Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 25: Strongly advocating for abrogation of Article 370, former RSS Prant Pracharak J&K and directorate J&K Study Centre, Arun Kumar today said that this Article has created psychological barriers between people of the State and rest of country and put hurdles in the implementation of progressive laws enacted by Parliament of the India from time to time in this border State.
Mr Kumar, who was speaking at a seminar on Article 370 organized by J&K Study Centre here today, said that campaign has been launched in the State to apprise its 1.20 crore people that instead of serving their interest, the special status has been a barrier in implementation of progressive laws to the State.
While ridiculing the advocates of the Article 370, he said that it has been a discriminatory Article towards the down trodden people of the State, women, West Pak refugees, OBCs, SC & STs.
These people have been deprived of national programmes and policies as well as the Constitutional 73 and 74 Amendment which was meant for empowerment of the basic institutes of democracy have not been implemented in the State till date, he added.
He said the campaign has already been launched over three years back in the State by the Study Centre and 2014 will be a year of national discussion on Article 370 which is nothing except an additional legislative mechanism for exploiting the people by some politicians having vested interests.
He said it is a discrimination towards the women especially those who marry outside as they are deprived of the right to property in the State.
Arun Kumar cited three causes for J&K problem one that it is misquoted, second it has been mishandled and the third that it has been miscarried over the years.
Speaking at the Seminar noted lawyer Sunil Sethi said that Article 370 has not given any benefit to the State but harmed the cause of its people.
Citing an example he said every State has given 15 percent seats in MBBS in Central Pool but the J&K has rejected the same on the pretext of Article 370 with the result the students of this State can’t apply for 25,000 MBBS seats all over India. This is one of the biggest draw backs of this Article, he added.
He said, besides the 125 CRPC Act meant for the welfare of the women has not been implemented in the State because of this Article. Hence this Article is totally discriminatory against the women of the State, he added.
Mr Sethi said the only benefit of this Article is that it is the psychological barrier between India and the State. This Article is against the Article 368 dealing with Constitutional amendments and hence is also against the Parliamentary form of democracy as well as violation of basic structure of Indian Constitution, he added.
Had this Article been so beneficial then other states of the country would have also demanded same provisions in the Constitution, he said, adding it is also violation of Article 21 of Indian Constitution dealing with right to life and liberty as West Pak refugees have been denied rights in this State because of the special status.
Renowned writer Daya Sagar also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the various intricacies of the Article which have harmed the cause of the people of the State and put it into backwardness by debarring outsider investors and industrialists to invest in the State.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Gautam Mengi.
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