At least 27 organizations from economic sphere of Kashmir joined hands together to fight against the attempts of annulment of Article 35 A-that empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.The spokesperson of these organizations Mubeen Shah during a joint press conference said that: “it has been necessitated to exhibit our unity in protesting the attempted onslaught on our hereditary state subject law. We are accompanied by the representatives from cross section of the society comprising the civil society formations including business chambers and federations, transporters, tourism fraternity, horticulturists, industrialists, academia and other social, religious and cultural organizations.”“Our state subject laws have been under attack ever since a PIL was filed by RSS backed NGO “We the Citizens” and admitted by the supreme court of India that challenges the validity of Article 35-A of Indian constitution. It needs to be reminded that Article 35-A affords a protective shield to the hereditary state subject law of Jammu and Kashmir that is in existence since 1927.
After admission of this petition, the Supreme Court also took cognizance of 4 other petitions filed by various groups and individuals and clubbed all these with the main petition. History is witness to the fact that Article 35-A was enacted in the constitution of India in the year 1954 and since then several petitions were filed by different groups and individuals to challenge this Act. However all such petitions would get dismissed before their admission by the Supreme Court only because of the prompt and appropriate defense by successive Governments at New Delhi? However, this time a situation has arised when Government of India has bizarrely declined to defend their own provision of the constitution as it has not filed any Counter to the said PIL. This speaks volumes about the complicity of GOI in the attempt of removing or tinkering with the Article 35 A.”“We wish to inform the general public that if the said Article is removed or tinkered with, then the rights of original citizens of Jammu and Kashmir on their immovable property and other such rights would be taken away and all Indians would be afforded a right to establish their settlements in length and breadth of the state pushing away the original citizens. It is pertinent to say that the purpose behind this PIL is devious to change the demographic character of Jammu Kashmir and alter the nature of dispute that is internationally recognized.”“The worry among the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir to resist against the attempted onslaught is very much justified.
Let us make it amply clear that the hereditary state subject law of Jammu and Kashmir shall be protected at any cost even on the lives of the citizens and no tampering with this law would ever be tolerated. The powers that be are hereby put on notice to take all necessary steps to get the nefarious PIL filed by RSS backed NGO dismissed at the earliest in order to save themselves from its political ramifications and consequences. This matter is related to the life and death of the people of Jammu Kashmir and we all are ready to spill our blood to safeguard this law,” Mubeen Shah said. As we have already stated that the protest of the people of Jammu Kashmir on this issue is in all purposes legal and necessary. Various organizations mentioned hereunder have unanimously charted out a strategy and program to contest the onslaught that has already been communicated and shall be followed by individual organizations initially till 6Th of August 2018, the day of hearing. We also hereby announce our full support to the call of strike given by JRL on 5th and 6th of August 2018.”Speaking on the occasion, trade leader Muhammad Yasin Khan said that it will have serious ramifications if Article 35A is tinkered with. He said people of Chenab Valley and Pir Panchal are supporting them and they are on the same page. (CNS)