respect-the-aspirations-of-people-in-jammu-and-kashmir-farooq

JKNC chief Dr Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday that people’s aspirations should be respected with the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

 

He made these comments while attending the Republic Day function in Srinagar.

 

“It is an auspicious day... India is a republic. We hope that the Constitution will be protected and the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir respected... Statehood should be restored,” Abdullah told reporters at Bakshi Stadium.

 

Meanwhile, former RAW chief AS Dulat cautioned that the “happiness” of Kashmiris following the elections in 2024 is "temporary," and as they await the fulfilment of the promise of J-K’s statehood, the credibility of both Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Centre is on the line.

 

Dulat said on Saturday, “Omar Abdullah, who wishes to have a good relationship with the centre, is “not asking for much” by seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

 

“What’s Omar asking for? What does a Kashmiri expect? Article 370 is gone; it’s not that it has gone out of Kashmiris’ minds; they still think about 370. But Omar knows it is not coming back. What he craves for his self-respect, the statehood."

 

Dulat added, “I think it is in the interest of both Delhi and Srinagar that the statehood is returned at the earliest. It has to be done for the credibility of both sides; otherwise, Omar will lose his and so will Delhi.”

 

He made these remarks during his address at the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) about his autobiography, “A Life in the Shadows: A Memoir," published by HarperCollins India.

 

The 85-year-old expressed his concern that the restoration of statehood to J-K, which he believed should have been granted immediately after the elections, is unlikely to happen any time soon.

 

“Now statehood has become an issue and the way Delhi looks at it: ‘Yes, yes we are committed to the restoration of statehood, but we will do it at the time of our liking’. It may not happen for quite a while,” he added.

 

After the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were downgraded and divided into two centrally administered Union territories in 2019.