A day before the week-long visit of Union ministers to Jammu and Kashmir, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (J&KPCC) on Friday passed a resolution, demanding restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and constitutional protection for employment and owning of land for people of the union territory.
The meeting, attended by 230 members including former Congress legislators, officer bears and workers, was held under the leadership senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni.
J&KPCC chief G.A. Mir told THE WEEK that the meeting was attended by members in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
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He said it adopted a four-point resolution, calling for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, constitutional protection to jobs and owning of land by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, release of all political prisoners and creating conducive atmosphere for the revival of political activity.
“The BJP government should amend the Reorganisation Act under which it bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir to ensure constitutional protection to jobs and owning of property by the people of Jammu and Kashmir,’’ Mir told THE WEEK. “Rather than sending feelers like withdrawal of the recent advertisement seeking application for filling vacancies in Jammu and Kashmir or issuing circulars, we want the Centre government to introduce an amendment in the Parliament like they did on August 5 to provide constitutional guarantee to jobs and owing of land for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Asked whether Congress was demanding status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 371, he said, “No, Jammu and Kashmir had a special status in the Constitution. It needs special constitutional guarantees for people to have jobs and own land.”
He said the Centre should also announce compensation for the losses people have incurred after the abrogation of Article 37 and pointed out that livelihood, business, trade, tourism have suffered following the government move.
“No other state suffers like us,’’ the JK&PCC chief said. “So we need extraordinary constitutional guarantees for job and land.”