The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Friday said that with the revocation of Article 370 and 35 A, Dr. Shyama Prassad Mukherji’s resolve of ‘One nation, one law and one head of the country’ stands fulfilled with “J&K on the path of peace while as militancy was on a decline and Hurriyat base diminishing.”
In a 38-page booklet released by the MHA titled— “the dream of one nation, one law, one symbol fulfilled”, a copy of which is with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Ministry states that with freedom from Article 370 and 35-A, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s resolve of ‘One Nation, One Law and One Head of the nation’ became a reality after 70 years of Independence.
“As a result, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, also called the Heaven on Earth, are moving on the path of progress, in step with the rest of the country. Kashmir is keeping pace with the country. Narendra Modi Government erased the pain of the people by removing the provisions of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, which had been lagging behind in the race of development for decades. Now it has been brought at par with other states by bringing it into the mainstream,” the booklet reads. “For almost two years now, this region has embarked on a new journey of development. 170 Central laws, which were not applicable earlier, have now been made applicable in this region. At present all the Central laws are applied in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.”
The MHA further said soon after the issuance of the notification, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were reorganized into two separate UTs from 31st October 2019. “Out of the 334 State laws, 164 laws have been repealed and 167 laws have been adapted, according to the Indian Constitution. For the people living in areas adjoining the international border, a provision of 3% reservation in jobs and educational institutions has been effected,” the MHA said.
It said that the domicile law has been applied in J&K. “According to the new definition of domicile, the persons residing in Jammu & Kashmir for 15 or more years, will be treated as domiciles. • Displaced refugees from Western Pakistan too, have human and civil rights now,” the MHA said, adding that “the way has been paved for the resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits ousted from the Kashmir valley in 1990.”
It said that the protection of rights of the women marrying outside Jammu & Kashmir, as well as their children, has been ensured. The MHA booklet said that Jammu and Kashmir is gaining freedom from militancy and moving on the path of development.
“After the removal of article 370, the support base of separatists is diminishing. In 2018 fifty-eight, in 2019 seventy, and in the year 2020, six leaders of Hurriyat were taken into custody. The security provided to the Hurriyat leaders at government expense has been withdrawn. 82 bank accounts of separatists were frozen,” the MHA disclosed. “The incidents of militancy have significantly declined and there is a new found atmosphere of peace and security in the valley.”
About Tourism post revocation of Article 370, the MHA said that tourism will shine again in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh as the places are being identified for development as Tourist destinations. “A total of 137 peaks of Himalayas have been opened for foreign tourists out of which, 15 mountain peaks are in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh,” it said. The MHA booklet further said that the Government is bringing the valley into the mainstream through Employment & Skill Development. “Biggest recruitment campaign of 10,000 vacancies have been identified in the first phase of the biggest ever recruitment campaign, out of which, 8575 vacancies have been advertised by the Services Selection Board. As a part of the second phase of recruitment campaign, 12379 posts have been identified,” the MHA said—(KNO)