Source: http://news.statetimes.in/will-bjp-venture-into-apply-more-constitutional-corrections-like-124th-amendment-before-2019-elections/?responsive=false
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 03:03:18+00:00

Document:
This 8th January was the last day of the Winter Session ,as many as 323 members of Lok Sabha voted in favour of the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019 and only three voted against after nearly a five hour debate in Lok Sabha for incorporating a constitutional amendment so as to amend Art15 and Art16 of Constitution of India to facilitate for providing upto 10% reservation in educational institutions (private & government )and government jobs to economically weaker sections of citizens other than those mentioned in Clause 4 & 5 of Article -15 and Clause-4 of Art-16 of Constitution of India i.e who are not covered under provisions of reservations as exist for SC/ST/OBC .
The bill was also passed by Rajya Sabha on 9th January, next day, by extending the session by one day. Just a day before it was aired by some media that cabinet had approved a bill for providing 10 % reservations to weaker sections from the “upper classes”/ ‘Swaran’ castes but during the debate in the parliament Government has hurriedly gone into conveying that the bill covers all unreserved sections of all the religious communities i.e Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Muslim,Jain and not only those from Hindu to who the term ‘Swaran’ is in general referred to.
It has been for the first time in the history of Indian Parliament that the process of cabinet approving a constitution amendment bill and the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha passing the bill was completed in just 3 days. That too in Lok Sabha the bill was passed by more than 99% of the members present and in Rajya Sabha too with majority of nearly 96% of members present (165 for and just 7 against).
Almost all the opposition parties questioned the manner in which the bill was introduced in parliament, the manner in which session of Rajya Sabha was extended by one day and pointed some’short comings’ in the contents of the bill and suggested for sending the constitution amendment bill to select committee..
But when to vote it was opposed only by AIADMK and Abdul Wahab MP of IUML of Kerala while all other parties including Congress in principle supported the bill , surely it was in view forthcoming 2019 polls.
Over the years demands have been raised for reservations like SC/ST/OBC .for the economically weaker segments of the left overs (so called upper castes/ “swarans”) and this amendment is surely an act of Modi Government worth appreciation for many. Of course the bill could be called an historic venture and a revolutionary amendment. No doubt it has also been named by some as attempt made by BJP government to even to go against the basic spirits under lying the constitution and may be some may approach the SC.
The minutes of the economic criteria for the target ‘economically weaker sections of citizens’ have not been yet named in the bill andinly it has been said that”economically weaker sections” shall be such as may be notified by the State from time to time on the basis of family income and other indicators of economic disadvantage.
No doubt in the media some criteria like limit of annual household income of Rs 8 lakh, agriculture land holding five acres, house of 1000 sq.ft. or 100 sq. yards land in notified municipality area and 200 yards in non-notified area have appeared but much needs to be clarified in that regard and hence how smoothly the governments will be able to implement the provision created will have to be seen.But though late initiatingreservations the economically weaker sections from amongst the general category will be seen as a welcome stepby many to political advantage of BJP.
Very important signals that emerged from 8th to 9th January are that it has been only inview of the forth coming 2019 general elections that all most all the parties supported the bill both in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha,either by remaining absent or voting in favour of the bill inspite of their accusing BJP for rushing through a not that well deliberated bill for so serious a constitutional amendment simply to unfairly bait the innocent voters, particularly so called “swaran” Hindu, in the name of ‘economically weaker sections’. So, keeping in view the sequence of events as has been in this case it could be said that political parties support or oppose an issue more keeping in view the vote advantage that they can draw than caring for the real good of the issue.
There could be some more welcome opportunity for Narendra Modi Government to also go to the Parliament with some more issues of greater national interest sincethere too the opposition parties could be surely forced to vote in favour of the amendment bill / or a parliamentary resolution fearing of some larger political disadvantage in case they do not support the bill or the resolution like has been the case the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019.
The Budget Session is starting from 31st January and there is fair opportunity for taking to some issues that have so far been brushed aside under the excuse of no possible consensus or have been left uncared like the issue of 33% reservation for women in Parliament & State Legislatures ( for which Ghulam Nabi Azad has offered to support during the debate in Lok Sabha on 9th January ) and J&K issues that have so far provided opportunities to some for raising fingers on the intentions of India & oneness of J&K with India.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah (four- time J&K CM) has at occasions accused the NDA-I BJP lead Vajpayee Government of unconstitutionally rejecting on 4th July 2000 the 26th June 2000 – resolution of J&K Legislature (accepting the 13th April 1999 -State Autonomy Committee Report – in the words of National Conference some thing like Autonomy for State Government from Central Government- ) and had even recently suggested inLok Sabha that better course would have been to discuss the resolution of democratically elected State Legislature in the Parliament for disposal. I too had on 12 April 2011 suggested some thing like that to then BJP President Rajnath Singh when he was in Jammu leading BJP Parliamentarians’ Study Group on J&K (Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shah Nawaz Hussain, Maya Singh, JK Jain and J. P. Nadda) , so why not do it now i.e dispose of the 26 June 2000 resolution of J&K legislature also with the resolution of the parliament in 2019 and that would settle some adverse tones.
Similarly, although there is no question of there being even a bit of leftover constitutional integration of J&K with India but over last seven decades the questions and myths about J&K being total India have been so carelessly / non seriously handled that many of those who on the one hand talk of J&K being India also at occasions are found working on the projects for total constitutional integration of J&K with India. So, it is time for Narendra Modi-led Government to settle some irritating and wrongly represented identities / symbols by (i) declaring that Art 35A ( that is mentioned in the Appendix-I in the text of C.O 48 of 14 May 1954)so far taken as a valid article of Constitution of India added in Constitution by order of the President of India by unfairly overstretching the jurisdiction of Art 370(1-d) & not by the Parliament as non existent article (ii) making use of Art 368 (1,2,5) to remove the Proviso placed with Clause-2 of Art 368 in C.O 48 of 14 May 1954 since (i) & (ii)are so often being used by some to show that J&K is distantly placed from India. With 2019 elections in sight hardly any party will dare opposing the such resolutions /or bills in Parliament. And of course BJP will gain much more than what it might have hoped to gain through Constitution 124th amendment for 10 % reservations to economically weaker sections.

References: Art15
 Art16
 Art 35
 Art 370
 Art 368
 Art 368