Congress and Kashmiri Parties challenge BJP, claim they’ll fight to revoke article 370 again and give back Kashmir to ‘locals’
Top Kashmiri leaders, who signed the Gupkar declaration last year, have decided to strive for the restoration of Article 370 and 35A, the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and its statehood, six political parties said in a joint statement on Saturday.
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, CPI (M) general secretary MY Tarigami, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone and Awami National Conference vice president Muzuffar Shah issued the first such statement by mainstream parties after the nullification of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
“We all reiterate that we are bound, wholly, by the contents of the Gupkar declaration and will unwaveringly adhere to it. We are committed to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the Constitution of J&K and the restoration of the State and any division of the State is unacceptable to us. We unanimously reiterate that there can be ‘nothing about us without us’”, the joint statement said.
The statement said the signatories to the Gupkar declaration of August 4, 2019, have barely managed to establish a basic level of communication with each other in the face of a series of “prohibitive and punitive” curbs imposed by the government, aimed at “impeding” all social and political interactions.
The central government nullified Articles 370 and 35A, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir and gave its residents certain privileges, last August and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories – Jammu and Kashmir with a legislative assembly and Ladakh without one.
As protests erupted, several political leaders and activists including former chief ministers were detained as a preventive measure, and curbs on movement and communication imposed.
While most of the curbs have been lifted in a phased manner and prominent politicians such as ex-CMs Farooq and Omar Abdullah released, about 20 leaders, including PDP’s Mufti, are still in detention
“The measures attempt to redefine who we are. These changes were accompanied by repressive measures meant to silence people and coerce them into submission, and continue unabated,” it added.
The statement also expressed gratitude towards people, political parties, the intelligentsia and other civil society groups for opposing the Centre’s August 5 move.
PDP president Mufti could not attend the meeting since she continues to be in detention. However, her daughter tweeted to express her support for the principle of a ‘joint struggle’ as expressed in the statement.
