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Updated: Jun 10, 2020 08:27 IST

Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government’s move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir has been welcomed by Kashmiri Pandit groups, which called it a “decisive decision”.

The Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to leave the Valley in the 1990s following escalation in terror activities in the region, have been supportive of the BJP’s move to scrap the special constitutional provisions for J&K.

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The All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) said revoking Articles 370 and 35A that empowers the state assembly to define “permanent residents” for bestowing special rights and privileges on them, was a “bold decision”.

The move to strip J&K of its special status was cleared by the Rajya Sabha on Monday, after home minister Amit Shah introduced a resolution in this regard.

The Upper House of Parliament also passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, aimed at bifurcating the state into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. “From initial reports as appearing in the media, government of India has finally acted on Kashmir with unprecedented clarity and decisiveness, by taking bold decisions which will have wide-ranging positive ramifications for the entire subcontinent,” MK Pajan, general secretary of the AIKS said.

The Samaj said the move is unprecedented in scale and will remove uncertainty about the status of the state and of its future.

Dr Ajay Chrangoo, chairperson of the Panun Kashmir, a frontal organisation of the internally-displaced Kashmiri Pandits and which has pitched for a separate homeland for the community, said, “This is the first decisive step towards the dismantling of an Islamic state, and this will pave the way for a permanent reversal of the genocide.”

The All India Minority Front hailed the decision and said everyone should rise above their interests and political differences, and welcome the decision. “We heartily welcome the government’s brave decision. This was necessary for the interest of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir,” said SM Asif, national president of the Front.

Sushil Pandit, who is associated with another Pandit organisation, Roots in Kashmir, said India has finally changed gears. “India has declared [a] war on jihad. Abrogation is a declaration of intent. War has to be won, on the ground. It will be a long and arduous one...,” Pandit said.