Kashmir parties criticize Indian government for introducing domicile order

The Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari demanded that the domicile law must be put in abeyance till coronavirus pandemic is over.

The Indian government has now presented a new law spelling out domicile of Jammu and Kashmir and who is eligible for jobs in the region.

According to the international news agency, The order — Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (adaptation of state laws) order 2020 — issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of J&K, comes into force with immediate effect. The domiciles under the order have been defined under the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment) Act.

Under the law, the domiciles have been defined as those who have resided for 15 years in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir or have studied for seven years and appeared in Class 10/12 examination in educational institutions located in what is now a union territory.

The Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari took a strong exception central government order defining domicile law for Jammu and Kashmir.

He said, “It is most unfortunate that such an important order has been issued at a time when the whole country is battling for its survival and is under strict lockdown to stem the spread of deadly Coronavirus disease. While JKAP had been vehemently demanding Domicile Rights on land and jobs for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the order issued by the union government reflects a casual exercise carried out at bureaucratic level without taking aspirations and expectations of people into consideration,”

He said that the domicile order must be put in abeyance till the country succeeds in handling coronavirus pandemic.

He added,“This Order in its entirety is a casual attempt, cosmetic in nature, to hoodwink the people of Jammu and Kashmir who genuinely believed that post-October 31, 2019 their rights and privileges in the matter of employment and other rights would remain as it had been,”

 He continued that the gazette notification regarding domicile rule for J & K is not immune to any judicial review, being the government sent the order and not a law made in the parliament. “non-Gazetted, Gazetted posts in the service and admissions to professional colleges, a tangible legal and constitutional mechanism was supposed to be put in place to safeguard and protect these privileges of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who had been the permanent residents of J&K,”

 The president also demanded discussions with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir be conducted at the proper time to remove these irregularities.