EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 10: The issue of Jammu and Kashmir Permanent Resident (Disqualification) Bill seems to be heading for another major controversy in the State with Bar Association Jammu deciding to launch a crusade against the government's purported move to strip women of permanent resident-ship if they marry a man from outside the state.
Describing the Bill as "anti-Jammu" and "anti-women," all lawyers under the banner of Bar Association Jammu (BAJ) has decided to suspend their work in all courts including High Court tomorrow.
"This is quite arbitrary a move that bars the women of state to have a marriageable access outside the state while the entire country is celebrating over the Women Reservation Bill getting thumping approval in the Rajya Sabha," said Sunil Sethi, the BAJ president who is to spearhead the strike tomorrow.
He said that by proposing such offer in the State Legislative council by the PDP MLC Murtaza Khan, the party has shown its intentions clear by putting impediments on the freedom of women which is very unfortunate.
"So far, we have called for a day long token strike after which the future strategy would be chalked out. We are also contemplating to approach all social and political organization to oppose this move," Sethi maintained.
The bill introduced by a member of PDP pertaining to disqualification of Permanent resident-ship of state in case a female resident from J&K married to non-resident of State and termination of marriage of a non-resident female with a permanent resident male of J&K state. It was alleged that Govt allowed the member to present the bill.
It is worthwhile to mention here a Full Bench of the J&K High Court at Jammu comprising three Judges allowed the petitions filed by the Women of State who married with non-resident of the state. This Landmark judgment was pronounced on October 7, 2002. According to the Secretary BAJ Rajesh Thappa, the further course of action will be decided in a meeting of the Bar Association which will held on March 11, 2010.
The Bill was passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on March 5, 2004. There had been hostile reactions from virtually all the political parties. The discontent centered around women of the State losing their right to alienate or sell their property to others or pass it on by inheritance if they married a non-Kashmiri.
The bill had also threatened the very existence of the Peoples Democratic Party-Congress coalition government in 2004.