A picture is worth 1,000 words. But yesterday’s picture in which Home Minister Amit shah was flanked by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah spoke tens of thousands of words. The picture, taken at the time of the Home Minister reviewing the implementation of three new criminal laws in North Block on Tuesday, was rich in its content and its future implications for the Union Territory, in which the head of the UT and elected head of the government were accorded equal respect.
The reality check would reveal that it was imperative to make both Lieutenant Governor, who presides over the law and order machinery, transfers of all IAS officers and also those involved in maintenance of law and order in the civil administration and, all the postings and transfers of police, and Chief Minister to be part of this meeting related to the criminal laws. CM heads the Law Department, though there is not much clarity on this too. This has opened a new chapter of effective governance in J&K.
NEWS ANALYSIS
Ever since the elected government came to power on October 16, 2024, Union Home Minister had been inviting LG for all the security review meetings, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah regarding other issues of the administration . But it was for the first time on Tuesday- February 18, 2025- when LG and CM were sitting on right and left side of the Home Minister. This was a matter of protocol but for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, it was a great thing to happen .This is wrapped with a profound message that the two sides of the administration in J&K should work like twins and not as separate entities. Both complement each other.
For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who after the elections and the swearing-in of the new government had been waiting for the two sides to be on the same page, this was the occasion filled with hope and promise for future. The underlying idea was that for implantation of all the citizen-centric measures, including the three criminal laws, it is important that Raj Bhawan and the Government from the civil secretariat should work hand-in-hand, not as different entities.
Union Home Minister, inter-alia, made three very significant observations; for the full implementation of the new laws, it is imperative to change the attitude of the police personnel and the administration and create awareness about the new laws among the citizens; with the decline in terrorism in J&K, the police should now prioritize safeguarding the rights of its citizens and there is an urgent need to use the provision of the Trial in Absentia in the UT.
Each of these observations -cum directions cover the whole expanse of the legal system and urgency in the implementation of the new criminal laws , which have replaced the colonial era laws that had lost relevance in the independent India. It is more important for Jammu and Kashmir, which battled Pakistan sponsored terrorism for over three decades. The Home Minister has called for change in the attitude of the police. It means that J&K police should get now attuned to new challenges and for that it is important that citizens should be made aware of the new laws and their implications. The informed citizens are best assets for any law-abiding society. That lessens the work and burden of the law enforcing agencies.
While the appreciation of J&K Police in fighting terrorism has been recorded, which brought down terrorism to one of its lowest ebb in the UT, the Home Minister underscored the importance of safeguarding the rights of the people of J&K. The police have played a very crucial role in bringing down terrorism and its dangers in the UT , but now the task is to safeguard their rights in terms of providing them information and education in acquiring full knowledge of the new laws and protecting them.
The particular emphasis on the urgency on the start of the Trial in Absentia in J&K is very important. As it has been seen that there are many who committed different crimes and went missing. Some of them crossed over to Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Therefore, this type of trial has become a legal necessity to complete the cycle of crime and punishment.
