Salman Shah
Political parties, struggling to fight for the restoration of full statehood and Articles 370 and 35A of Jammu Kashmir, are busy preparing themselves for a long battle.
Recently, after the meeting of PDP, National Conference and some other political parties, their prominent leaders had said that they would continue to struggle till their last demand are met. These parties have united and formed the ‘People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti , Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference, Javed Mir of the People’s Movement Party and Muhammad Yusuf Taarigami of the CPI (M) were also present at the meeting held at the house of former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in Gupkar area of Srinagar.
The leaders of Awami National Conference also attended the meeting while the leaders of Congress were absent. Political parties, struggling to fight for the restoration of full statehood and Articles 370 and 35A of Jammu Kashmir, are busy preparing themselves for the long battle.
The effort now is to shape the ‘People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’ into a coalition and then move on the constitutional path to raise the voice of its right.
After the meeting at his residence, Farooq Abdullah announced this alliance, to fight for the position of Jammu Kashmir before August 5, 2019.
Farooq had said that the present situation is not acceptable under any circumstances and it will have to be changed.
The Indian Express quoted sources as saying that National Conference president Farooq Abdullah could be made the president of this coalition.
Farooq Abdullah is the oldest political leader of Jammu Kashmir. Apart from this, the daughter of former Union Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone will also have an important role in the alliance.
Omar Abdullah, the vice-president of the National Conference, may be another core member of the coalition. The alliance will include an executive council, a chairman, vice chairman, general secretary, chief co-ordinator, chief spokesperson, spokespersons from all parties.
On 4 August last year, Farooq Abdullah called for a similar all-party meeting at his residence and the meeting resolved to uphold the provisions under Article 370 and Article 35A. But on August 5, the central government changed the two provisions and put all key leaders under arrest.
After the release of most of the jailed leaders, it was believed that the central government could start the political process in Jammu Kashmir but now it does not seem to be happening anytime soon.
The District Development Council is being established in Jammu Kashmir, whose representatives will be elected directly from the public, which means that Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh will continue to be union territories and they are not likely to get full state status.