Balwant Singh Mankotia

Balwant Singh Mankotia is an Indian politician and the former President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party.[1][2] He has been twice elected member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, holding office for 12 years. He is a leading campaigner for secular values against the terrorist insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir.[3] On 29th September 2022, he joined Bhartiya Janata Party.[4]

Balwant Singh Mankotia
President of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party
In office
2010–2021
Member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
In office
2002–2014
Preceded byShiv Charan Gupta
Succeeded byPawan Kumar Gupta
ConstituencyUdhampur
Personal details
BornUdhampur, Jammu and Kashmir
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party (2022–Present)
Other political
affiliations		Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (1989–2021)
RelationsBhim Singh (uncle)
Jay Mala (aunt-in-law)
Harsh Dev Singh (cousin)
Ankit Love (cousin)
Dogra dynasty
Parent(s)Sh.Mast Ram Mankotia and Surju Devi
EducationUniversity of Jammu

Early life

His parents are Thakur Ram Das and Surju Devi. His father, Sh. Mast Ram Mankotia was an Indian military commander in Operation Polo 1948, that ousted Nizam (King) Osman Ali Khan and led to the annexation of Hyderabad to India.[5]

He graduated with a BSc from Jammu University in 1992.[6]

Career

Member of government, 2002

He won his first election in 2002 from Udhampur, and was a part of the coalition government in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, with the PDP and Congress Party.

In 2002, Balwant Singh was the first MLA to give oath in the Dogri language in the name of Vaishno Devi, a trend that was adopted by other Hindu MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir.[7]

Protest leader in opposition, 2008

After he retained his seat in the 2008 Jammu and Kashmir general elections, Balwant was a vocal member of the opposition, and campaigned to end illiteracy in the state.[8]

Balwant Singh led several protests in the assembly house against Pakistan, then chief minister Omar Abdullah[9] and demanded that the word secular be inserted into the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, to match the Constitution of India.[10]

His protests in the assembly house included leading walkouts[11] and throwing a microphone while standing on tables in the assembly house.[12]

President of Panthers Party & OIC-UN issue, 2010

In 2010, Balwant Singh became the President of the Panthers Party, and led a large demonstration in front of the UN peacekeeping force base in Jammu. While burning an effigy of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Balwant demanded that the United Nations secretary-general terminate recognition of the OIC, from the UN's list of recognised groups.[13] He alleged that the OIC, akin to Pakistan's ISI, was supporting terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

Protests as Opposition in Legislative Assembly, 2014

On 24 August 2014 Speaker of the House, Mubarak Gul ordered security guards to forcibly evict Balwant Singh from the assembly when he disturbed proceedings against a bill by Omar Abdullah that had urged India to resume dialogue with Pakistan,[14] instead Balwant wearing a black bandana hawkishly demanded that the assembly condemn ceasefire violations by Pakistan, claiming they were leading to deaths of innocent villagers.[15] He was then forcefully ejected from the legislative assembly by the security marshals[16] and suspended.[17] After disturbing the proceeding he demanded on television that Speaker Mubarak Gal, have the assembly unanimously adopt a resolution against Pakistan,[18] for its ceasefire violations in the Kashmir conflict.[19]

Jammu and Kashmir floods, 2014

He campaigned for the October 2014 Jammu and Kashmir floods, to be escalated to status of National Emergency in India to ensure that the effected residents would be compensated.[20]

House Arrest, 2019

Following Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, Balwant Singh Mankotia was put under house arrest for over two months.[21][22]

Personal life

His uncle Bhim Singh, was founder of the Panthers Party and his cousin Harsh Dev Singh is its chairman. His cousin Ankit Love is the leader of the One Love Party in Great Britain.

References
  1. "JKNPP President Resigns from Party Membership". 10 February 2021.
  2. "Panthers Party demands restoration of Katra-Pathankot train service". Tribune India. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  3. Manhotra, Dinesh (30 November 2015). "Include 'secular, socialist' in J-K Constitution: Panthers Party". Tribune India. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  4. "2 former Panthers Party MLAs, 100 leaders from J&K join AAP in New Delhi". Hindustan Times. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022. When asked whether he will be the AAP president in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "The AAP leadership has assured me to give a leading role and major responsibility in J&K. The party will dissolve existing committees and will form new ones."
  5. "NPP activists pay tributes to Mankotia's father". Daily Excelsior. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  6. "BALWANT SINGH MANKOTIA (JKNPP):- Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  7. Singh, Harmeet (21 January 2009). "BJP MLA swears in Vaishno Devi's name". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 11 January 2017. The trend was started by Youth National Panthers Party president and MLA Udhampur Balwant Singh Mankotia who took oath in Dogri in 2002.
  8. "Start literacy movement in J&K, no one to sign in thumb by 2011". Ground Report. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  9. "JKNPP demands dismissal of Omar govt, protests in Udhampur". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  10. Headlines Today (28 August 2014), Panther party MLAs disrupt house in Jammu and Kashmir assembly, retrieved 20 December 2016
  11. "Mankotia stages walkout - Kashmir Times". Kashmir Times. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  12. CNN-News18 (16 March 2013), J&K Assembly BJP, Panthers Party MLAs protest against Pak resolution, retrieved 20 December 2016 {{citation}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. "JK Panthers demonstrated agasnist OIC & also demanded de- recognition of OIC from the panel of UN". The Huffington Post. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  14. NewsX (27 August 2014), 'Treacherous' resolution passed by Jammu and Kashmir assembly, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 20 December 2016
  15. TIMES NOW (25 August 2014), Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 20 December 2016
  16. "Ruckus in J&K Assembly over ceasefire violations". Daily News and Analysis. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  17. "BJP, Panthers, JSM walkout in LA: Panchayats' empowerment, Model villages". Kashmir Times. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  18. "Ruckus in J&K house". Millennium Post. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  19. TIMES NOW (25 August 2014), Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, retrieved 20 December 2016
  20. "Declare floods in J&K as National Disaster: JKNPP". News18. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  21. "JKNPP condemns house arrest of its chairman, president - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir". www.earlytimes.in. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  22. "JKNPP leader says made to remain at home by cops". The Indian Express. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
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