Amarnath Yatra cancelled over separatist protest ahead of SC hearing on Article 35A

In Jammu Kashmir, separatist has come down on the road, as on Monday Supreme Court will hear petitions challenging the validity of Article 35A which empowers J&K state’s legislature to define ‘permanent residents’ of the state and provide special rights to them.

The separatist in the Kashmir are strongly against the cancellation and they have created a sense of fear in the valley. Meanwhile, separatists have also called for a two-day shutdown. The impact of the shutdown is that the government has put a brake on the Amarnath Yatra which is scheduled to leave Jammu today.

Now The question arises is, what is Arcticle 35A? Which has created a havoc in the Kashmir Valley.

Article 35A of the Indian Constitution is an article that empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.

Article 35A allows women in Kashmir to own property. A single woman, a woman married to a state subject or a woman married to a non state subject all can own property. Only a woman married to a non state subject loses her right is she is not resident of the state.

Now, with this there are fears amongst the Kashmiri Separatist Leaders that Kashmir is going to lose the last Traces of its autonomy through the removal of an article 35A in India Constitution.