Gorkhas protest against special status resolution in Jammu, burn effigies

The Gorkha community in Jammu held a protest against the resolution seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status passed in the assembly, and burnt effigies of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary.

The protesters demanded a separate state for the Jammu region, saying it would allow them to have their own government that takes decisions benefitting them.

Led by Jammu and Kashmir Gorkha Sabha president, Karuna Chatri, hundreds of Gorkhas, including women and children, took out a protest rally against the National Conference government and the "Kashmir-centric leadership" over the passage of the resolution.

The resolution passed on Wednesday sought to restore J-K's special status that was earlier accorded to it in the now-revoked Article 370.

Raising slogans against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy CM Choudhary and NC president Farooq Abdullah, the protestors said it could "deny them citizenship rights".

"NC governments (of the past) and Kashmir-centric leaders have always denied us the right to live in Jammu and Kashmir with dignity for 70 years. They denied us the right to vote, job opportunities, the right to contest elections, and even the right to own property," Chatri told reporters.

"Now, they have passed a resolution to restore Article 370, in a bid to deny us citizenship rights in J-K again. We condemn it," she said.

Chatri accused the NC and Kashmir-based leadership of being biased against Hindus in J-K and said they did not "receive citizenship rights for 70 years" under them.

"But after the abrogation of Article 370, we are finally citizens of J-K. Now they want to take away our rights again because we are Hindus in a Muslim-majority region," she said.

The protestor burnt the effigies of Chaudhary, who is from the Jammu region and is the MLA from Nowshera and referred to him as "Jaichand" -- the 12th-century king of Kannauj who is projected as a betrayer to the Indian cause in some historical accounts.

The protesters also called for a separate state of the Jammu region to ensure their community's growth, which they claim is not possible under "Kashmiri rulers".

"We want a separate state for the Jammu region, where leaders from Jammu will prioritise our development and growth, as we have suffered greatly under NC and Kashmiri-centric regimes. A government in Jammu will ensure our betterment," Sundar Gurkha said.

Around 30,000 Gorkha families moved to Jammu and Kashmir from Nepal eight decades ago to fight alongside the erstwhile Dogra Army, many of who have at least one war veteran.

They voted for the first time in the assembly elections held earlier this year. This was the first poll held in J-K after the abrogation of Article 370 by the Centre on August 5, 2019.

The J-K Assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday asking the Centre to hold talks with elected representatives for the restoration of the erstwhile state's special status. BJP MLAs have opposed the resolution.