The fear that Article 35A would be struck down by the SC has united regions separatist organisations, trade and other civil society groups, with all of them vowing to "fight till the last drop of blood" if any attempts were made to tinker with the law. The joint resistance leadership, in its statement on Saturday, reiterated their call for a shutdown on Sunday and Monday. Leaders and activists of the PDP and the National Conference also hit the streets to safeguard the provision. Earlier in the day, the J&K Joint Coordination Committee of Private Schools organised a peaceful demonstration at Lal Chowk to show its support for the protection of Article 35A.

PDP leaders take out a march in support of Article 35A in Srinagar on Saturday.

The Kashmir valley is on the edge amid stern warnings and calls for protests over the uncertain fate of Article 35A as a petition seeking its repeal is up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday.

The fear that the law, which provides special status to the state and bars non-residents from purchasing property in the state, will be abrogated or tinkered has stoked threat of an agitation and united the parties and organisation across the political and economic spectrum.

The banners and posters warning against the abrogation of the law have come up across the region and have been posted on shop fronts, autorickshaws and cabs. “You can kill us but not Article 35A,” read one poster pasted on a cab in the city here.

The possibility of the repeal of the law has also trickled down the economically lower strata of the society, which fear the abrogation of Article 35A will mean “everyone losing everything”.

“It is not a matter of a few people, it concerns us all,” an autorickshaw driver in the city said. “If they do anything with it, we have to be ready for a long protest,” he said.

Article 35A grants special privileges and rights to the permanent residents of J&K and debars non-residents from buying land or property, getting government jobs, or voting in the state Assembly elections.

The law is at the centre of a brewing storm since a petition filed in the Supreme Court to seek its repeal is up for hearing on Monday. The separatist groups in the region have called for a two-day shutdown, which begins on Sunday, in support of the law.

Apart from separatist political groups, mainstream parties have also expressed strong resentment over the possibility of abrogation of Article 35A and on Saturday, two key mainstream groups — National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party — held protests in the region.

“An assault on Article 35A is a direct assault on the state’s special status and won’t be tolerated at any cost,” Ali Mohammad Sagar of the National Conference said.

State to seek deferment of case today

Amid protests by the NC and PDP in favour of Article 35A , the J&K Government has requested the Supreme Court to defer the August 6 hearing on petitions challenging the controversial provision in view of the upcoming panchayat and urban local body polls in the state. In a letter written to the Supreme Court Registry, the state government’s counsel M Shoeb Alam said he would be seeking adjournment of the case on Monday, “on account of the ongoing preparations for the upcoming panchayat elections.” TNS

Courtesy: The Tribune: 05 Aug 2018