Tharoor’s wife backs Modi over Article 370

New Delhi: Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor, a Kashmiri pandit married to HRD minister of state Shashi Tharoor, raised a hornet’s nest on Tuesday by publicly declaring that she finds Article 370 of the Constitution, that provides a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, “anti-women” and gender discriminatory.

She also backed BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi’s demand for a debate over the issue. “I want someone to re-look at this article (Article 370). I am not asking to abolish it but please give us back our home also,” she was quoted as saying by a TV channel.  It may be recalled that Modi during an election rally last year had termed Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor as “Rs 50 crore girlfriend” while attacking the Union minister.

Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor feels that Article 370 needs a substantive relook as it is “unfair”, and allows Kashmiri women to be stripped of their rights as “state subjects” if they marry non-Kashmiris. Referring to India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor said: “I wish he had been more fair to Kashmiri women.”

Women leaders of the Congress find themselves in a tight spot following Ms Tharoor’s remarks as they don’t want to be seen endorsing an anti-women policy. MoS for environment Jayanthi Natarajan said: “I do not have an opinion, though prima facie it appears that Article 370 does infringe on the rights of women.

It’s a very tricky subject, given the status of Article 370, and I would need to read the fine print and study it in greater detail.” Congress MP Meenakshi Natarjan said it would be inappropriate for her to comment as “I’m not a Kashmiri, and therefore I do not have the appropriate sensitivity on this matter”.

Ms Tharoor’s anger is representative of a cross-section of Kashmiri women who have lost their rights as state subjects. An amendment to this law allows for women to inherit property, but they can neither buy new property nor can their children inherit the mother’s property.

The BJP’s women’s brigade, led by Meenakshi Lekhi, supported Ms Tharoor’s stand even as they tore into  Article 370. “I’m all in support of her (Sunanda). Under the State Subject Act, you lose your permanent resident certificate if you marry a non-state individual.”

“The J&K Permanent Resident (Disqualification) Bill 2004 was passed in the Lower House with PDP support, but failed to clear the Upper House of the J&K Assembly. The present National Conference government has kept the bill pending,” Meenakshi Lekhi added.

Anil Bhan, a Kashmiri pandit and a former additional solicitor-general, feels there are many grey areas in this bill.

“A large number of women from UP are marrying into the state and acquiring property, which they will continue to hold even if they divorce their husbands. The same is the case with Afghani women who are marrying Kashmir men.”