Srinagar
Senior CPI (M) leader and former MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday said that the Central Government’s order defining domicile law for Jammu and Kashmir is “another hoax by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leadership with the people of J&K”.
In a statement, Tarigami said, “It has escalated fears among the residents of Jammu and Kashmir losing not only jobs but also land to outsiders post revocation of Article 370 that granted J&K special status. According to the new order, domicile certificate is required for jobs upto level 4 only while other posts, including gazetted and non-gazetted are open for all citizens of India. After some time the majority of such posts will be held by non-locals.”
“15 years and 10 years cap, as has been put in 3A of the new domicile law is primarily meant for children of security forces personnel and other central government employees. It means after five years they may need to settle them here,” it said. “Unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir is already higher than the average national unemployment rate. With the new law, whatever little jobs in the government sector were being provided to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir will no more be exclusive for them,” he said.
He in a statement said “arbitrary decision of the BJP government to revoke Articles 370 and 35-A was the murder of democracy and an attack on the Constitution”. “BJP violated the norms to convert J&K State into a Union Territory overnight without the consent of the stakeholders. The Centre was defying all democratic norms to achieve its objects. The manner in which the government of India is dealing with J&K is a grave warning about the danger posed to erstwhile state’s rights and federalism. Such moves have to be unitedly opposed for the welfare of the people and integrity of the country,” he said.
Former MLA Kulgam said that under the prevailing situation, the least government of India can do is to release political leaders and workers languishing in different jails and start a credible process of dialogue with all shades of opinion. “The position of the CPI (M) is clear over the issue as we want restoration of Articles 370 and 35A in its original form. In fact, the CPI (M) and others have already challenged Presidential Order CO 272 of 5-08-2019, Presidential Order CO 272 of 6-08-2019 and J&K Reorganization Act, 2019 in the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” he said.
“There are many places in India, like the tribal areas of Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim where people from rest of the country can’t buy land, why target J&K only? When Maharaja Hari Singh was ruling J&K in 1927, Dogras and Kashmiri Pandits, who were more educated, agitated domicile guarantees. They ensured that no outsiders must come and buy land in J&K or get jobs. The Maharaja brought State Subject in 1927 and made it into a law. No one objected then,” Tarigami in a statement said.
