Victims of Article 35A hopeful of ‘decisive steps’ this time

JAMMU: Unfazed by the threat of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti over Article 35A, Radhika Gill, 19, a Dalit girl who has challenged the constitutional validity of the provision in the apex court, regretted that politicians were brazenly indulging into “cheap politics” to deprive marginalised sections of the fundamental rights.

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 28

Unfazed by the threat of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti over Article 35A, Radhika Gill, 19, a Dalit girl who has challenged the constitutional validity of the provision in the apex court, regretted that politicians were brazenly indulging into “cheap politics” to deprive marginalised sections of the fundamental rights.

“Abrogation of this discriminatory Article is a must to restore dignity and honour of the weaker sections,” Radhika said while reacting to Mehbooba’s warning.

“Instead of looking through a humanitarian angle, the Kashmir-centric parties are issuing threats against ending discrimination with the marginalised and neglected section of society.”

Mehbooba’s warning has evoked a strong reaction among the people affected by Article 35A as they regretted that instead of evolving a consensus on the contentious issue, political parties were fuelling the fire.

“We want to tell the Centre that tinkering with Article 35A will be akin to setting a powder keg on fire,” Mehbooba said, adding, “If any hand tries to touch Article 35A, not only that hand, but that whole body will be burnt to ashes.”

“The demand of abrogation of Article 35A is fight between the haves and have-nots. It is a battle to liberate weaker sections, especially ‘Maha Dalit’ Valmikis from the yoke of slavery,” Radhika said, suggesting that instead of adopting a confrontationist approach, a mechanism should be evolved to end humiliation meted out to the victims.

Echoing similar sentiments, Gharu Bhatti, leader of the Valmiki Samaj, said the ruling elites of J&K were indulging in politics over the Article.

“Instead of indulging in cheap politics to exploit sentiments of gullible masses on the issue, the Kashmir-centric parties should look into the problem through a humanitarian angle so as to restore dignity and honour of the marginalised sections of society,” Labha Ram Gandhi, leader of West Pakistan refugees.

Affected by provision

Over one lakh West Pakistan refugees, a majority of whom are Scheduled Castes and other backward classes living in Jammu since 1947
Valmikis from Punjab living in the Jammu region since 1957 are facing worst slavery due to Article 35A. Deprived of all fundamental rights, highly educated youth of the community are only eligible to be appointed as safai karamcharis
Women who marry outside the state are other victims. Neither husbands of these women nor their children are entitled to get property rights in J&K