Lok Sabha
Divyansh Nautiyal
Greetings Members of the Parliament and welcome to the Lok Sabha Session of DSMUN, 2019!
The crown state of India, Kashmir has found itself in heavy debates as to the political machinery and the Constitution of the State and the conditions that prevail in Kashmir due to the same. Ever since the State’s accession to the Indian Union on the 26th October 1947, the state has functioned under Article 35 A (initiated in 1954) and Article 370 which have distinguished the functioning of the State from that of the others in the Indian Union. While Kashmir has been granted an autonomous status and has the power to define its permanent residents among the many other distinctions, the very same have found themselves under the scanner for reasons ranging from violation of the Right to Equality under Article 14 to prevention of privatization in the State which incurs heavy revenue losses for the State.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act which grants special powers to the Indian Army operating in disturbed areas is another contentious topic for the State; one which has resulted in numerous Human Rights violations. With so much bloodshed and political instability taking place in the crown State of India, the Lok Sabha session of DSMUN will focus on the following issues and work towards resolving them:
- Article 35 A
- Article 370
- Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act
The committee is expected to debate on the following issues and they can either repeal, amend or let the Articles remain unchanged in accordance with the discussion in the committee. The members of Parliament are expected to follow their party stances and accordingly lobby for or against the issues under discussion. To make the committee more dynamic, there will be 15 special invitees who would provide their expert opinions and insight into the debate.
As to how the discussion will take place in the Lok Sabha, all parliamentarians are to strictly adhere to parliamentary language and observe formal and courteous behaviour. As the agenda is one which is politically charged and legally complex, a thorough research and understanding will be essential.
As for myself, I am currently a Humanities student in the ISC and my keen interests lie in History and Political Science, especially that of our nation. As for my co-curricular pursuits, I am interested in English Debating, MUNing and writing. I have engaged in MUNs for the past 4 years in multiple capacities and will be the Speaker of Lok Sabha in this year’s DSMUN; one committee which truly stands out in the conference for the diplomacy and politically heated debates it enjoys. In addition to this, I am an avid reader of literature and politics and am the Editor of a few school-based publications. Our deputy speakers will be Sriman Goel and Nand Singh Dahiya who will help me in running the committee. All delegates are more than welcome to contact us for any help.
Best of luck and see you soon in Chandbagh!
Divyansh Nautiyal
Speaker
Lok Sabha
Agenda
- Solving the Kashmir Dispute: Article 35A, Article 370 and AFSPA