Pulwama: Days after the Government of India (GoI) notified land laws, paving the way for any citizen of India to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Bar Association of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district says it “vehemently condemns the move”.
The association, according to Gen Secretary Bar Association Pulwama, Bashir Ahmad Rather, is also observing a complete strike and abstaining from regular work.
“Upon the recent amendment in J and K land acts, which is an unacceptable and against the interests of people of JK, Bar Association Pulwama vehemently condemns the same and bar association Pulwama is on complete strike and abstains from regular work. Matter most sensitive needs to be followed in letter and spirit,” reads a statement issued on October 31, 2020.
On October 27, the Home Ministry of India stated that the order will be called the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020, Times Now reported.
The General Clauses Act, 1897 applies for the interpretation of this Order as it applies for the interpretation of laws in force in the territory of India, the order stated.
With the abrogation of Article 370, the act re-constituted the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ and ‘Ladakh’.
On August 5, 2019, the Government of India had unanimously removed Article 370.
The Parliament of India had in August last year adopted a resolution to abrogate Article 370, and passed a Bill to bifurcate the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, controlled directly by the Government of India.
Article 370 granted Jammu and Kashmir autonomy, and its scrapping was done as all Kashmiri political representatives were kept under detention, communication in Kashmir was blacked out, and thousands were imprisoned.
The removal of Article 370 has made concrete the fears of demographic change in the Muslim majority region of Kashmir, as laws regarding land ownership and citizenship have been changed by the Government of India controlled administration.
Lately, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir would be restored as soon as the situation warrants, and asked the representatives to not believe any rumours.
On July 3, BJP’s General Secretary Ram Madhav said that party’s JK unit is of the opinion that statehood should be given back to the erstwhile state when the time is favourable.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown is being observed Pulwama district over the new land laws announced by the government of India.
Eyewitnesses said that all the shops and other business establishments remained are closed in the district and public traffic is off the roads.
Earlier, All Parties Hurriyat Conference headed by house-arrested chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, senior leaders Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone and Masroor Abbas Ansari asked the people to peacefully observe a shutdown on Saturday October 31, 2020.
“To register strong resentment against these anti-JK people laws, and demanding their immediate withdrawal, people will peacefully observe a shutdown on Saturday, October 31, 2020,” APHC said.
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