Slow and steady the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir is drifting towards a chaos and the restive region is yet again at the brink of 2008-like crisis that emerged soon after the illegal transfer of land to a Hind shrine managed by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB). This time the issue, which is all about the abrogation of article 35 A of the Indian constitution, is even much graver and potentially bigger than the Amarnath land row that had triggered massive protests in Kashmir valley. A fresh clamour is brewing up over the abrogation of the article, which confers special rights and privileges to the citizens of the State. More importantly the Article 35-A is the hereditary state subject law that defines the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and bars non-locals from buying or owning property in the territory. The controversy over the issue triggered soon after a plea was filed by Charu Wali Khanna, a lawyer and former member of the National Commission for Women, challenging Article 35A of the Constitution and Section 6 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution. In Kashmir the move is by and large seen as a conspiracy aimed at changing the demographic complexion of the Muslim majority state. Now that the Supreme Court of India is set to hear the Public Interest Litigations (PILs) on 6 August, tension is brewing in the Kashmir Valley where people from across the political spectrum and civil society groups have threatened to launch a mass agitation against the hearing of Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution by the Supreme Court. The representatives of 27 Kashmir-based trade organisations have announced a week-long protest programme beginning Wednesday to “protect” Article 35-A from any tinkering. The business associations that recently came together under an umbrella body said the protests will be held by business, transport, horticulture, tourism and industry associations on different dates across Kashmir. Hurriyat leadership had also warned of a mass agitation if any tinkering is allowed with constitutional provision. They made it clear to New Delhi that any and every attempt made at changing the demographic nature of the state will be stiffly resisted.
It has been quite unfortunate that New Delhi has been trying to change the disputed nature of the State by resorting to unfair means. The Article 370 has been repeatedly abused after 1954 and now the judiciary is being used as a tool to tamper with article 35 A to pave a way to alter the demography of the region that will ultimately undermine the prospects of holding a free and fair plebiscite in the held Kashmir. Regardless of whether New Delhi succeeds in achieving its objectives or not, however, one thing is clear that such a move is bound to push the region into a quagmire of uncertainty as the people of occupied Kashmir, who have rendered massive sacrifices, will not allow any such thing to happen that will lead to dilution of their cultural and national identity.
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