduced by the then J&K Chief Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah who extended the term of State Assembly in J&K from five years to six years as it was in the benefit of the party. However, three years after Morarji Desai took over as PM in Janata Party Government, he revoked the decision terming it unconstitutional but Sheikh Abdullah under the garb of Article 370 did not adopt the second decision and his Government adopted the first law, Dr Jitendra Singh added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that up to August 5, 2019 till the annulling of Article 370 the term of J&K Assembly was six years and no successive Governments bothered to decrease it to five years during the last over four decades. Not only this many public welfare laws enacted by Parliament of India were not implemented in J&K, he said while referring to Child Marriage Act and Dowry Act.
He said no Government in the world was opposed to the Child Marriage Act but in J&K successive Governments failed to implement this legislation under the garb of Article 370.
On the general reaction among the people in J&K over the abrogation of Article 370, the Union Minister said people across all communities welcome it. The youth in Kashmir are aspirational youth as they topped in civil services and other competitive examinations and they don’t want to miss the bus but to become the part of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s development module. The people of Kashmir lost 30 to 40 years because they missed the opportunity, he added.
He said though due to presence of militancy in some areas they are not able to raise their voice but there is a simmering resentment among them against terrorism and youth of Kashmir want to progress at par with other States of the country.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while maintaining that BJP has done away with feudal hangover in Indian politics, said under Modi political feudalism has gone in Indian democracy and now any mother can dream that her child can become PM. The BJP is in true sense a democratic party and it is committed to fulfill democratic aspirations of the people. PM Modi created a new political culture in the country. He gave benefit of schemes to the people whether they voted for BJP or not as BJP believes in justice for all and appeasement to none, the Minister added.
Dr Jitendra Singh made it clear that the new culture introduced by Modi in politics has to be emulated by other parties including Congress if they want to survive in politics.
He, while referring to introduction of Startup India and standup India, said the idea was alien to Indian culture where everyone wants a Government job when the fact is that no Government in the world can provide a job to all its citizens. Making youth to realise their potential has been the main focus of Modi Government, he added.
The Union Minister said BJP introduced a full time culture in politics and Modi’s taking over as PM was a journey from pessimism to optimism and the conduct of politicians has changed and it ought has to change.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that best of decisions were introduced during Modi Government which believed minimum Government and maximum governance. The daughters who had filed a writ petition in court for divorce can now be entitled to family pension under the new rules introduced by Narendra Modi Government.
He said under PM Modi the democracy in India has not only survived but thrived. While referring to then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who had said that democracy will not survive India and in half century it (India) will go much backward, Dr Jitendra Singh said the prophets of doom were proved wrong.
He said “The emergency was the darkest phase of democracy in India,. It was end of democracy but within years India bounced back”, he added.
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