UpdateBot at 08:52, 25 June 2022

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{{short description|Indian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Balwant Singh Mankotia
| native_name =
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir
| death_date =
| death_place =
| order =
| office = President of [[Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party]]
| term_start = 2010
| term_end = 10 February 2021
| office1 =
| term_start1 =
| term_end1 =
| governor1 =
| deputy1 =
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| office2 = [[Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly|Member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly]]
| term_start2 = 2002
| term_end2 = 2014
| office3 =
| primeminister3 =
| term_start3 =
| term_end3 =
| predecessor2 = Shiv Charan Gupta
| successor2 = Pawan Kumar Gupta
| office4 =
| term_start4 =
| term_end4 =
| predecessor4 =
| term_start5 =
| term_end5 =
| term_start6 =
| term_end6 =
| successor6 =
| otherparty = [[Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party]] (1989-2021)
| party = [[Aam Aadmi Party]] (2022-present)
| education = [[University of Jammu]]
| residence =
| alma mater =
| parents = Sh.Mast Ram Mankotia and Surju Devi
| spouse =
| children =
| relations = [[Bhim Singh (politician)|Bhim Singh]] (uncle)<br>[[Jay Mala]] (aunt-in-law) <br>[[Harsh Dev Singh]] (cousin) <br> [[Ankit Love]] (cousin) <br>[[Dogra dynasty]]
| predecessor =
| constituency2 = [[Udhampur]]
}}

'''Balwant Singh Mankotia''' is an Indian politician and the former President of the [[Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.kashmirobserver.net/2021/02/10/jknpp-president-resigns-from-party-membership/amp/|title = JKNPP President Resigns from Party Membership|date = 10 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/community/panthers-party-demands-restoration-of-katra-pathankot-train-service/38876.html|title=Panthers Party demands restoration of Katra-Pathankot train service|date=6 February 2016|work=Tribune India|access-date=11 January 2017}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/community/include-secular-socialist-in-j-k-constitution-panthers-party/164520.html|title=Include 'secular, socialist' in J-K Constitution: Panthers Party|last=Manhotra|first=Dinesh|date=30 November 2015|work=Tribune India|access-date=11 January 2017}}</ref> On 8 April 2022, he joined the [[Aam Aadmi Party|Aam Admi Party]], and was seen as a front runner to be its leader in Jammu and Kashmir.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-09 |title=2 former Panthers Party MLAs, 100 leaders from J&K join AAP in New Delhi |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/2-former-panthers-party-mlas-100-leaders-from-j-k-join-aap-in-new-delhi-101649449030532.html |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |quote=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.”}}</ref>

== 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|Operation Polo]] 1948, that ousted [[Nizam of Hyderabad|''Nizam'']] (King) [[Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII|Osman Ali Khan]] and led to the annexation of [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]] to [[Republic of India|India]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/npp-activists-pay-tributes-to-mankotias-father/|title=NPP activists pay tributes to Mankotia's father|date=2015-03-08|newspaper=Daily Excelsior|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref>

He graduated with a [[BSc]] from [[Jammu University]] in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://myneta.info/jk2008/candidate.php?candidate_id=915|title=BALWANT SINGH MANKOTIA (JKNPP):- Affidavit Information of Candidate|website=myneta.info|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref>

== 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 [[Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party|PDP]] and [[Indian National Congress|Congress Party]].

In 2002, Balwant Singh was the first [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|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 (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/news/bjp-mla-swears-in-vaishno-devi-s-name/46060.html|title=BJP MLA swears in Vaishno Devi's name|last=Singh|first=Harmeet|date=21 January 2009|work=Greater Kashmir|quote=The trend was started by Youth National Panthers Party president and MLA Udhampur Balwant Singh Mankotia who took oath in Dogri in 2002.|access-date=11 January 2017}}</ref>

=== Protest leader in opposition, 2008 ===
After he retained his seat in the [[2008 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election|2008 Jammu and Kashmir general elections]], Balwant was a vocal member of the opposition, and campaigned to end [[illiteracy]] in the state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.groundreport.com/start-literacy-movement-in-jk-no-one-to-sign-in-thumb-by-2011bhim-singh/|title=Start literacy movement in J&K, no one to sign in thumb by 2011|website=Ground Report|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref>

