Article 35A adds to simmering anger in Kashmir: report

Attempts to “undo” Article 35A appears to have added to the “simmering anger” in Kashmir leading to an “increasing distance” between Kashmiris and the rest of India, a high-profile citizens group has claimed.

The Concerned Citizens Group (CCG) led by senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, which had a third round of visit to Kashmir, said the “sense of dismay and despondency in the people had grown” compared to their previous visits.

“The distance between rest of India and the Kashmiri youth but also others seems to have increased. This was evident in the fact that even the people who used to talk reasonably earlier were using the language of the militants and separatists this time,” the report said.

Besides Sinha, those who were part of the three-day visit from August 17 were former Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Executive Director Sushobha Barve and senior journalist Bharat Bhushan.

The CCG said there was all-round opposition to attempts to revoke Article 35A, " which gives special rights for the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

While Kashmiris felt that revoking Article 35A can lead to a demographic change by allowing outsiders to buy property in Kashmir, it said, the "simmering anger" also stemmed from the belief that the Centre was a "passive collaborator'' in the petitions in Supreme Court. They "openly alleged that the judicial attack on Jammu and Kashmir's special status was being stage-managed" by the Centre, it added.

Their argument was that whenever Article 35A was challenged, the Centre used to file a counter-affidavit, but this time, it did not happen. The Centre also left it to the state to defend it.

“A lack of clear answers to these two questions has led people to doubt the Central government’s intentions,” the report said.

On the NIA actions on separatists in terror funding case, the report said there were two sets of reactions with one insisting that accused should come clean on their own.

The report said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message -- Kashmiris need a hug, not abuses or bullets -- have gone down well with a majority of Kashmiris.

"Most of them also said that the PM needed to operationalise the sentiments he had expressed and that his sentiments must be reflected in the situation on the ground. As of now, many of them felt that the government had boxed both the separatists and itself into a corner and there was no one to engage with to resolve the conflict. They said that Kashmiris would be ready for an embrace but they would want something more than words," the report said.