In what can be seen as raising the pitch at political level at the political level, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has written to the presidents of all national parties for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. This is an essential course correction, he said in his letter, requesting that a bill be introduced in this regard during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
He said the promise of restoring statehood has been made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in public meetings, in Parliament, and before the Supreme Court. He added that the issue should be raised in Parliament so that the bill is passed in the current session.
Omar said there is a Supreme Court hearing on the matter on August 8 and that statehood should be granted as soon as possible. He said several years have passed without progress, and that if the government does not act, the court should ensure the promise is fulfilled.
He said the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held because the Supreme Court had fixed a timeline for the process.
He added that a similar approach should be taken for restoring statehood."I respectfully urge your kind indulgence in exhorting the Government of India to bring forward legislation in the current session of Parliament to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir," Omar Abdullah wrote in his letter.
In his letter, Abdullah said that restoration of statehood is not a concession to Jammu and Kashmir but a course correction by the central government. The very idea of India is undermined if statehood, which is a foundational and Constitutional right, is reduced to the discretionary favour of the central government, the letter read."The restoration must not be viewed as a concession, but as an essential course correction-one that prevents us from sliding down a dangerous and slippery slope where the statehood of our constituent States is no longer regarded as a foundational and sacred constitutional right but reduced instead to a discretionary favour bestowed at the will of the Central Government," the letter read.
Omar reminded the leaders that the precedent set by downgrading a state into an Union territory will have unsettling consequences for the country, and it is a red line that must never be crossed."Federalism is anchored in the recognition of a State's right to exist and function with dignity, autonomy, and constitutional protection. If the Union were to assume and exercise the unilateral authority to downgrade a State to a Union Territory-regardless of the justification, it would mark a fundamental departure from the constitutional scheme. The circumstances may vary, but the precedent it sets is profound and unsettling. This is a constitutional red line-one that must never be crossed," read the letter.
Abdullah emphasised that it's a matter that should concern every citizen, not just the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "It is an issue that goes beyond regional interests and touches the very core of India's constitutional values and its democratic ethos. The act of reducing J&K from a State to a Union Territory in 2019 and the prolonged delay in restoring its status as a full State you would agree, has profound implications for the future of Indian polity," read the three-page letter dated July 29.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the people of Jammu and Kashmir reposing faith in democracy after an overwhelming participation in the assembly elections, and also rising against terrorism after the Pahalgam attack. He regretted that the centre didn't acknowledge it."These were extraordinary opportunities to reinforce national unity and heal historical wounds. To allow such moments to pass-unacknowledged or unreciprocated due to narrow partisan calculations, will, without doubt, be a monumental mistake," the letter said."The people of J&K have already waited long enough-statehood must be restored now," the letter said
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