One minute read. Written by Rajlaxmi Singh – a grade 6 student.

The Government of India has inserted a new domicile Law in Jammu and Kashmir and it has led to protests and disagreements.

What is the law?

According to this law anyone who has been living in the J&K for 15 years, or has studied for seven years and appeared in Class 10 and Class 12 examinations in an educational institution located in the Union Territory is seen as a domicile. Domicile in this case means a permanent resident of a place by law.

This law has come eight months after the removal of Article 370 from Kashmir – basically under this Article, land and jobs in Jammu and Kashmir were only for people with permanent residents. Now with the new law, anyone who becomes a domicile (with the above reasons) can buy land and work in this region.

The tweaked law says that no person shall be eligible for appointment to a post carrying a pay scale of not more than Rs 25,500 unless he is a domicile of Jammu and Kashmir.

The public of Jammu and Kashmir is rising to revolt against this.

The home ministry order also revised the Jammu and Kashmir Property Rights to Slum Dwellers Act. References to “permanent residents” were eradicated from the law, making it easier for immigrant slum dwellers to gain property rights in the J&K.

This law is also not appreciated by the political leaders and top politicians in the J&K. Omar Abdullah, tweeted, “Talk about suspect timing. At a time when all our efforts and attentions should be focused on #COVID outbreak, the government slips a new domicile law for J&K. Insult is heaped on injury when we see the law offers none of the protection that had been promised.”

J&K Peoples Democratic Party has to say that the domicile law as it appears is not only trying to shake the boundaries of an already existing state, but it is also trying to give rise to massive problems for the residents of J&K. The Hindu refers to this as a ‘Political Fire Storm’.

However, the law is in recognition with the similar laws in force all over the country and tries to bring homogeneity in J&K. It is a step towards integrating J&K into the country on a common pedestal. It also serves justice to the immigrants living in the J&K.

Written by Rajlaxmi Singh
Rajlaxmi is a grade 6 student. She loves painting in acrylic colours. She also loves jungles and has done some wildlife photography. She likes to click blooming flowers. She calls herself a friends person and is comfortable with herself.

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