President paves way for Parliament to consider Kashmiri Pandit rehab Bill

For the first time ever in Parliament, hopes have surfaced for a private member’s Bill on the rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits to be taken up. Piloted in the Rajya Sabha on February 2, 2024, by Congress MP Vivek Tankha, The Kashmiri Pandits (Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill, 2022, has now been approved by President Droupadu Murmu to be taken up by the Upper House.

A notice by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat today said, “The President of India has been pleased to recommend under Clause (3) of Article 117 of the Constitution the consideration of the Kashmiri Pandits Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2022, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on February 2, 2024.”

The path stands paved for the crucial private member Bill to be taken up now.

Tankha said this is the first time in Parliament that a Bill on rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits will come up.

“If discussed and approved, this can be a turning point in the fight for justice for Kashmiri Pandits. It is a big achievement as very few Bills with financial implications get recommended by the President under Clause 3 of Article 117,” Tankha said.

Article 117 of the Indian Constitution outlines special provisions regarding financial Bills. It distinguishes between “money Bills” (which are a subset of financial Bills) and other financial Bills, specifying the procedures for their introduction and passage in Parliament.

Nearly 4.5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits were displaced from their homes in Kashmir after the advent of separatist militancy.

Any private member Bill that has a money component requires the President’s prior approval for being taken up by either of the two Houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.