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| 'Our dreams will be fulfilled' | | Abrogation of Article 370 late but right decision, says Valmiki Community | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 10: Welcoming Union Government's decision of scarping several provisions of Article 370 and 35A, the marginalised Valmiki community hoped better tomorrow for their children and coming generations.
Fed up with the discriminatory Article 370 and 35A the community had also challenged both these Laws in top court of the country. However, the decision of the Court yet to come, but the Centre through presidential order passed new bill of scraping both Laws in Parliament and the Rajya Sabha. Glad with Modi Government's decision the leaders of the Valmiki Community said the revocation of draconian Law by the Centre has opened doors of happiness for the community.
Valmiki Samaj president Garu Bhatti said that it was like a dream come true for us. "We thank Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for providing us and our children opportunity to prosper as a community, which was virtually untouchable in J&K", he said, adding that Valmikis were brought to J&K by the government to quell a union protest and clean streets were suffering discrimination since 1957.
"It ends the 62-year-long spell of injustice to us," said Bhatti, a euphoric Valmiki youth, celebrating the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, which allowed only state subjects to buy and own land and take up government jobs.
"I wanted to become a lawyer. However, the resident certificate was required for legal practice. Now, I do odd contract jobs, "said Eklavya, son of one such safai karmchari, who migrated from Punjab to J&K decades ago.
"We have challenged the discrimination on the pretext of Article 370 and 35A in the Supreme Court the matter was sub-judice, but we are glad that the Centre Government rescued us from the un-ending slavery of J&K Government", he said.
Thomas Gill, a graduate, said that in absence of PCR he could not continue his further study. "I now happy, and I will keep continue by study and like me many other will pursue their further study, as major barrier that prevent us from our rights has finally been removed forever", he said.
It pertinent to mention here that the revocation of provisions of Article 370 has given hope to over 3,000 Valmiki community members, who live on the land allocated to their ancestors brought from Punjab by J&K government in 1957 but was denied state's 'subjectship' and entailing rights. |
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