A day after Indian Cabinet approves Bill to bring Jammu and Kashmir under Statistics Act that seeks to extend jurisdiction of the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, to Jammu and Kashmir on matters pertaining to statistics under Union and Concurrent lists, people across Kashmir Valley have started showing their anger and anguish on social networking sites raising questions over the rectitude and conviction of People’s Democratic Party led incumbent Government. "The Union Cabinet chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a proposal to introduce a Bill in Parliament to extend the jurisdiction of the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, to Jammu and Kashmir on statistics relevant to any matters under any of the entries specified in the List-I (Union List) and the List-III (Concurrent List) in the 7th Schedule... As applicable to Jammu and Kashmir under the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954," a statement said. According to the statement, the amendment will strengthen data collection mechanism in the state. It will also provide for extending the jurisdiction of the Act to Jammu and Kashmir in respect of matters not reserved for the state as per the Constitution Order, 1954.The netizens according to news agency CNS have termed the Cabinet approval another ‘diktat’ to squeeze and erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.“So brick by brick, the wall of Special Status is being demolished.
Central statistics Act, 2008 is being applied to J&K in spite of the fact that the State has its own Statistics Act. Seemingly innocuous, the application of the Central Act has far reaching implications for us. And in this demolition drive, the cabal of political thugs is looking as mute spectators,” writes renowned civil society member Abdul Majid Zargar. In response to his remarks Maqsood Shahdad writes that: “Those who are talking and barking about autonomy and self rule and solution within Indian constitution should put their foot down and protest on this and remind GOI of Art 370 of their constitution under which they cannot apply any law to the state unless ratified by the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly which cannot be formed unless the divided state gets unified.” Renowned Businessman Mubeen Ahmed Shah suggests that the cream of the society should join hands to confront this sinister design of India. He writes that there may be a need of a common platform of civil society people which besides having intellectuals, retired Government employees and lawyers needs to be created to confront all this.Netizens accused successive government at New Delhi of cheat and deceit and suggested that people should raise hue to cry to confront this new diktat of the Indian Cabinet. “Article 370 has already been eroded and it is just like a ‘make-up less bride’. Whatever, remnants still lie there, we must protect those bits and pieces. It is high time, we raise our voice and impress upon the State Government to deal with it,” writes a facebook user Nazir Ahmed. (CNS)