Srinagar, Jul 30 (KNS): Twenty seven bodies of trade and industry in Kashmir on Monday announced a joint program to protest against the attempts to abrogate article 35 A and appealed Supreme Court of India to dismiss petitions seeking abrogation of article 35 A. They also announced their full support to the call for shutdown announced by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) for August 6 and 7 already.
Addressing a press joint press conference in Srinagar the leaders of Kashmir’s  27 bodies of trade and Industry  said ‘to exhibit our unity in protesting the attempted onslaught on our hereditary state subject law.  We are accompanied by the representatives from cross section of the society comprising the civil society formations including business chambers and federations, transporters, tourism fraternity, horticulturists, industrialists, academia and other social, religious and cultural organizations.
Saying that state subject laws have been under attack ever since a PIL was filed by RSS backed NGO “We the Citizens” and admitted by the supreme court of India challenges the validity of Article 35-A of Indian constitution, the leaders said “ Article 35-A affords a protective shield to the hereditary state subject law of Jammu and Kashmir that is in existence since 1927. After admission of this petition, the Supreme Court also took cognizance of 4 other petitions filed by various groups and individuals and clubbed all these with the main petition”
Stating that Article 35-A was enacted in the constitution of India in the year 1954 and since then several petitions were filed by different groups and individuals to challenge this Act, the leaders said “ all such petitions would get dismissed before their admission by the Supreme Court only because of the prompt and appropriate defense by successive Governments at New Delhi, but this time a situation has arised when Government of India has bizarrely  declined to defend their own provision of the constitution as it has not filed any Counter to the said PIL”.
Stating that the incumbent central government refusing to file a counter affidavit shows its complicity in the attempt of removing or tinkering with the Article 35 A, the leaders said“We wish to inform the general public that if the said Article is removed or tinkered with, then the rights of original citizens of Jammu and Kashmir on their immovable property and other such rights would be taken away and all Indians would be afforded a right to establish their settlements in length and breadth of the state pushing away the original citizens”
Saying that the purpose behind this PIL is devious to change the demographic character of Jammu Kashmir and alter the nature of dispute that is internationally recognized, the leaders said that since the resistance against the attempted onslaught is very much justified, the hereditary state subject law of Jammu and Kashmir shall be protected at any cost even on the lives of the citizens and no tampering with this law would ever be tolerated.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Declaring that the powers that be are hereby put on notice to take all necessary steps to get the nefarious PIL filed by RSS backed NGO dismissed at the earliest in order to save themselves from its political ramifications and consequences, the leaders said ‘protection of article 35 A is related to the life and death of the people of Jammu Kashmir and we all are ready to spill our blood to safeguard this law’.  
Saying that the protest of the people of Jammu Kashmir on this issue is in all purposes legal and necessary, the leaders said ‘ twenty seven bodies of trade and industry in Kashmir unanimously charted out a strategy and program to contest the onslaught on article 35 A  and shall be followed by individual organizations initially till 6Th of August 2018, the day of hearing. The leaders also announce their full support to the call of shutdown given by JRL on 5th and 6th of August 2018.

Trading bodies who attend the joint pressers are:-

1) Kashmir chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI)

2) Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF Y)

3) Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA Y)

4) Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA F)

5) Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF R)

6) Federation chamber of Industry of Kashmir (FCIK M)

7) Jammu Kashmir Socio Economic Coordination committee (JKSECC)

8) Kashmir economic forum (KEF)

9) Jammu and Kashmir contractors’ coordination committee

10) Kashmir Center for social and development studies (KCSDS)

11)  J & K JCCOPS

12) Kashmir valley fruit growers/ Dealers union

13) Western bus service

14) Haji-Pir transport company

15) Kashmir Motor drivers Association. (KMD)

16) Western motor transport company

17) New Kashmir Transport Company

18) Star Transport Company.

19) Tourist Taxi Operators Association.

20) Joint coordination committee of taxi Associations Parimpora

21) All Kashmir auto Riskshaw drivers Association.

22) Kashmir hotel and restaurant association

23) JK Hoteliers Club

24) Associated Chamber of commerce and Industries Kashmir (CCIK)

25) House boat owners Association

26) Batamaloo Traders Association.

27) All traders joint coordination committee Batamaloo.