By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The intensive campaign of TwoCircles.net in the last two days for extension of the deadline set by a Parliamentary Standing Committee to receive suggestions and comments on the Enemy Property Bill 2010, yielded result this afternoon when the committee met and decided to extend the deadline (which was ending today 15th March) by one month.
The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee (Rajya Sabha) on Home Affairs, headed by former BJP president and Rajya Sabha Member Venkaiya Naidu, met today at Parliament House and considered the letter written by 16 Members of Parliament following the TCN story and decided to extend the last date for the submission of suggestions on Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation) Second Bill, 2010, for one more month–14th April. The deadline for the civil society and all the stakeholders to send their suggestions regarding the Bill, which is currently under the Committee, was ending today.
Palace of Raja Mehmoodabad [Photo by uppercrustindia.com]
The extension of the date comes after TCN broke the story on 13th March, that there were just two days left for people to send suggestions/comments on the provisions of the Bill while most part of the civil society was largely caught unawares. There was hardly any debate and discussion on the problematic aspects of the Bill because a large part of the civil society was unaware of the present status of the Bill which was brought once again after the government couldn’t pass the ordinance in the face of protest from several quarters last year.
Immediately after TCN reported this and consistently followed it up for next two days highlighting several disturbing aspects of the Bill and its repercussions on Muslims, the civil society swiftly came into action demanding for more time from the Venkaiya Naidu headed Parliamentary Standing Committee, in order to facilitate a discussion and debate on the Bill.
Civil society representatives like Navaid Hamid, member National Integration Cuncil and Aariz Mohammed, director, Center for Social Justice, talked to all the like-minded Members of Parliament who wrote a letter to the standing committee asking for one more month to facilitate proper debate on the issue. It was signed by as many as 16 MPs including Rajiv Shukla, Sita Ram Yechuri, Oscar Fernandese, Pervez Hashmi, Ali Anwar, Ram Kripal Yadav, MA Naqwi and others.
MP D. Raja, who is on that standing committee, was also against the Bill in its current form and favored the extension of the final dates for submission of suggestions to the Standing Committee. Other two prominent MPs who actively lobbied for the extension of date were Aziz Pasha and Mohammad Adeeb.
Now when the date has been extended it’s on civil society, in collaboration with the affected parties, to highlight the disturbing and controversial aspects of the bill.
One of the most problematic aspects of the Bill is that it is aimed to take over the last year judgment of the Supreme Court granting ownership rights to Raja of Mahmoodabad on the properties of his father who migrated to Pakistan in 1957. After the war with Pakistan in 1965, India enacted Enemy Property Act in 1968 declaring properties of those who migrated to Pakistan after Independence as enemy property. And thus Raja’s properties were confiscated by the government. The Raja fought against the law for 30 years and won the case in 2010.
The central government immediately issued an ordinance to nullify the SC verdict but after the protest it was withdrawn but then a bill to amend the 1968 law was introduced in Lok Sabha in November 2010. The same bill is with the standing committee.
The civil society, particularly Muslim leaders allege that it is government’s attempt to deprive Muslims of their genuine rights over the property of their relatives. The Bill also denies the right to seek a judicial redressal.
The list of those MPs who had signed the letter to the Parliamentary Standing Committee asking for the extension of last dates for the submission of suggestions regarding the Enemy Property Bill.
1. Rajiv Shukla
2. Sita Ram Yechuri
3. Oscar Fernandese
4. Pervez Hashmi
5. Ali Anwar
6. Ram Kripal Yadav
7. MA Naqwi
8. Md. Adeeb
9. Azeez Pasha
10. MA Khan
11. Tariq Anwar
12. Hanumanth Rao
13. Ashiq Ali Tonk
14. Prof. Mungekar
15. Ranjita Prasad
16. Saeed Malihabadi
17. Asaduddin Owaisi
TCN campaign on Enemy Property Bill
“ TCN Impact: Muslim MPs launch campaign against Enemy Property Bill”
“Withdraw enemy property bill: Samajwadi Party leader”
“ Enemy Property Bill: Extend last date for suggestions: civil society”
“ The Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2010”
“Govt bringing new enemy property law to deprive thousands of Muslims”