Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor yesterday talked about Article 370 and discrimination against women in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. She shared her personal anecdotes as to how this has turned out to be discriminatory for her.

Mrs. Tharoor is a Kashmiri Pandit who married outside the state of J&K which resulted in her and potentially her progeny being disadvantaged in the state of J&K.

She shared her views on the NDTV program ‘The Buck Stops Here’ with Barkha Dutt. She also shared her views on the usefulness of the article 370 for her home state which echoed the views expressed by Narendra Modi recently at a rally in Jammu, perhaps much to the embarassment and annoyance of her husband Shashi Tharoor who is not only a Congress MP but also a Minister in the Congress led UPA Government.

Mrs. Tharoor said that in 2006-07 and 2008 when she tried to buy some land in her home state she was categorically told by the DC’s office that she can’t buy land as she is married to a non-Kashmiri. In 2010 government officials told her that her state subject wasn’t renewed despite her husband being no more.

She also went on to mention that Omar Abdullah told her that the law has been amended 10 years back and he tried to help her acquire the land but he then told her too that her son will not be able to inherit the land.

She further added that before she married in 1992 she was asked by father to sign off the property she owned to her brothers as now she will have no right of ownership that is she is marrying a Malayali guy.

She added that she will be very happy if something is done to change the law. She without mincing words said that, “But we do have discrimination for women in Kashmir and if anybody denies that they would be lying”.

On Article 370

“Actually I am quite sure my husband would be annoyed with me answering this question but I do also have a voice I am a woman I am a Kashmiri very proudly Kashmiri and I do beg pardon of my husband if I say this but because he is a very big fan of Jawaharlal Nehru but what I don’t understand when this accord was formed ……. why is about Kashmir that we can’t do it.”

“I would like to ask him (Jawaharlal Nehru) if he is here that you tried to protect the Kashmiriyat was Kashmiriyat not part of us Kashmiri Pandits?”

“I have not benefited from this article. Kashmiri Pandits have not benefited from this article many Muslim girls have not benefited from this article.”

“I want someone to re-look at this article I am not asking to abolish it but please give us back our home also.”