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Table of Contents
No Fait Accompli- On Restoration Of Statehood And Polls In J&K
Recently, the Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
About the Recently Passed Bills
- Brings the total number of Assembly seats up to 114 from 107.
- A first nine seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
- Giving the Lieutenant-Governor the authority to make certain nominations.
- To change the J&K Reservation Act, 2004, passed by the State legislature, from “weak and underprivileged classes (social castes)” to “Other Backward Classes,” as stated by the UT.
- There won’t necessarily be any big changes brought about by these bills.
Concerns for J&K Situation
- Absence of an Elected Government: The elected Assembly was suspended and governor’s rule was imposed in Jammu & Kashmir for over five and a half years.
- During this time, there have been lengthy power outages, arbitrary arrests and detentions, disruptions to communication, impact on the media, and suspension of politicians’ civil and political rights.
- Special Status Revocation with Bifurcation: The State was split into two new Union Territories, one consisting of Jammu and Kashmir Valley and the other of Ladakh, following the removal of Article 370, which had granted the former State special status.
- Modifications without Judicial Consent: The Supreme Court has reserved its decision regarding the constitutionality of the modifications, which are currently being contested. However, the Union administration introduced legislation that will have an effect on the Legislative Assembly.
What Could Have Been Done?
❖ Await Supreme Court ruling: Legislation could have been passed after waiting for the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The Path Ahead
- Welfare of the People: The welfare of the people should always come first when making any changes to J&K’s political system.
- Restoration of Elections and Statehood: It is necessary to hold popular elections and reinstate the state in order to restore the democratic process.
- Involvement of Elected Local Representatives: Consultations with elected local representatives should be held before making any decisions or taking any action.
- It would assist in resolving the long-standing problems that have contributed to militancy’s continued existence.
News Source: The Hindu
India’s Growing Neighborhood Dilemmas
☞ China is emerging as a significant rival and influencer in South Asia, while India is confronting difficulties in its neighborhood.
☞ This challenge is having an effect on India’s current foreign policy, which has an ambitious goal of making the country the leader of the global South, a judge in international geopolitical disputes, and a significant player in world politics.
Reason of India’s Dilemmas
- The emergence of politically antagonistic regimes in South Asia: The countries in South Asia are exhibiting dissimilarities with India.
- In an instrumental sense, the Maldives are against India.
- A Khaleda Zia-led government in Bangladesh may prove to be ideologically hostile to India when elections are held the following year.
Growing Influence of China in the Region
- Structural Dilemma: India is experiencing structural dilemma as a result of this expanding influence.
- Resource Provider: Because South Asia is one of the world’s poorest and least connected regions, it leans toward China, which meets their material needs.
- India’s capacity to fulfill those requirements is restricted.
- Choice: China has become an alternative to India due to its intervention in the region and presentation as a straightforward, non-normative option.
- India has adopted a normative and political stance toward the region, one that the states were forced to adopt because they had no other options.
- This is a “norms-free zone” in South Asia for the first time in its modern history.
- A Non- Resident Power: China is the non-resident power in the region, and it enjoys the advantages that come with not being a resident power, such as the absence of linguistic, ethnic, and religious complications.
- As the dominant nation in South Asia, India experienced the aforementioned ramifications.
- Geopolitical Lock: China is pushing other Chinese projects in the region, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- China is reaching out to South Asian nations in an effort to increase its influence, including military-ruled Myanmar, crisis-ridden Sri Lanka, and Taliban-led Afghanistan.
- Resolving border conflicts, like those in Bhutan, with its neighbors, excluding India.
- India does as well, but China’s outreach has a far greater overall impact than India’s.
Causes behind the Dilemmas faced by India
- The Regional Geopolitical Architecture: The United States is becoming less prevalent in modern-day South Asia.
- China has stepped in as a “geopolitical buffer” in the absence of the United States and is using the “China card” in its foreign policy claims against India.
- One-Track Policy: Its handling of the domestic politics of the region and the variety of players/power centers within it demonstrates a pervasive status quo bias.
- But this kind of policy creates path-dependencies that frequently drive other powers away.
- Erroneous Assumptions: India thinks that South Asia without Pakistan would be friendly to it (though this policy hasn’t exactly worked out as India had hoped).
- India also thinks it would have an advantage over China because of its unique connections to the area—including its history, culture, soft power, and ethnicity.
The Way Forward
- A pragmatic and realistic framing: It would assist India in acknowledging the fact that South Asia’s power dynamics have fundamentally shifted. China is now a strong competitor for dominance in the region.
- Constructive Engagement: India must actively seek out friendly foreign actors to involve in the region.
- It would assist India in managing the risk of the region turning Sinocentric.
- Flexible Diplomacy: In order to win back the trust of its neighbors and lessen sentiment against it, India must engage in flexible diplomacy with a variety of parties.
- Expanded Diplomatic Activities: India must address the inadequacy of ambassadors to carry out foreign policy.
- Innovative Measures: After weighing all available options, India must adopt innovative measures.
News Source: The Hindu
The Ambit Of Fraternity And The Wages Of Oblivion
Context
This article is about the idea of fraternity in India and its historical development.
About Fraternity
- A Value: This value is included in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, along with Justice, Liberty, and Equality (the French Revolution).
- Assures: It guarantees the nation’s unity and integrity as well as each person’s dignity.
- It’s a fundamental aspect of being a citizen.
- Individual Responsibilities: The concept of fraternity is predicated on the idea that individuals have mutual obligations to one another.
- Following the French Revolution, fraternity was established. Still, there is some ambiguity in the definition and the concept of fraternity. Most people view it more as an emotion than a principle.
Fraternity in the Indian Context
- Trinity: As stated by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the French Revolutionary principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity should not be viewed as distinct components of a trinity. Divorcing one from the other would be to undermine democracy itself.
- Constitutional Provisions: The Indian Constitution was amended by the Forty-Second Amendment (1976) to include the Fundamental Duties, which were later amended by the 86th Amendment (2002).
- The concept of fraternity is covered in Article 51A (e).
- The Article 51A(e) outlines the responsibility of each individual Indian citizen, which is to “promote harmony and the spirit of common among all the people of India, transcending religious, linguistic, regional, or sectional diversities.”
The Concern of Inequality
☞ Prevalence of Inequality: According to sociologists, there are nine types of people who are deemed to be economically, politically, or socially excluded. Women, religious minorities, Dalits, and Adivasis are a few of these in particular.
☞ Constitution-Makers’ Concern: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, V.P. Menon, and others express worry about the “integration of the minds of the people.”
☞ Prerequisites for Democracy’s Successful Operation: On December 22, 1952, in the Constituent Assembly,
B.R. Ambedkar suggested the following points for a successful democracy:
- Absence of glaring inequalities
- Presence of an opposition
- Equality of law and administration
- Observance of constitutional morality
- Avoidance of tyranny of majority over minority
- A functioning of moral order in society, and public conscience
☞ Raising Concerns: The States of the Indian Union have experienced uneven development over time. They are distinguished by their linguistic and regional diversity. Inequality in economic growth and development also leads to inequalities in employment, social cohesiveness, contentment, and education.
Conclusion
There is proof of linguistic identity assertion, regional diversity, and the emergence of opposing political ideologies. To eradicate this inequality, it is imperative that we act jointly and cooperatively.
Article 51A(e) of the Constitution makes it an all-encompassing duty with a universal scope, not distinguishing between citizens in any of the aforementioned categories.
News Source: The Hindu
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