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Student parties at odds over J&K Bill

CHANDIGARH: Six of Panjab University’s left-leaning student political parties — ASA, SFI, SFS, AISA, PSU (Lalkar), and Sath — united at the Student Centre to register their dissent over the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019.

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5

Six of Panjab University’s left-leaning student political parties — ASA, SFI, SFS, AISA, PSU (Lalkar), and Sath — united at the Student Centre to register their dissent over the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019.

Meanwhile, right-leaning student political wing ABVP was in favour of the Bill, which will bifurcate the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature and Ladakh without one.

In a span of 15 minutes, the slogan-raising spat between the left and right-leaning parties heated up and the Chandigarh Police had to intervene. While the ABVP distributed sweets and flashed the Indian flag, the leaders of left parties took turns, giving passionate speeches citing revolutionaries as they informed the audience about the repercussion of revoking Article 370 in Kashmir.

Forceful occupation of Kashmir, says SFS

The SFS representatives said they stood with Kashmiri people and against the undemocratic abrogation of Article 370. “The Indian state has unveiled the fangs of open dictatorship of Communal nationalism. By abrogating Article 370, India has illegally occupied Kashmiri land by strangulating the Kashmiri struggle for right to self-determination. In this struggle, thousands have been murdered, tortured, raped, encountered, disappeared and detained illegally,” they stated.

The members stated: “History shows that Indian nationalism is to brutally and militarily crush the aspirations of linguistic nationalities and religious minorities. By abrogating Article 370, they want to grab Kashmiri land and hand it over to their land mafia friends and corporates.”

Undemocratic: SFI

Abhilash Rajkhowa, president, Students Federation of India (SFI), PU, said: “This wouldn’t solve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Instead, will worsen the atmosphere in the state.” Punjab SFI General Secretary Prabhpreet Singh said: “The decision of the government has defaced the democratic image of India.” He demanded a peaceful coordination among people in the country. The SFI criticised the ABVP for their “unparliamentarily” actions.

AISA concerned

Slamming Modi government’s actions in the past week, the AISA claimed that the government has sent 35,000 fresh troops to the Valley, which is already the world’s most militarised zone. “In addition, Opposition politicians have been placed under house arrest, the Internet has been shut down, petrol sales have been stopped, and the CRPF has taken over police stations. There are widespread apprehensions that these measures are a prelude to an attack on Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status,” stated AISA.

Raising concern over Articles 370 and 35A, the party said, “Any such attempt to mess with the constitutional status of J&K or to trifurcate the state without the consent of the State Assembly would be thoroughly unconstitutional and illegal.”


ABVP all praise for Centre

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a meeting to praise the Centre’s decision to abolish Article 370 of Constitution. Slogans such a ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ were raised. “When the nation is celebrating the moment, the Students for Society (SFS) raised slogans against India. From today’s incident, it has again become evident that the Students for Society supports Pakistan and China and their evil designs against India,” said Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members. “Now, any citizen of the country will be able to purchase property in Jammu and Kashmir. The state will no longer have a separate flag or dual citizenship,” they rejoiced. Party members said: “People of other states could not vote here nor could they be candidates in elections. Also, Hindu-Sikh minorities do not get 16 per cent reservation in Kashmir. With the removal of Article 370, minorities will get the benefit of reservation there also. The Centre will be able to implement its own law there, including the Right To Information Act and CAG. Also, any citizen of the country can now get a job in Jammu and Kashmir. When marrying a man from another state, the rights of a girl will not be taken away,” they shared.


‘Can’t win us by force’

“We are totally against the government decision and this sentiment is reverberating across the Valley. Revoking Article 370 is a black law applied on Kashmir without any consent from residents. This is may have adverse ramifications. Even Kashmiri Pundits are resisting the decision at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. While there is a provision in the Constitution that empowers the President to revoke the Article, there’s another provision stating that the state Assembly must be present when such a law is passed. This government cannot win us by force. Since yesterday, I have had no connection with my family in Kashmir. Fearing the backlash that was unleashed after the Balakot attack, Kashmiri students in across the country are taking a diplomatic stance so that they aren’t beaten up. — Faheem Ud Din Dar, chairman, J&K Student Organisation

A UT without legislature

This is a historic achievement for Ladakh under the NDA Government. Union Territory (UT) status for Ladakh was a long-pending demand. People were approaching the Centre to make it a UT with legislature. Many people sacrificed their life fighting for the UT status for Ladakh. Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a great leader, envisioned Ladakh with a UT status. Some people are happy with the Centre’s decision, but others are against it because earlier, outsiders were prohibited from buying land or property in Ladakh. Funds for the region will now be directly granted by the Centre, but as a UT without legislation, we come indirectly under Jammu and Kashmir. —Thinlay Norboo, president, Ladakh Student Association, Chandigarh 

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