Civil society group from Kashmir in Jammu to discuss Art 35A

A civil society group from Kashmir is in Jammu province, meeting leaders of various organisations with an aim of building consensus on Article 35A, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Article 35A of the Indian Constitution grants certain special rights and privileges to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
"We are here to dismantle the walls of hatred and bridge the gap between the people of Jammu and the Kashmir valley," leader of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Coordination Committee (JKCSCC) Muzaffar Shah told reporters.
Shah, who is president of Awami National Conference, said "We are without our political baggage and simply a civil society initiative, keeping in mind the threat to peace if Article 35A is abrogated... Our initiative is to deter political parties from playing vote bank politics on the issue."

He said that they met 20 delegations of Jammu province over the past two days and "came to the conclusion that the people of Jammu are on the same page regarding defending Article 35A."
Shah was flanked by office bearers of the Kashmir wing of High Court Bar Association G N Shaheen, chairperson of Sikh Coordination Committee Jagmohan Singh Raina, deputy grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam.

The political, social and religious groups which the JKCSCC members met included state unit president of BJP Sat Sharma, Jammu Bar Association president B S Slathia, president of Chamber of commerce Rakesh Gupta, former MP Sheikh Abdul Rehman, Dogra Sadar Sabha Jammu and members of displaced community Sardar Joginder Singh Raina.

The Article 35A has been challenged in the Supreme Court by two women who have contended that it is discriminatory.
On August 25, the Supreme Court agreed to hear after Diwali pleas challenging Article 35A, which was added to the Constitution by a Presidential Order in 1954.
"Article 35A is as important for Jammu dogra, Ladakhi bodh, orKashmiri Muslim or Sikh, Muslim and Pandit. We have come with amessage that we are one on the issue and against the disintegration of the state," Shah said.
"Some people voiced a different view during the discussions but after the deliberations, they assured us that they will rethink on the issue," he added.

He said a conference will be convened in Srinagar shortly for which parties will be invited from Jammu and Ladakh "to build a consensus on the issue to safeguarding our rights.