Three months after his appointment, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha says that political parties are free to participate in political activities.
Vice Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha speak to Nistula hebbar in his three months in command, the territorial amendments at J&K, the Gupkar declaration and the Shopian encounter:
Three months have passed since he was appointed Lieutenant Governor. What has been your main objective?
One of the first things I noticed was that the common citizen did not have a platform to voice their complaints. A system was established through the district collectors as well as the divisional commissioners and the rank of inspector general of the police to designate specific days in a week for public complaints. These platforms have been institutionalized and I review them every month. Second, social security schemes suffered in comparison to construction-related public spending. I focused on increasing that and I can say that 16 of the 20 districts have shown coverage of more than 95% in terms of welfare plans. Jobs and skills are also an important aspect.
It is instructive to know that J&K and Bihar have a similar number of government employees, while Bihar’s population is 11 times that of J&K. Over the past 70 years, for many reasons, private employment could not be boosted, and although we have begun hiring 11,000 government positions and 13,000 more, we are committed to developing as a skills center and establishing industry in the state. For example, Ashish Chauhan of the Bombay Stock Exchange said that he will establish three-month programs for young people who want skills as stockbrokers or insurance agents. The Tata Group has also committed to two centers: one in Baramullah (which is ready) and one in Jammu, which will be ready in November. The goal is to engage 80% of young people by 2025.
Read also | J&K needs investment and expertise to accelerate economic growth: LG Sinha
When it comes to public grievances, political parties and people’s representatives are important conduits for grievances. The main leaders of the political parties were arrested after reading article 370 and currently there is little political commitment. It was also expressed in some sectors that a new layer of leadership in the State would emerge from local organizations such as Panchayats and Municipal Corporations, but that did not seem to have happened either.
In 1992, when the 73rd Amendment was introduced, a three-tier Panchayati Raj system was conceived for the entire country, but at J&K it was limited to two tiers. However, necessary amendments have been made, and local agency surveys will be reported to the district development council at any time. I believe this will strengthen democracy and development at the grassroots level, and the participation of local representatives will deepen the roots of democracy. I think this is part of the political process and it is the best kind of political process. I acknowledge that some political party leaders were not free before, but there was an evaluation system under the direction of the Chief Secretary of the Interior, who would review the matter, and as of now, I don’t think that any important political leader is detained. Our country is a free country and the people are free to participate in political activity, what these leaders are doing and the country is also watching, listening.
Read also | Budget allocation for development work in J&K villages
The events of August 5, 2019 saw the main leaders of the political parties arrested. This is said to have ended the middle ground in politics in Kashmir.
My priority, from what I see, is developing J&K, engaging youth, and creating an environment conducive to prosperity. Political parties, for their part, are free to participate in political activities, there is no ban. It is up to them which direction to take. Much of this is unfortunate and we have to see how we can change that.
Read also | We cannot be selective in condemning violence: J&K LG
By regrettable, are you referring to the statements about seeking Chinese help to restore Article 370?
I believe that those who have held constitutional offices in the past should remember that they once held [been] took office by the Constitution of India. That maryada (decency) must be maintained. Second, many of these people have appeared before the Supreme Court for these and related matters, fully relying on the Indian constitutional and judicial system. Having done that, shouldn’t they wait for the court’s ruling? My second suggestion would be to remember that only in India is there complete freedom to say what you feel.
Read also | Dilution of article 370 imperative for the development of J&K: Lieutenant Governor
Recent amendments to the land laws at J&K have sparked strong opposition in both the Valley and Jammu, with fears that there is some sort of plan for demographic change through land acquisition by outsiders. .
If some people want to confuse people, they can say what they want. The truth is that 90% of the land in J&K is agricultural and no one outside can buy it. The amendments removed some older laws, some [that were] mutually contradictory, that had become redundant. For example, in a previous law, a maximum limit of 182 kanals had been set for private property, after that it was changed to 100 kanals, [and] in 1976, these two provisions existed together. Second, there was an unfortunate law that required permission from the government to plant orchards and harvest the fruit, now we have released it. These were old land laws, and to take a step towards a modern economy, we made some changes. We have selected 6,000 acres of land for an industrial park and other industries will also be facilitated. We want private companies and industries to create more jobs for young people at J&K. We expect an investment of at least 25,000-30,000 crore after the Union Cabinet approves our new industrial policy. The false propaganda being spread about these amendments should be viewed in the context of the J&K High Court order in the Roshni Act case, where, out of 3.48,000 kanal land, 3,40,000 kanal land were given away for free in questionable circumstances. The honorable High Court said that the government was only a trustee of the land and had no right to give away the land. I tell you with great responsibility that these amendments are in line with the laws of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in terms of protecting the land and the rights of the local population.
Read also | Outsiders can now buy land in Jammu and Kashmir
Can panchayat surveys be conducted with panchayat-level workers who have been killed in recent months?
The polls will be notified in one or two days and some forces want to interrupt these processes. We try to ensure safety for everyone. The situation is practically under control. There are those who want to block the deepening of democracy, it will not be allowed to happen.
Read also | Jobs, opportunities for wayward youth willing to avoid violence, says J&K LG
Meeting Shopian was a very regrettable event and it happened just as you took over.
This was an incident from around July 22-23. I contacted J&K around August 7 to take over as lieutenant governor and read about it in the newspapers. I immediately asked the Army people to look into it. The response from the Army was positive and when we discovered that a mistake had been made, there was an honest attempt at restitution. I myself went and met the relatives of the Shopian victims and gave them Prime Minister Modi’s message, and expressed my condolences. I am firm that the innocent must not be attacked, even when we do not forgive the guilty.
Read also | J&K LG Sinha visits families of victims of ‘fake encounters’
The Union government has said statehood will be returned to J&K. When can we expect it to happen?
This was a solemn assurance from the Union Interior Minister, Amit Shah, on the floor of the House of Parliament, and it will be done.
.
