Srinagar: NC leader Omar Abdullah Tuesday said Articles 370 and 35-A of the Constitution are of utmost importance for ensuring a safe and secure future for the younger generation of Jammu and Kashmir and any tinkering with the special provisions will have far-reaching consequences.
“The illustrious land-to-tiller stride made by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah which made the poor peasantry of our state the rightful owners of the land which they worked upon was only possible due to Article 370 and Article 35-A,” he said.
Addressing a public meeting in Shopian, where polls will be held on May 6, the National Conference vice president said any attack on these articles will reverse the situation to the pre-1947 era.
“Our people would eventually cease to be the rightful owners of their land, they would cease to be the sole beneficiaries of various scholarship programs and jobs offered in the government sector,” he said.
He said the tribal population of the state would also not escape the consequences of any attack on the special status of the state.
“You won’t be able to draw your sustenance from forests. When we talk of saving Article 370 and Article 35-A, we are talking about our future, our very existence. So it is imperative for you to strengthen the hands of NC candidate for Anantnag constituency Hasnain Masoodi,” he said.
“He has the necessary political acumen to deal with the situation,” he added.