National Conferenceon Wednesday criticised the new domicile law introduced by Government of Indiasaying it lacked in safeguarding interests of people of Jammu and Kashmir andtermed it unacceptable.
In a statementissued NC Chief Spokesperson Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said it was a “cruel jokeon people”. “Only Class –IV jobs have been reserved for the original statesubjects. What can be more demeaning than this?” “The clause of extendingdomicile to everyone and anyone who has lived in J&K for the past 15 yearsraises concern about demography changes in J&K which may be brought in,”the statement said.
“Even those, whohave been posted as central government employees, PSU’s, migrants in J&Kcan now enjoy their share of jobs, biting off a huge chunk from the share ofthe locals,” the spokesman said. “How cruel the law is for the people ofJ&K, when it paves way for a person, from anywhere in India, having studiedhere for 7 years or so, to claim domicile? Is it possible for a student studyingin other States to have a similar stake there?” he said adding that the centralgovernment was starting a “domicile dole-out mela in J&K” and “everyone iswelcome”.
Calling the timingof the law insult upon injury, Ruhullah said, “When the entire country isbattling with COVID19, and people and their representatives of J&K arebereft with worries and concerns about their lives and of their families,GoI brings in the law.”
The spokesman saidthis clearly shows the government wants to hood-wink people “at a time whenthey cannot even think in their right minds given the magnitude of COVID19epidemic”. He said unlike in other states like Himachal Pradesh, where landrights have been well safeguarded by domicile law, in J&K’s domicile law,there is no such provision.
NC said the lawoffers no protection to the lands belonging to the people of erstwhile State.”The fact that a Tehsildar level officer has been empowered to dole outdomicile certificates. This is what is called jugglery. There is no mechanism toensure verification of the claims of domicile and thus, there is every scope ofthe law bringing in new entrants into the land,” he said.
“All across thecountry people who lived 70 years of their lives in the country are being askedto prove their claim over citizenship but here anyone with a 10-15 year stay iseligible for a domicile certificate.” the NC spokesman said.