Srinagar: Civil society organisations and business and trade bodies today kept up their protests against the petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Article 35A of the Constitution.
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.
About 200 members of the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Union staged a peaceful sit-in at the fruit mandi in Parimpora area on the outskirts of the city here, a police official said.
Civil society members, including members of the minority Pandit community and Budhists later staged a sit-in at Pratap Park in the heart of the city. They were joined by JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Shouting slogans like “our constitution our pride and tinkering with Article 35-A not acceptable” the protesters said Supreme Court which has dismissed the pleas challenging the Article in past cannot amend its own rulings after sixty years.
They said the PIL in which constitutional legality of Article 35-A was challenged in the Supreme Court is legally ‘void’ therefore the Apex Court in view of its own rulings passed on the subject must dismiss the petition for larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sampat Prakash a veteran trade union leader, who had served more than a year in Jail in the year1968 as trade leader said he moved a petition against his detention same year and challenged the same on the grounds that his detention is illegal in the light of Article 35-A.
“Being a trade union leader I was jailed for one and half years in 1968, then I moved a petition challenging my detention orders in the Supreme Court. The five member constitutional bench that time upheld the constitutional validity of Article 35-A,”
Prakash who minced no words to take the centre head-on for trying to flare-up the situation in Kashmir said, when the legality of Article 35-A was upheld by the then constitutional bench how can the present bench amend the set law.
“I would like to warn all those who want to disturb the situation in Kashmir not to vitiate peaceful atmosphere. Article 35-A is our life, it’s our pride and we will not hesitate to sacrifice our lives for its protection,” said Sampat Prakash.
Meanwhile, a protest march was held by Shehr-e-Khaas traders union from Khanqah to Bohrikadal in support of Article 35-A.
The protesting traders warned massive agitation in Kashmir incase the Article was abrogated.
Traders while extending their support to JRL call for 5th and 6th of August said, people of Kashmir will stand like a rock to defeat the evil designs of communal elements.
Members of Kashmir Bar to appear before SC during
Srinagar: Eight members of Kashmir High Court Bar Association will appear before the Supreme Court during hearing on Article 35 A on August 6.
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Secretary Kashmir High Court Bar Association (KHBA) Advocate G N Shaheen said eight members of Kashmir High Court Bar Association including Its President Mian Abdul Quayoom, Zafar Ahmed Shah, Reyaz Jan, Manzoor Ahmad Dar, Mohd Ashraf Bhat and others. He said the Kashmir High Court Bar Association has already filed application of intervention against the petition filed by lesser known NGO ‘We The Citizens’ for abrogation of Article 35 A.
