Srinagar
Kashmir University Teachers Association (KUTA) has called for the protection of Article-35A and Article 370 of the Indian Constitution as well as section 6 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution under all circumstances.
The KUTA spokesman in a statement said: “Overt and covert attempts aimed at abrogating Article 35A and divesting the state subjects of the Jammu and Kashmir from their inherent rights and privileges enshrined under the Constitution. Govt. of India has always pledged and promised adequate constitutional protection of the hereditary state subject laws of the J&K state right since 1952 and now it cannot backtrack upon its promises.”
He said that any such move aimed at divesting the people of Jammu and Kashmir from their constitutional rights and privileges, making changes in its demography and tarnishing the cultural identity of Kashmiri people will be resisted tooth and nail and not accepted under any circumstances since the people of J&K have been enjoying these rights even before India became independent in 1947.
Terming the stand of BJP led government at the Centre as highly condemnable in which it has decided not to contest the petition pending at the Supreme Court of India by neither filing any counter-affidavit nor advising the Advocate General of India to rebut the contentions raised in the original and subsequent petitions, KUTA spokesman has stated that this way the central government is failing to do justice with its own mandate as well as with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
KUTA has urged upon the state and central governments to take due cognizance of both political and constitutional dimensions and ramifications of Article 35A before initiating any steps to tinker with it since this Article was invoked in the wake of Delhi Agreement of 1952 that has several commitments attached to it which can get automatically revoked with Article 35A. KUTA has also made a fervent appeal to the Supreme Court of India to either reject the petition or adjourn the case till the final resolution of the vexed Kashmir issue in accordance with the legitimate wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. KUTA has also called upon all regional political parties of J&K to join hands and oppose all attempts aimed at abrogating Article 35A.
