Domicile for ‘outsiders’ in J&K raises eyebrows

Tribune News Service

Jammu/ Srinagar, June 28

The Jammu and Kashmir Administration’s decision to grant domicile certificates to “outsiders” living in the state has snowballed into a controversy, with opposition parties objecting to the decision.

The Congress became the third party after the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party to oppose what they have called “morally and ethically wrong” move.

Congress vice-president GN Monga said the new domicile rules went against the wishes and aspirations of the people of J&K.

“The government must wait till the Supreme Court decides on the petitions challenging abrogation of Article 370,” he said, adding that the court’s decision on petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to read down Articles 370 and 35A were still pending. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is the working president of the National Conference, has already announced his party’s stand on the domicile rules, adding that there would be people on “both sides of Pir Panjal” who will suffer because of it.

“All our misgivings about the new domicile rules in J&K are coming to the fore. We in @JKNC_ opposed the changes because we could see the nefarious design behind the changes. The people of J&K on both sides of the Pir Panjal will be the sufferers of the domicile rules,” Omar had tweeted. The UT Administration’s recent decision to issue the domicile certificate to Navin K Choudhary, a senior bureaucrat, once again sparked a debate over the controversial domicile rules. Choudhary, an IAS officer of J&K cadre from the 1994 batch, is originally from Bihar. A day after Kashmiri Pandit leader and spokesman of the Lok Janshakti Party Sanjay Saraf raised objections over the issuance of domicile certificates, a body of displaced Pandits on Sunday demanded stopping of the process of issuing these certificates. They said the government should first bring back Pandits who were displaced after the eruption of militancy, three decades ago.

“We demand stopping of the issuance of domicile certificates until the Kashmiri Pandits are not rehabilitated in the Valley. It seems that the Centre is busy pleasing non-residents and other refugees at the cost of Kashmiri Pandits. The present government had said the migrant and displaced Kashmiri Pandits would be rehabilitated in 10 districts of the Valley. But so far, there has been no action in this regard. We demand that the Centre immediately come out with the Kashmiri Pandit Rehabilitation Policy,” said Satish Mahaldar, chairman, Reconciliation, Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrant Kashmiri Pandits.

Stating that issuing domicile certificates to the outsiders before rehabilitating them was violation of democratic, constitutional and humanitarian rights, Mahaldar said, “Our Fundamental Rights and constitutional rights have been denied since the past 31 years and issuing domicile certificates before settling us back is a violation of all basic constitutional and human rights.”