Will set up minority panel: J&K to SC

Court says it can’t direct Mehbooba govt to apply central law but the steps taken by Centre and state would suffice for now

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday agreed before the Supreme Court to set up a minorities’ commission after identifying the minorities in the state.

Acting upon a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Jammubased lawyer and social activist Ankur Sharma, the state government via a battery of senior lawyers Rakesh Dwivedi, Jahangir Iqbal Ganai and Shoaib Alam agreed in principle to set up a minorities’ commission in Jammu and Kashmir.

Advocate Ankur Sharma said, “The state government submitted in writing via its counsels to set up the minorities’ commission. It is a very big development for the minorities of the state.”

He had demanded in his PIL that there should be an identification of religious groups, who are in minority in Jammu and Kashmir, and also sought a formation of a state minorities’ panel.

Sharma had filed the PIL in the apex court seeking identification of religious and linguistic minorities and subsequent setting up of a commission.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to do so on the basis of the report produced by them before the court.

SC DISPOSES OF PIL

Attorney General KK Venugopal read out the re-drawn minutes forwarded by the Office Memorandum (OM) of February 23, issued by the central government after the meeting held on January 12 between it and other stakeholder states including the Jammu and Kashmir.

“The state government of Jammu and Kashmir has, in principle, given indication that (it) will consider and examine the need and feasibility of setting up of a state minority commission at the relevant point of time as and when need arises based upon the critical study of the social and educational backwardness of the minorities spread across various regions of the state,” the memorandum said.

The Attorney General said that to cater to the special needs of minorities, a special project Chief Minister Inclusive Development Initiative - has been formulated by the state government.

“The said project will have focussed development effort for certain special segments of the society and will include upgrading of civic infrastructure such as health, education and water,” he said referring to the OM.

The bench took note of the memorandum and disposed of the PIL filed by Jammu-based lawyer Ankur Sharma who has sought various reliefs including that the central law, governing minority panels, be made applicable in the Jammu and Kashmir as well.

“For the present, the steps taken by the respondents (Centre and state) would suffice,” it said, adding that it cannot direct the state to make a law applicable.

JAMMUBASED LAWYER ANKUR SHARMA HAD FILED A PIL IN THE APEX COURT SEEKING IDENTIFICATION OF RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES IN J&K AND SUBSEQUENT SETTING UP OF A COMMISSION