New Delhi, Oct 11: “The votaries of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir were its biggest abusers,” Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.
“By using the alibi of Article 370 and 35A, both Congress and National Conference had for decades together denied the common man the benefit of Central laws like property rights for women, voting rights to refugees from Pakistan, the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 in order to appease certain sections of society for vote bank,” Dr Singh said at a book release function here.
“The same votaries, however, never felt shy of extending the term of State Assembly to 6 years and refusing to revert back even after the constitution amendment was brought in by the Morarji government, which they refused to extend to J&K citing Art 370 because it ensured their continuance in power,” he added.
Releasing the book “Jammu & Kashmir – a Wounded Paradise” by veteran journalist Padamshri Jawaharlal Koul, Dr Jitendra described it as “a non-political narrative putting the record straight for posterity so as to dissuade biased accounts about the recent history of J&K from creating confusion in the minds of the new generation”.
“Jammu & Kashmir suffered a long nightmare of blunder, blackmail and deceit propagated by vested interests. You hold the powers that be in Delhi to ransom, and the powers, at different times, were also ready to appease. And this appeasement went on and on till they arrived at a situation where you could not, (since) you were riding a tiger and you could not get off it,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who is an elected MP from the Udhampur constituency of J&K Union Territory, said redemption came in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he abrogated Article 370 in August 2019 and liberated the people of Jammu and Kashmir and integrated the UTs of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh into the national mainstream.
“This ensured equitable distribution of resources and the change has brought about socio-economic development in both the new UTs. Empowerment of people, removal of unjust Laws, bringing in equity and fairness to those discriminated against for ages who are now getting their due along with comprehensive development. More than 800 central laws have become applicable to J&K after it got the Union Territory status, he said.
The union minister said PM Modi will go down in history as the leader who showed courage of conviction to correct a constitutional anomaly and an abrasion of democracy by abrogating Article 370 and 35 A and thus ensuring the mainstreaming of Jammu & Kashmir with the rest of India.
Veteran author Jawaharlal Koul spoke about the book authored by him and quoted concluding remarks in the book, “Birds Will Return Home One Day.” Justice Pramod Kohli, Ram Bahadur Rai and Prof Mamta Yadav also spoke.
‘Chandrayaan, vaccine success stories placed India at global level’
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, celebrated India’s remarkable scientific accomplishments, highlighting the success stories of Chandrayaan-3 and the indigenous DNA Covid vaccine.
Speaking at the 10th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition felicitation ceremony in New Delhi, Dr Singh emphasised that these achievements have elevated India’s scientific community to a global level, with even developed nations taking inspiration from India.
He praised India’s current state of scientific excellence under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that India is witnessing an unparalleled era of progress in science, technology, and innovations. He underscored the significant global impact of India’s initiatives, including Chandrayaan-3, Aditya L1 (the solar mission), and the sharing of Covid vaccines with over 100 countries.
Regarding the Space economy, the union minister outlined India’s rapid progress in the sector, projecting that the Space economy could become a key pillar of the Indian economy, reaching $40 billion by 2040 from the current $8 billion. International projections estimate the sector to reach $100 billion by 2040, driven by diverse Space missions and applications.
Dr Singh commended the success of INSPIRE–MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge), with 7 lakh entries from across the country, highlighting the significant participation of girl innovators (53%) and entries from rural areas (83%). He directed senior officials to provide mentorship to these young innovators, emphasizing their crucial role in shaping India into a global tech hub by 2047.
During the 10th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) of INSPIRE–MANAK, innovative ideas from 441 selected students were displayed, focusing on national priorities such as agricultural technologies, cleanliness, sanitation, and clean energy.
The event, open to the public from October 9-10, 2023, showcased the diverse talents of young minds in India. In the previous year, the INSPIRE–MANAK program received 7.05 lakh ideas and innovations from across the country, with significant participation from rural and government schools. Various dignitaries, including P S Goyal, Chairperson, NIF; Dr. Arvind C Ranade, Director, NIF; and Dr. Namita Gupta, Head – INSPIRE and Scientist G, DST, also addressed the event.
