Srinagar: President Kashmir Law Circle Sajad Farooq Rather has slammed the central government for redefining domicile rules for government jobs in Jammu & Kashmir and sought immediate revocation of the domicile order issued in haste. Saying that “ people have huge apprehensions over the new law obviously increasing all possibilities of a demographic change here in Jammu & Kashmir and henceforth the promise to safeguard some of the basic rights of the permanent residents made by the Government of India with the people of Jammu & Kashmir has not been kept”.
The Kashmir Law Circle President also questioned the priorities of the central government, saying “while it should ideally be focusing on fighting the coronavirus pandemic this time as the entire world is passing through a strict lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the central government the central government has choosen issue notifications and amendments to hurt the sentiments of people of J&K, which is totally unacceptable”.
“How cruel the law is for the people of J&K, when it paves the way for a person, from anywhere in India, having studied here for 7 years or so, to claim domicile? Is it possible for a student studying in other states to have a similar stake there?” said Sajad, adding that “the central government is starting a “domicile dole-out mela in J&K”. He demand immediate revocation of the domicile order till a new government takes charge after restoration of statehood or the supreme gives its judgment on Article 35 A over the petitions filed against the scrapping of state subject law and special status of the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state.
Under the new definition of domicile for Jammu and Kashmir, a person residing here for at least 15 years will now be eligible for government jobs.
