No One Can Snatch PoK From Us: Amit Shah In Parliament

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir is part of India and no one can snatch the region from us, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Parliament on Monday.

Shah was replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the two bills-- The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023 and The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill 2023.

The Delimitation Commission, set up by the Centre for the delimitation of assemblies and parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, has reserved 24 seats for PoK as it is ours, he said.

"The delimitation commission has taken many other decisions. I just want to tell the past and present situation before the House. Earlier there were only 37 seats in Jammu (division), now the new Delimitation Commission has increased the number of seats from 37 to 43 in the Jammu region. Work has been done to make 47 seats instead of 46 in Kashmir (division). In this way, Jammu and Kashmir together have 90 seats against 83 seats earlier. And 24 seats of PoK have been kept reserved because we still believe that...(and) today I want to say again that PoK belongs to India, it is ours and that no one can take it from us," the Union Home Minister said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 26, 2023. It amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act of 2004.

The legislation stipulates reservations in employment and admission to professional institutions for individuals belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward classes. In addition, there is a proposal to incorporate new sections, 15A and 15B, in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019. These amendments aim to nominate a maximum of two members, including one woman, from the "Kashmiri Migrants" community and one member from the "Displaced Persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir" community to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

The two bills on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation are aimed at providing "rights to those who faced injustice" and were deprived of their rights in the Union Territory.

Shah said that everyone has supported all the elements of the two bills unanimously.

Stating that the term 'weak and deprived class' is a very hurtful name for any citizen, he said, "It has been decided to add the name 'Other Backward Class' in place of these terms, which are constitutional terms."

The second bill is to give respect to everyone including Kashmiri Pandits displaced in Jammu and Kashmir over the years, Shah said.

"Terrorism (in J-K) started in the 80s, and reached its peak in 1989, many Kashmiri Hindus, especially Kashmiri Pandits and many Sikh brothers left the valley and scattered across the country. They went to Jammu, went to Bengaluru, went to Gujarat, went to Delhi, went to Faridabad...they scattered so much that in their own country they became displaced and refugees. (This bill) is to honour those people," he said.

In his speech, the Union Home Minister announced that, following the efforts of the Centre, a total of 46,631 families and 1,97,967 individuals who had been displaced have registered with the government. He emphasized that those who have not yet registered, including the remaining Kashmiri Pandits, are encouraged to approach the government for assistance.

"Today, through this House, I want to tell the Kashmiri Pandits and other displaced persons scattered across the country that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is committed to providing you justice. You write to me, write to the Kashmir government. Your registration will be done without any hassle. You will become a voter, you will be able to contest elections and you can also become a minister in Jammu and Kashmir. You have full rights," he added.