Outrage over Article 35A ‘Tinkering’, Soz, NC leaders raise concerns with Governor

The outrage over the efforts to tinker with Article 35-A is gripping the entire Valley, with people in Srinagar expressing their resentment by pasting posters against the move on their vehicles.
The three-wheelers displaying these posters not only catch the attention of people but many videos of these three-wheelers have been uploaded on social media in Kashmir.
Similar posters were also seen pasted on cars, taxis and other vehicles appealing people “to observe complete shutdown on 5th and 6th August against the move”.
The posters read “observe complete strike on 5th and 6th August against abrogation of Article 35-A”.
‘We will sacrifice ourselves for our rights’, posters further read.
In Lal Chowk area posters were pasted on the back screens of the auto rickshaws and youth were seen carrying these posters.
Cars and autorickshaws parked outside SMHS Hospital had also black and white posters pasted on them reading “observecomplete strike on 5th and 6th August”.
Mudasir Ahmad, auto rickshaw driver at Karanagar told Kashmir Post that it is the unique way of protest that he has seen during last one decade.
“Why are they (central government) tinkering with Article 35-A, it is backbone of Kashmir identity and we will try every possible way to defend it,” Ahmad said.
Article 35-A gives Jammu and Kashmir legislature the power to decide who are permanent residents of the State and confer on them special rights and privileges.
Supreme Court will hear the PIL on Article 35-A on August 6. The PIL was submitted by a lesser known NGO “We the Citizens” that has challenged the validity of Article 35-A.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) and traders bodies in Valley have called for shutdown in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 and 6 to protest against tinkering with Article 35-A.

Meanwhile,  Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz and National Conference leaders on Thursday called on Governor N N Vohra and discussed their concerns about Article 35A of the Constitution, which relates to special rights and privileges of the state’s permanent residents.
Soz called on Vohra at Raj Bhavan today and presented a copy of his recently released book, “Kashmir Glimpses of History and the Story of Struggle” to the Governor.
“I sought Governor’s attention to the anxiety and concerns of the people of J&K for protection of Article 35-A of the Constitution of India. I stressed the fact that the people of the state can, under no circumstances, compromise their commitment for protection of the Article 35-A, which confers special privileges to the people of the J&K State. I also stressed the fact that one way could be that the RSS sees reason to withdraw the case from the Supreme Court,” Soz said.
Supreme court is set to hear petitions challenging validity of Article 35-A on Monday. The main petition demanding scrapping of Article 35A was filed before the apex court in 2014 by an RSS-linked NGO ‘We the Citizens’.
Article 35A, which was incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, accords special rights and privileges to the Jammu and Kashmir citizens and denies property rights to a woman who marries a person from outside the state.
Soz said Governor assured him that he was conscious of the feelings of the people of the state regarding Article 35-A, and he would keep the authorities concerned at political and administrative levels aware of the developments and he was sure that serious notice of the feelings of the people would be taken.
Soz congratulated Governor on his decision to conduct the long pending elections to Urbal Local bodies and Panchayats and stated that this would greatly strengthen the democratic framework.
Meanwhile, an 11-member delegation of National Conference led by General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar met Governor at the Raj Bhavan today.
An official spokesman said the delegation put forth its concerns relating to the legal challenge to the Article 35 A of the Indian Constitution.
An NC spokesman said the party leaders submitted a memorandum to the Governor, highlighting the need to follow the Article 35A case in the Supreme Court vigorously.
“NC wants to register its grave concern and deep anguish over the way (previous) BJP-PDP coalition government handled the case in the Supreme Court regarding Article 35A of the Indian constitution. Till date, no counter affidavit has been filed in the apex court either by the central government or the state government,” read the memorandum.
It further stated that it was amply clear that the case has been filed by some RSS activists of the BJP, to which the PDP, as an ally, has slept over.
“This Article is the custodian of interests of all the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Therefore, there can be no compromise in defending it. Governor is requested to follow the case vigorously in the Supreme Court as any attempt to fiddle with it will have serious consequences,” added the NC memorandum.
The NC delegation appreciated the decisions taken by the governor to streamline the administration after the imposition of Governor’s Rule and raised issues relating to the security concerns of the party on account of militant attacks on its leaders and workers, as well as the growing menace of drugs among youths and the downturn in the tourism and handicrafts sectors, he said.
The delegation also thanked Governor for his decision to conduct the long overdue elections to the urban local bodies and panchayats.