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| Post Article 370: Ushering In New Era of Growth & Development in J&K | | |
Md. Shafeeq
On 5th August 2019, Union Home Minister announced in the parliament, the introduction of the bill for the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir leading to the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Article 370 had proved to be an inhibitor for the growth and development of the region and with its annulment, the region is witnessing a rapid pace of all-round growth and development. Several indicators are showing the region is witnessing a fast pace of all-round growth.
The newly carved union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an unprecedented level of growth and development in multiple sectors since the abrogation of article 370. In the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir the women, deprived classes and other backward castes of the society were subjected to inhuman behavior and were deprived of even the basic rights.
The property rights of the individual in the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir were heavily biased against the women. Women in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, if married outside the state were deprived of all the property rights. Even her citizenship was annulled once she had married outside the state. One of the major advantages of the abrogation of the Article-370 has been the unshackling of the chains of bondage of women of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
With the scrapping of the controversial Article-370 by the Government of India on 05th August 2020, the women would no longer be deprived of their property rights in J&K if they get married to a non-resident. Article 35A, which emanated from Article 370, prohibited them, till the abrogation of the article, to be property owners if they marry an outsider. Article 35A also empowered the J&K government to decide who could be a ‘permanent resident.’ Only a permanent resident could acquire land, get a government job, settle in the state, etc.
The refugees from the West Pakistan were deprived of the citizens and were not issued the permanent resident certificate (PRC) of the state. Similarly the sanitation workers brought in the state in 1953 to quell protests were also deprived of their citizenship rights. Both of these sections of the society were unable to get employment in the state and were also deprived of the admission into the state run educational institutions due to being deprived of the citizenship of the state. The announcement of the Government of India of abrogating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution ushered in a new ray of hope for the refuges form West Pakistan. With the abrogation of the Article 370, their long pending demand of being given the citizenship of Jammu and Kashmir was finally fulfilled.
The severe discrimination against the refuges of West Pakistan in the field of Jobs, employment, education, government schemes which was perpetuated by the Article-370 is now a thing of the past. With the abrogation of the controversial Article, these people can now avail the benefits of the Central reservation reserved for the people belonging to the Scheduled and other backward castes from which they had been deprived till now.
Also, the refugees from West Pakistan are now having an equal right over the employment opportunities in the Union territory of Jammu Kashmir which wasn’t the case till Article-370 existed. These developments will further motivate the younger generation to have high hopes and aspirations from their careers. They can now avail the vast opportunities especially in the field of education, employment and other avenues for the betterment of their future.
The abrogation of A-370 has ushered in an era of new possibilities and opportunities for the refugees from West Pakistan. For the first time since their displacement, they are made to believe themselves as being equal citizens of the land on which they live and work. “Sky is the Limit” for the new generation youth of the West Pakistan refuges as the chains of the bondage has been finally unshackled and their wings have been set free to live the life of their dreams.
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution barred any outsider to acquire property in the state. Citizenship was denied to any outsiders irrespective of the numbers of years he had spent in the state. By imposing such restrictions, Article-370 made people like Ram Prasad more susceptible to exploitation. Being denied the rights to acquire property in the state let to sense of alienation among the people coming from outside.
Social science experts have also maintained that among several drawbacks of the Article 370, the most under talked has been the threat it posed to the fabric of social inclusion. “When an individual from outside Jammu Kashmir and living in J&K is discriminated against, he is bound to carry the sentiment back to his own village”, observed an expert from Jammu region.
Similarly the heavily restrictive land laws restricted the free flow of investment from the rest of the country into Jammu and Kashmir. The region, thus, missed an opportunity to be a part of India’s growth story. With the implementation of the Central laws in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Right To Education (RTE) shall be applicable in the region thus allowing the children belonging to the deprived sections of the society to have access to high quality education free of cost.
Abrogation of the article provides an opportunity for the youth of the state to be a partner in the growth of the state by taking advantage of the immense opportunities which have now been made available in the region. |
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