Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 7: The Opposition parties have decided to form a United Front to protect Article 35-A of the Constitution that grants State Subject Law to Jammu and Kashmir as they felt that all three regions of the State will be badly affected with scrapping of this Article.
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A decision to form United Front for protection of Article 35-A was taken at an All Party Meeting (APM) called by National Conference president and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah at his residence in Srinagar today.
The meeting lasted about three hours and was attended by National Conference, Congress, CPM, PDF, DPN etc.
The APM observed that issue of Article 35-A was not any region-specific as it concerned all three regions equally, which would “suffer badly” in the event of scrapping of State Subject Law.
“The State Subject Law gives protection to the people of the State in many cases like youths from other States can’t apply for Government jobs here. Once this law is gone, the local youths will be deprived of some of the jobs. Rights of the people of all three regions will be hit. Their distinct culture would also vanish,” the APM observed and decided to create awareness among the people of all three regions on Article 35-A from August 14.
Asserting that future of the youth would be dark and they would lose opportunity to grow and progress, the APM decided to hold public meetings, rallies and small gatherings of the people in all three regions to aware people about repercussions of abrogation of the Article.
It may be mentioned here that some Activists, reportedly having affiliation with the RSS, had approached the Supreme Court seeking abrogation of Article 35-A of the Constitution of India that grants State Subject Law to the State.
In a series of tweets after the APM, NC working president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said: “to oppose removal of 35A is not anti-Jammu or anti-Ladakh. It’s removal will have grave consequences for people living in Jammu and Ladakh. So our opposition to any dilution of 35A is not to benefit one region at the cost of another but to safeguard the State as a whole.
“Maharaja Hari Singh had introduced State Subject laws to protect land and jobs, primarily to safeguard Jammu from people of neighbouring States. It’s amazing that people, who talk about protecting Dogra heritage and culture forget that J&K’s State Subject laws were Maharaja’s decision,” he asserted.
The APM was chaired by NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah and attended among others by Omar Abdullah, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan and Devender Rana (all National Conference), GA Mir, Peerzada Sayeed and Usmaan Majeed (all Congress), MY Tarigami (CPM), Hakim Mohammad Yasin (PDF) and GH Mir (JKDPN).
Speaking to reporters after the APM, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that opposition parties and the people would oppose any move to abrogate Article 35 A of the Constitution.
“When it will come to that decision (abrogation of Article 35 A), you will see this mass (of people) rising. Do not forget when that Amarnath Yatra (land row) thing happened, people rose overnight. So, …35 A will be far greater revolt and I wonder whether they (Government) will be able to hold that,” he said.
The NC president, who is the Member of Parliament from Srinagar, said the opposition parties were united on the issue and would make people aware of the fallout if the Article is done away with.
“The need was to sit together and discuss the issue of Article 35-A because it affects the whole State – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. So, it is very important that the people understand as to why we are against the abrogation of Article 35-A, because it (Government) wants to do away with our basic thing,” Dr Abdullah said.
“We have decided that we will take the issue to the people as a united front,” Farooq said, adding that all parties – whether in Jammu or Kashmir or Ladakh – will try to make people understand that what affect it (abrogation of the Article) will have on the State,” he said.
Asked about the course of action by the Opposition parties, the NC president said the issue is in the Supreme Court which has not given its decision yet, so the parties would take the issue to the people.
“We will first raise this issue among the people like we did on the GST (recently). We will put it up vociferously before the people,” he said.
The State Subject Law should not be eroded at any cost, Abdullah said. He alleged that it was a BJP and RSS conspiracy to erode the special status of the State.
“As far as conspiracy is concerned, you all know that the agenda of BJP and RSS is basically to erode the autonomous structure of this State. And we, as a united front, are going to bring this to the people so that they know the fallout,” he said.
He added that Article 35-A was for protecting the people of the State and its abrogation would have effects in all the three regions whether Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh.
Farooq claimed that the State Government had not put up a strong representation before the Supreme Court after an NGO had filed a writ petition seeking the striking down of Article 35 A in 2014.
“It is now being fought legally. The State Government has represented in the Supreme Court. Only unfortunate thing is that they did not put the high class representation that should have been put before the Supreme Court,” he alleged.
Abdullah said that he had heard that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that if Article 35-A is removed, she will quit the chair.
“I hope she stands by that statement of her,” he said.
The NC president said the Chief Minister should tour every region of the State and explain the fallout of the abrogation of the Article to the people.
Speaking on the occasion, senior CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA M Y Tarigami said they had also decided to appeal to the democratic voices of the country.
“Please try to understand the dangers ahead and the serious implications it can have if Article 35-A is removed. This will be a dangerous move, dangerous for the State and the country as a whole,” he said.
When approached for comments, National Conference provincial president and MLA Nagrota, Devender Rana said: “the State Subject Law was a well thought decision taken by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1927. The abrogation of Article 35-A to repeal State Subject Law will be an attack on Dogri, Dogriyat and Dogra culture. It will spoil future of our youths in the State”.
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