A group of lawyers, civil society members and religious scholars from Kashmir are holding meetings with their counterparts in Jammu to persuade them to make efforts to safeguard the special status of the state.
According to a statement issued here, a spokesman said that the members of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Coordination Committee (JKCSCC) from Kashmir including Adv GN Saheen, Muzaffar Shah, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, Adv Mir Javed, Jogmohan Singh Raina and Adv Yasmeen are on visit to Jammu and have met people including Gulchain Singh Charak, members of displaced community led by Sardar Joginder Singh Raina, Jammu Muslim Front Shuja Zaffar, Suhail Kazimi editor Taskeen Group of Publication, Kashmir Times Editor ,Promodh Jamwal, Jammu Bar Association president, BS Salathia, State BJP president Sat Sharma, former MP Sheikh Abdul Rehman, JKHLA president ID Khajuria, and Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Rakesh Gupta.
The spokesman said that during the meetings , the members of JKCSCC urged their counterparts in Jammu to make unanimous efforts to bring down hostilities between India and Pakistan.
The spokesman said that in the meetings it was resolved that it is imperative upon India and Pakistan to address the Kashmir issue and resolve it through peaceful and democratic means.
He said that during the meetings it was also said that Jammu and Kashmir has special constitutional arrangement with the Union of India in terms of article 370 and 35A. “Nevertheless the nature and scope of Art 370 is eroded none else than by its proponents i.e. the respective governments lead by Indian National Congress in India and present Government led by Prime Minister Narindra Modi seems to ruin the rubble by disturbing Art 35A and play with the reminiscence of Art 370,” the spokesman quoting the minutes of the meetings said.
During the meetings, the spokesman said, it also said that attempts to disturb or tinker with the Art 35A have united the people of Jammu and Kashmir in all the three regions. “We all stand in defense of Art 35A irrespective of our political believes, religious, denominations, ethnic, classification and regional destinations. Let us suggest do not play with it. Do not make a mistake of it. The future of J&K is at stake,” the members of JKCSCC, as per the spokesman, told the Jammu participants.
The spokesman said that the Jammu-based participants were told that Modi-led government was “attempting to further dilution of Art 370 and abrogate 35A”. “But, there is almost unanimity among all political sections, social, cultural, and economic organizations that article 35A should be maintained till final resolution of the Kashmir dispute.”
He said that the members of JKCSCC have said that during their meeting with political heads of various organizations it transpired that all in principle agreement to protect the Art 35A and are “ready meet all the challenges to defend the special provisions”.
He said that the members in continuation of its efforts to seek larger consensus shall now meet its second phase with the heads of freedom organizations in Jammu and Kashmir and cross section of people of Jammu region.
He said that the JKCSCC demands full cooperation and support of all to protect article 35A till final resolution of Kashmir dispute.
Kashmiri Civil Society members meet Jammu counterparts to build consensus over defending JK’s Special Status
