Karnataka, September 09, 2019 (PPI-OT): Speakers at a seminar on Kashmir in Indian state of Karnataka while criticizing the Indian government for converting Jammu and Kashmir into a living prison said that New Delhi has imposed a war on people of the territory.
Kavita Krishnan, Communist Party of India leader, while rejecting the Indian government’s claim about normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir has said that the territory has become a prison. She was sharing her experience during her visit to Kashmir between August 9 to 13 at a day-long seminar titled “Constitution, Democracy and Jammu and Kashmir”, held on Sunday at Jai Bheem Bhavan in Karnataka.
She said the Kashmiris who spoke to her during her visit to Kashmir, expressed their rage saying that Article 370 was like a marriage contract. Now that India has ended the relationship, “they can only keep us through military force”. Kavita termed the blockade that has been imposed for more than a month as a war against people and a human rights violation. She also decried the discussion about Kashmiri women as commodities.
Former Supreme Court’s Judge, Justice V Gopala Gowda stated that the Supreme Court has clarified that Article 370 is a permanent feature of the Constitution, which cannot be unilaterally abrogated. Article 370 was violated in that the mandatory consent of the constitutional assembly was not taken before its amendment.
Mohanraj, leader of the Dalita Sangharsha Samiti (Bheemavada) said that the abrogation of Article 370 is a problem not just for Kashmiris. This is an indication of the government’s lack of respect for the Constitution, he added.
Malavika Prasad, an advocate, said that the change of status of Article 370, under a complete communication blockade, is one of the strongest cases of unconstitutionality. She said that the law is not just about justice, it is about power. Tanveer Ajsi, Arts Professional said that both constitution and democracy as practiced in India have been used as a weapon against Kashmiris by the government and judiciary.
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