Jammu/July, 30: Prominent Lawyers of J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu held an emergent meeting under the Chairmanship of Former Senior Additional Advocate General S.C. Gupta to discuss the prevailing situation in the State of Jammu and Kashmir with special reference to its special status and importance of Article 35-A of Indian Constitution. Various members of Jammu Bar expressed their views for strengthening and retention of Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution.
Senior Advocate and Former President Bar Association Jammu A.V. Gupta vociferously urged for retention of Special Status of the State and said any tinkering with Article 35-A would have serious repercussions. The former Bar President lamented those elements who are misguiding the masses about the benefits of Article 35-A. He further said that State of Jammu & Kashmir is a backward State with meager resources including employment opportunities and the biggest causality of scrapping of Article-35-A will be the educated unemployed youth of the State. He further urged that J&K is the only State in India which enjoys a Constitutional Guarantee to free Education from Primary to Post Graduation Education and also includes professional education like Engineering and Medical Education.
K.K. Pangotra Former Assistant Solicitor General of India (ASGI) while expressing his views stated that tinkering with Article 35-A will amount to Constitutional blunder and will create further divide in the State of J&K. Pangotra urged that the matter is sub-judice in the Apex Court and propriety demands that all the parties must await the verdict of the Supreme Court.
Advocate M.R. Qureshi (Former MLC) highlighted the importance of Article 35-A and strongly urged for its retention in view of the Special Status of the State under Indian Constitution. Qureshi advocated mass awareness so that the permanent residents are informed about the benefits arising out of Article 35-A.
Former AAG Ahsan Mirza strongly advocated the retention of Article 35-A and presented a historical prospective of the Special Status of the State and urged the Central Government to await the final outcome of the litigation. He also appealed the masses to maintain brotherhood and to defeat the nefarious designs of those who want to create unrest in the Society.
In his presidential remarks noted lawyer S.C. Gupta appealed the masses to remain united at this crucial juncture and not to be mislead by those who are trying to create wedge amongst different sections of the Society over Article 35-A of Indian Constitution. Sr. AAG Gupta vehemently urged that the issue of accession of the State to India should not be examined in the perspective of religious lines. The retention of the provisions is not a benefit to the majority community in the State. It defines the relationship between State and India. The introduction of such provisions was the outcome of the special conditions prevailing at the time and any decision for their alteration lies with the people of the State and none else.
Others who were present in the meeting include Advocates Shamas-ud-Din Shaaz, Ahtsham Hussain Bhat, A.A. Khan, M.A. Shah, Yasser Khan and Mohd. Zulkarnain Chowdhary.
Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed conducted the proceedings of the meeting.
