G-20 Security, Three Bills, and J&K’s “Achhe Din”: Amit Shah Learned About Chanakya at Nine and Became One

At the age of nine, Amit Anil Chandra Shah, who is sometimes referred to as the Chanakya of Indian politics, studied Kautilya’s “Arthashastra,” a Sanskrit book on statecraft, politics, economics, and the military. After that, he read it several times and internalized the following Chanakya Niti: “The king will consider secret matters alone since ministers have their own ministers.” Kautilya emphasized how important it is to preserve the element of surprise and mystery. Shah has said on several occasions that a project’s ability to succeed hinges on its confidentiality. Few people knew what Shah was getting up to as home minister, whether it was on August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was repealed, or more recently, when the government introduced three new legislation and altered the whole body of jurisprudence.

BRAND- NEW CRIMINAL ACTS
In addition to becoming the most successful president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, what many people stop to consider is how he managed the government as the home minister and defined the future of India. By introducing three new measures this year to replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Evidence Act—which had regulated India’s criminal justice system for the previous 150 years—he would be recognized for leaving a long-lasting legacy in the government.

In order to “break the shackles of colonialism” and make way for a New India, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Amendment Bill, 2023, were proposed and approved by the Lok Sabha. Amit Shah is overseeing a number of changes that have been introduced in a world that is changing quickly.

Electronic gadgets will now be used to videotape search and seizure activities. The Center has for the first time acknowledged that terrorism has had a significant role in enacting such drastic measures. These measures have resulted in the reduction of life imprisonment to seven years, the commutation of the death sentence to life, and the substitution of three years for the seven-year term.

Words from the colonial era that are still in use have been eliminated, including “Possession of the British Crown,” “Court of Justice in England,” “Parliament of the United Kingdom,” “Provincial Act,” “London Gazette,” “jury,” “barrister,” “Lahore,” “Commonwealth,” “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,” “Her Majesty’s Government,” and so on. Court cases are backlogged due to the intricacies of the Indian Evidence Act, the CrPC, and the IPC. Shah thus made sure that it was simplified.

Regarding the bills, Shah said that “the punishment would be less if one accepts their crime within 30 days of the crime.” What’s more? According to the home minister, the legislation prioritizes “crime against women/children, impact on the human body, and security of the country.” The timeframe for filing a FIR has also been set under the modified legislation. Shah emphasized “time” in the lower house, saying that the investigative report must be provided to the court within 24 hours after being submitted to the District Magistrate. Within seven days, the medical report must be sent straight to the police station or court. After 180 days, a charge sheet cannot be kept pending. Thus, the aim is to make the administration of justice a time-bound procedure rather than an endless bureaucratic one that kills more people than the actual judgment.

THE G-20 PRESIDENCY OF INDIA

The most powerful leaders in the world, including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Premier Anthony Albanese, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, convened in New Delhi during India’s G20 presidency in the second week of October. Unprecedented cooperation between the top law enforcement agencies in India and their international counterparts was necessary to guarantee a flawless summit. Amit Shah was the home minister, therefore it was all up to him to pull off a flawless occasion.

Nothing could be disregarded, from a potential as large as a terror attack to one as tiny as six demonstrators turning up in front of Bharat Mandapam, the location of the G20 conference.

It was an extensive undertaking, including the issuing of particular access cards for selected floors, the background checks of hotel workers who were going to entertain the dignitaries, and preparations for any interventions by the National Security Guard (NSG) and Indian Air Force. Leaving nothing to chance, the Air Force and NSG drilled over selected hotels to evaluate their preparedness for possible air-dropped commando operations in crises, like the one at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai during the 26/11 terror strikes. Over the course of two months, almost 1,000 CRPF officers received specialized training in proximity security.

There were over 4,000 Delhi police officers stationed at the Bharat Mandapam. There were also 400 traffic police officers in Delhi and 1,300 plainclothes officers positioned outside the G20 summit location.

The preparations were, if one word could describe them, “elaborate,” and Amit Shah, India’s home minister, was required to supervise every aspect of it, anticipating the worst and making sure backup measures were in place for it. Recall that even the smallest error might have worldwide consequences.

Under the condition of anonymity, a BJP official who collaborated closely with Shah before to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections said News18, “I have traveled thousands of kilometers with Amit Bhai in Uttar Pradesh.” I’ve seen that he would always have three plans ready. Plan B is not where he ends up. A lot of us wouldn’t have a backup plan. This is beneficial for the home minister at G20 gatherings.

‘ACHHE DIN’ IN KASHMIR
Amit Shah’s June 2019 visit to Srinagar is extensively discussed in Lt General (retired) KJS Dhillon’s book, Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye. “I received a call at two in the morning, alerting me to the home minister’s appointment at seven in the morning.” “I was asked about my frank and personal view, (and) my immediate response was ‘agar itihaas likhna hai, toh kisi ko itihas banana padega’ (we can write history only if we make one),” said the former Lieutenant General, who headed the army’s strategic XV Corps, stationed in Srinagar.

Shah would take the floor in Parliament less than two months after that meeting to reject two divisive Articles, 370 and 35A, so “writing history,” as Dhillon had proposed in June.

The great-grandson of the Nagarseth (Capital city head) of the princely state of Mansa, however, has really ushered in “Ache Din” in J&K after four years, several rallies, and months of lockdown. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) most recent statistics, there was a decrease in terror-related incidents in J&K between 2019 and 2022. The Center claims that 53 projects spanning many industries and costing an incredible Rs 58,477 crore have emerged as the cornerstone of “New Kashmir.”

The provision of night landing facilities in Srinagar and Jammu resulted in a twofold increase in air traffic to and from Jammu and Kashmir from 2019. In the meanwhile, the administration claimed that tourism, a vital pillar of J&K’s economy, was thriving. There is a rise in J&K tourism, according to information provided by the MHA. The third G20 working meeting on tourism was held in the area, bringing it international attention.

The ministry claims that the shift was felt in the healthcare industry, as seen by the emergence of 19 BSc paramedic colleges, 28 BSc nursing institutions, and seven new government medical colleges. The statistics showed that the 800 MBBS seats added, for a total of 1,300 seats, represented a major advancement. The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Jammu has started its academic session, while the construction of AIIMS in Kashmir is progressing at an optimal rate.

The Union Home Ministry stated in December of this year that, aside from the health sector, education has benefited greatly from the functional establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Jammu. Jammu is now the only city in the nation to house all three institutions of higher learning.

The 59-year-old contemporary “Chanakya” still has a lot of layers to reveal in the next months and years about his Chanakya Niti.