Tampering with Art 35A would result in streams of blood in Kashmir: KCSDS

Srinagar: Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS) on Saturday held an emergency meeting along with many other prominent members of civil society to deliberate on the next hearing on Article 35A, slated for August 6th 2018.
The meeting said that the article is of prime importance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, to every section, in fact people of all casts, colors, creeds, religions, sects and regions.
“It is very basic to their identity and existence. Any tampering with it would result in the streams of blood in the state; people will save it with their blood. The present situation is not conducive for hearing because the state being under Governor’s rule who for all practical purposes is the representative of the union of India and not people of Kashmir, state govt, hence the supreme court should adjourn the hearing of the case indefinitely as in governor’s rule there is no voice from the people to express the concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement added.
The meeting said that in fact the article is of political nature enshrined in Indian constitution as a guarantor of the residual sovereignty of the state, to be precise, its state subject law, and its ethnic protection, which is guaranteed even in international law.
“This constitutional commitment of the Indian state to Jammu and Kashmir to safe guard its exclusive rights on its land and state subject law can’t be tampered with as the matter is primarily political and can be addressed politically by referring it to people for final opinion,” the statement said.
“We request honourable Supreme Court to adjourn the hearing indefinitely till the situation is conducive for deliberating on the issue. We also appeal all saner voices in India to join us in safeguarding the basic constitutional protection of the exclusive rights of state subject law to the people of the state,” KCSDS said.
They said that it will not be out of place to mention that earlier verdicts of the court of such sensitive matters is proof enough that these sacred guarantees could not be scrapped, revoked or tampered with unilaterally.