Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18: Giving more impetus to the struggle for safeguarding the rights of the SC/ST/OBC’s of the State, All India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC Organizations held a seminar at Press Club here for deliberations on Article 35A of the Constitution and its repercussions on the SC/ST/OBC’s of the State.
Seminar commenced with the participation of legal experts, social workers as well as people from political life. Ashok Basotra, while speaking on the issue said that notwithstanding the existence or repeal of this article from law books, the general conditions relating to upliftment and education of these classes will always remain pitiable. He said that in a State, where no rights have been granted to people who though having permanently settled in the State, have no rights as state subjects, cannot be considered to be doing any justice and the existence or non- existence of Article 35- A is relevant only when each citizen gets his due share of participation and rights under the constitution.
Aslam Kohli, Gujjar leader said that the mandate of Article 35A must be respected and observed as the nature of circumstances in which these sections brave the times are very critical and in case 35A is done away with, then in that case, all the avenues of educational and economic growth respecting these communities shall be relegated to background.
Brij Mehra, president, Akhil Bhartiya Kashyap Mahasangh said that it was the need of the hour that these classes get together and form a collective group so as to safeguard what has been granted to us in the Constitution.
RK Kalsotra, president of the Federation said that in the present circumstances, even the existing rights guaranteed to deprived categories were being tampered with not to talk of seeking any new safeguards, as such, the validity of Article 35A, which otherwise, also has been set to rest to some extent in Susheela Sawhney and Ashok Kumar’s cases by High Court, should not be questioned.
Simer Dass social activist, Javed Iqbal and others also spoke on the occasion.
Follow our WhatsApp channel