Balwant Singh led several protests in the assembly house against Pakistan, then chief minister [[Omar Abdullah]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/jknpp-demands-dismissal-of-omar-govt-protests-in-udhampur-113081201134_1.html|title=JKNPP demands dismissal of Omar govt, protests in Udhampur|agency=Press Trust of India|date=2013-08-12|newspaper=Business Standard India|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref> and demanded that the word secular be inserted into the [[Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir]], to match the Constitution of India.<ref>{{Citation|last=Headlines Today|title=Panther party MLAs disrupt house in Jammu and Kashmir assembly|date=2014-08-28|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FoqW11I4do|access-date=2016-12-20}}</ref>

His protests in the assembly house included leading walkouts<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kashmirtimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=27696|title=Mankotia stages walkout - Kashmir Times|website=Kashmir Times|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref> and throwing a microphone while standing on tables in the assembly house.<ref>{{Citation|last=CNN-News18|author-link=CNN-News18|title=J&K Assembly BJP, Panthers Party MLAs protest against Pak resolution|date=2013-03-16|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP08DWRKiqQ|access-date=2016-12-20}}</ref>

=== 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 mediation of Kashmir#United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wires/2009/10/07/jk-panthers-demonstrated-_ws_312228.html|title=JK Panthers demonstrated agasnist OIC & also demanded de- recognition of OIC from the panel of UN|date=2010-03-18|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref> He alleged that the OIC, akin to Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence|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,<ref>{{Citation |last=NewsX |title='Treacherous' resolution passed by Jammu and Kashmir assembly |date=2014-08-27 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmFhivqYFQw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/gmFhivqYFQw |access-date=2016-12-20 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |author-link=NewsX |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Citation |last=TIMES NOW |title=Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly |date=2014-08-25 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCwOf1l9s4Y |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/lCwOf1l9s4Y |access-date=2016-12-20 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He was then forcefully ejected from the legislative assembly by the security marshals<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-08-25 |title=Ruckus in J&K Assembly over ceasefire violations |language=en-US |newspaper=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-ruckus-in-jk-assembly-over-ceasefire-violations-2013440 |access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref> and suspended.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BJP, Panthers, JSM walkout in LA: Panchayats' empowerment, Model villages |url=http://www.kashmirtimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=27315 |access-date=2017-01-11 |website=Kashmir Times}}</ref> After disturbing the proceeding he demanded on television that [[speaker (politics)|Speaker]] Mubarak Gal, have the assembly unanimously adopt a resolution against [[Pakistan]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ruckus in J&K house |url=http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=24268 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113145910/http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=24268 |archive-date=13 January 2017 |access-date=2017-01-11 |website=Millennium Post}}</ref> for its ceasefire violations in the [[Kashmir conflict]].<ref>{{Citation |last=TIMES NOW |title=Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly |date=2014-08-25 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCwOf1l9s4Y |access-date=2016-12-20}}</ref>

=== Jammu and Kashmir floods, 2014 ===
He campaigned for the October 2014 [[Jammu and Kashmir floods, 2014|Jammu and Kashmir floods]], to be escalated to status of [[State of emergency|National Emergency]] in India to ensure that the effected residents would be compensated.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.news18.com/news/india/declare-floods-in-jk-as-national-disaster-jknpp-719583.html|title=Declare floods in J&K as National Disaster: JKNPP|date=2014-10-11|newspaper=News18|access-date=2017-01-11}}</ref>

=== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JKNPP condemns house arrest of its chairman, president - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir |url=http://www.earlytimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=270084 |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=www.earlytimes.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-07 |title=JKNPP leader says made to remain at home by cops |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jknpp-leader-says-made-to-remain-at-home-by-cops-6154665/ |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
His uncle [[Bhim Singh (politician)|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 ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKaZOwax2h4 Balwant Singh Mankotia on News Express via YouTube]
* [https://twitter.com/BalwantMankotia Balwant Singh Mankotia on Twitter]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mankotia, Balwant Singh}}
[[Category:21st-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:University of Jammu alumni]]
[[Category:Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party politicians]]
[[Category:People from Udhampur district]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Jammu and Kashmir MLAs 2002–2008]]
[[Category:Jammu and Kashmir MLAs 2008–2014]]

Balwant Singh Mankotia - Revision history

UpdateBot at 08:52, 25 June 2022