Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 31: Terming it as complete misinterpretation and misreading of history that last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh was a votary of separate identity for people of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that if the Maharaja were alive today, he would have endorsed BJP’s stand on State Subject.
“Maharaja brought in the State Subject law in 1927 when J&K was a monarchy as well as a separate Republic and like a responsible monarch, he had to safeguard interests of domiciles against foreign settlers. But it was the same Maharaja who later on acceded his State to the Indian Union and also accepted jurisdiction of Indian Constitution on territory of the State,” he said while talking to media persons on sidelines of a function in connection with release of a magazine by J&K State Social Welfare Board, here today.
In support of his assertion, Dr Singh drew attention towards Class III and Class IV of the State Subject law, sanctioned by Maharaja Hari Singh as then ruler of J&K State, which allows persons and companies to settle in J&K as long as they are in benefit to the interest of the State.
“As per the Class III, all persons, other than those belonging to Classes I and II permanently residing within the State, who have acquired under a rayatnama any immovable property therein or WIZO may hereafter acquire such property under an ijazatnama and may execute a rayatnama after 10 years continuous residence therein while Class IV says that companies, which have been registered as such within the State and which, being companies in which the Government are financially interested or as to the economic benefit to the State or to the financial stability of which the Government are satisfied, have by a special order of His Highness been declared to be State subjects,” he quoted.
Pointing out that only an Indian national can become a State Subject of J&K, Dr Singh said that if gone by the Maharaja’s law, then first it would be more appropriate to apply on Bangladeshis and other foreigners illegally settled here in recent years.
Without naming National Conference or any other, he lashed out on the Kashmir centric so called mainstream political parties for raising a question mark on complete accession of J&K with the Indian Union. ‘It is a known fact and history that when in power these parties swear by J&K being an integral part of India and the moment they are shunted out of power, they become wiser overnight and start putting question mark on the very existence of J&K,” he said.
In response to a query on the protests in Kashmir valley against the move on issuing Identity cards to the West Pakistan refugees, the Union Minister said that those opposing any humanitarian relief to these most deserving displaced persons were themselves committing biggest human right violations. “By extending a helping hand to these refugees, who happen to be Indian nationals, Modi Government is trying to redeem mistakes of past and do what had to be done by previous regimes in last 70 years,” he added.
Replying to another question on Congress terming Government’s demonetization move as a scam, the Union Minister said that the remark was possible perversion of very definition of word scam and the Congressmen need to go through history of coalscam, 2G scam etc to actually understand the meaning of scam. “The response of 125 crore people of the country to demonetization is real verdict and we need not go by judgment passed by some disgruntled politicians,” he said and predicted various positive post demonetization effects.
Later, while speaking at the release of a magazine, published by the J&K State Social Welfare Board, the Union Minister reiterated that the Modi Government was committed to improve living standards of the people, especially those hailing from weaker sections of the society thus ensuring societal renaissance in the country.
Responding to the demands put forth to improve effectiveness of the J&K Social Welfare Board, Dr Singh said that these would be looked into and will be redressed at the earliest.
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