Srinagar: As the BJP-led Centre and Jammu and Kashmir’s regional political parties spar over the recent call to boycott local body elections in the state, religious minorities in the Valley have amplified their voices against the possible scrapping of Article 35A.
Though the Valley is home to a number of ethnic and religious groups, leaders and spokespersons of prominent religious minorities that include Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Christians, with whom The Wire spoke to this week, appear to be determined to support Article 35A – a constitutional provision given to J&K that allows the assembly to define the ‘permanent residents’ of the State.
Jagmohan Singh Raina, the chairman of All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee.
“We are Kashmiris, not Punjabis,” said 63-year-old Jagmohan Singh Raina, the chairman of All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC), an organisation that represents nine socio-religious Sikh groups in Kashmir. The total population of the Sikh community in the Valley is around 80,000 and Raina is the point person of the community, which is spread across Kashmir.
In fact, the APSCC was among the first organisation that represents religious minorities in J&K to take the streets to protest what Raina termed as an effort to change Kashmir’s demography. However, the organisation has taken upon itself to make locals aware of the ramifications and fallout resulting from the scrapping of Article 35A.
“An overwhelming number of people in Kashmir are not completely aware of what the Article stands for and I have taken upon myself to let them know what the current controversy is all about. We had recently held multiple seminars in villages as far as Kupwara,” said the Srinagar resident, who owns a gas agency in the Lal Chowk area.
Multiple petitions in India’s apex court have challenged the constitutional validity of Article 35A on the grounds that it was never floated before the parliament and passed by a presidential order in 1954. The main regional parties of the state – the National Conference and the People Democratic Party – have decided to boycott the municipal and panchayat polls until the Centre clears its stand on Article 35A.
On Monday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) joined the boycott call, becoming the first national party to do so and further complicating the situation in the state. Simultaneously, voices of religious minorities are becoming shriller by the day with the next hearing on 35A set for January next year.
Raina, is also part of a civil society group which filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the striking down of Article 35A.
“This won’t be reported much but the movement in support of Article 35A is growing in Jammu. We held a number of meeting there (Jammu) with the bar council, Chamber of Commerce, Dogra Sabha and even the local Gau Raksha Samiti. While the bar council was initially reluctant to meet us, we eventually made all the four groups understand how scrapping the article will effect Jammu more than Kashmir. We will hold our fort in the Valley, but will Jammu be able to do so?,” said Raina.
The activist said that a result of the deliberations, two BJP MLA’s have gone on record supporting Article 35A.
Sanjay Tickoo, president of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS), told The Wire that if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or the BJP thinks that they can win the 2019 general elections by scrapping Article 35A “they were living in a fools paradise”.
“There are two sides to this debate – one which argues that scrapping of article is necessary for total integration of Kashmir with India and the other side thinks that striking down of the article will change Kashmir’s demography. I think both the sides are wrong,” he said. Tickoo is one of the nearly 3,500 Kashmiri Pandits who decided not to leave the Valley at the height of militancy in the early 1990s.
He argued that to change Valley’s demography it would take “1.4 crores Hindus to settle in Kashmir permanently”. “Those who think that Kashmir’s demography can be changed that easily meaning making Muslims the minority in the state are wrong. Instead there can be a flow of Indian Muslims into Kashmir, a situation that might suit India better. There are already seven lakh non Kashmiri labourers in Kashmir, earning their living but does any Kashmiri protests to that. No. Hence the intention behind scrapping the article has to also be understood.It is a misplaced political move taken keeping in mind the 2019 general elections,” he added
Tickoo argues that Article 35A and 370 of the Indian constitution, which grants special autonomous status to the state, have already been diluted in the past 30 years and an abrogation of the same will challenge Kashmir’s accession to India.
“Kashmir’s accession to India was not absolute but a conditional one and everyone must understand what the conditions were which include such articles that safeguard the state subjects of J&K. Unfortunately in last 30 years non state subjects are being given the status of state subjects which has only worsened the political situation in the valley. And now with this matter going to supreme court, I think everyone is playing with fire and there is no attempt to diffuse the simmering tensions,” said the 52-year old businessman.
Tickoo said he has been in constant touch with the Pandit community in the Valley, most of whom live in south Kashmir. “There are some 3542 Pandits in the Valley right now and all of them are anxious. Some have expressed their insecurity, I hope things turn out for the best,” Tickoo added.
His interview with The Wire came a week after he had to issue a press statement after a Hindi news channel reported that there existed a threat to Kashmiri Pandits living in the Kashmir valley.
In his statement Tickoo said said the KPSS strongly believes that the religious minuscule minority (Kashmiri Pandit) who so ever is living in Kashmir Valley is living of his own and the kind of relationship maintained within their respective neighbourhood. “It seems that the news item about life threat to the religious minuscule minority (Kashmiri Pandit) in Kashmir Valley is a hoax pre-planned conspiracy and is aimed to sacrifice the Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir Valley to gain some vested interest political mileage and to distract people’s attention from the issues related to Article 35-A and Article 370,” he said.
Tickoo added that “by sacrificing the religious minuscule minority (Kashmiri Pandit) in Kashmir Valley”, agencies with vested interests wanted to justify the removal of Articles 35A and 370, which “give special status to J&K”.
Reverend Vino Kaul (65) is a senior Priest at Srinagar’s All Saints Church, one of Kashmir oldest church established in 1896. He said the 2,000-member Christian community of Kashmir will “undoubtedly stand with their Kashmiri brethren”.
“We are Kashmiris and will remain so. Not for a minute should anyone think that we will accept any tinkering of Article 35A or 370. These articles have guaranteed the Christian community of Kashmir a life of dignity and safety,” said Kaul. He also added that members of the community have shown similar views whenever the matter has been discussed with him.
“We will stand with out state to fight of any attempts to scrap the article,” Kaul added.
What remains to be seen is whether other national parties will join the call to boycott the polls. For now, the middle ground in Kashmir appears to be fast disappearing.
Azaan Javaid in a Kashmir-based journalist and has previously reported from New Delhi for Hindustan Times, DNA, Deccan Herald, Statesman and Caravan magazine. He has covered Ministry of Home Affairs, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and major crimes in North India.