Jammu Dalits made ‘nowhere people’ by Article 35A
A terribly uncertain future stares generations of a 5,000-strong Dalit community residing in Jammu for more than 60 years now, thanks to Article 35A of the Constitution, even as the nation intensely debates the pros and cons of the controversial provision. They had been brought in from Pun- jab by the then state government, to save Jammu from an awkward situation, with the promise that they would be accorded the status of permanent residents of Jammu & Kashmir and given all the rights enjoyed by the people there.
Way back in 1957, the sweepers’ union in Jammu city went on an indefinite strike pressing for the fulfilment of their demands such as salary hike and regularisation of jobs. Sanitary work came to a standstill and the hygienic condition worsened in the winter capital of the state as the impasse between the state administration and the agitators went on for more than a month. The situation came to such a pass that the then state government, headed by the “Prime Minister” of J& K, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, decided to requisition sweepers from other states. The then Pratap Singh Kairon government in neighbouring Punjab was approached and negotiations were facilitated by the then J&K Health Secretary Dr Mody, originally a Punjabi himself.
As many as 272 sweeper families were shifted from Punjab and settled in colonies in Jammu city with the promise that they would be accorded the status of permanent residents of J&K and given all the rights enjoyed by the people there. Modifications were also made in the J&K Civil Services Rules to accommodate the families in the state. However, a clause was inserted in the rules that barred these sweepers from switching to any other profession.
Everything went well for the first generation of the community, as along with regular jobs, they were provided free housing, civic amenities, ration cards, schooling, etc. But when their families expanded and the new generation wanted to go for higher studies and build careers in different fields, they faced the daunting task of proving their domicile.
When they approached