The Jammu and Kashmir Army unexpectedly cancelled a planned seminar on March 26 at the Kashmir University Auditorium, which was to examine a number of legal subjects, including the Uniform Civil Code. The decision was made in response to criticism from local political parties. Press agencies received invites from the Army late on Friday for an event headlined “Navigating Legal Frontiers: Understanding the Indian Penal Code 2023 and the Quest for a Uniform Civil Code.”
Concerning the Army’s engagement in what he called a “divisive” topic, particularly in the delicate backdrop of Kashmir, former chief minister and vice president of the National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, voiced his worries. In addition to raising concerns about possible politicisation and inflaming religious sensitivities, he questioned whether the Army should be involved in subjects outside of its jurisdiction.
Tanvir Sadiq, the top spokesman for the NC, echoed Abdullah’s remarks and asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider whether it was appropriate for the Army to take up concerns that were included in the BJP platform, particularly in the time frame covered by the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed disapproval of the Army’s proposal as well, expressing worries over its alleged partisanship and meddling in Jammu and Kashmir’s democratic system. A PDP spokesman, Najmus Saqib, cautioned against the region’s risky tendency to erase boundaries between the political and security spheres, seeing it as a larger undermining of constitutional values.
The Army then chose to call off the seminar in reaction to the criticism and in light of the Model Code of Conduct. Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manoj Sahu, headquartered in Srinagar, acknowledged the cancellation and attributed it to the Model Code of Conduct’s implementation. The General Officer Commanding HQ 31 Sub Area, Major General PBS Lamba, was represented by the Srinagar-based PRO Defence in sending out the first invites for the seminar.
