Article 35A soul of accession: Speakers at Jammu seminar

Jammu Kashmir United Peace Movement (JKUPM) on Sunday said that any fiddling with Article 35A of Constitution would be tantamount to an attack on the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and would directly affect its relations with New Delhi.

At a day-long seminar in Jammu, speaker after speaker said that challenging the special statues of Jammu and Kashmir was akin to doubting the wisdom of Dogra rulers, who granted this status to the people of state.

   

“Article 35A is soul of Accession signed between Hari Singh, then ruler of State and Pt Jawaharlal Lal Nehru , the then prime minister of India,” speakers said during a daylong seminar organized to discuss the danger looming over the existence of the state’s special status by attempts to abrogate Article 35A. The seminar was attended by intellectual from various parts of the Jammu province.  Most of the speakers while speaking gave a brief overview of articles 370 & 35-A and their historical as well as constitutional position in the Indian Constitution. 

Speakers claimed that just for some political gain these articles were being highlighted as some issue, though it is well known to all that these articles act as a base for the relationship between J&K and the Union of India and cannot be abrogated unless and until they were passed in state assembly of J&K.

Speakers also highlighted that persons with malicious intent filing writ petitions against these articles are in a way challenging the Indian Constitution itself and it seems the petitioners want to change the map of the India. They also appealed to all the people of the state to remain united and fight against such forces which are trying to abrogate these articles which are directly linked with the identity of the people of the state.

“Article 370 and 35-A is a link between India and J&K and if it is broken then there will be no relation left with New Delhi. Fiddling with it only brings poverty and chaos in the state and like big cities of India, people will be forced to live on streets and footpaths,” the speakers said.

“Maharaja had made this law to safeguard interests of the people of the state to keep people of other parts away and to safeguard interests of people of J&K so that outsiders are not allowed to purchase property here and do not take away jobs of the people of the state,” they added. “Government of India could abrogate all article and sections of Indian Constitution, except Article 370 and 35A. These articles guiding our relation with New Delhi, even Supreme Court of India cannot touch this without our consent,” said M R Qureshi member of JKUPM.

“To touch Article 370 or 35A, Jammu and Kashmir should have Constituent Assembly. These special articles are for safety of native of state and challenging it is doubting vision of leaders, who brought it,” he added.

“There is lot of misconceptions over Article 35A. Youth of Jammu know it as permanent resident certificate, which barred outsiders to buy immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir. But it’s beyond this, the state is powerful enough to accept or reject any law or bill passed by Indian parliament,” said Sandeep Singh.

“At the time when various state included Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat are demanding special status. Andhra even withdraw support from union government over special status but unfortunately a section of people in Jammu and Kashmir trying to surrender this special power to New Delhi,” he added. “If abrogate we would have to hold ‘Begging Bowl’ to get each and every thing from Delhi,” he said.

Sharif Sartaj, Chairman of JKUPM said, “Issues of article 370 & 35-A were only highlighted to divert the attention from Kashmir issue and to gain political mileage ahead of polls.” He said in today’s time many small states are demanding rights for them but attempts are made to snatch our rights.

He also added that though the case is in Supreme Court but integrity of premier court is in doubt as many judges have openly spoken against the working of court working and warned those people and government that any effort to alter 35-A will have very bad repercussions and people of the state will come on road. This government fails to handle even Kashmir, if any tempering is done with these articles, the must prepare to handle whole state,” he said.

Narinder Singh Khalsa praised the statement of Dr. Karan Singh in Indian parliament and also claimed that if Arun Jaitley made an agreement with Nagas then why article 35-A is pinching them. He said if article 35-A is abrogated then relation of state with India will end.  Lastly he said we have to fight for safeguarding our identity.

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