NEW DLEHI: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has written to the presidents of 42 political parties, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, requesting them to press the centre to introduce legislation during the ongoing Parliament session to restore statehood to J&K. In his letter dated July 29, Abdullah stressed that this issue goes beyond regional politics and touches the core values of the Indian Constitution and democracy. He warned that downgrading a state to a Union Territory sets a ‘profound and unsettling’ precedent and crosses a constitutional boundary that should never have been breached.“The act of reducing Jammu and Kashmir from a state to a Union territory in 2019 and the prolonged delay in restoring its status as a full state… has profound implications for the future of Indian polity,” the three-page letter read. He noted that the reorganisation of state in August 2019 into a Union Territory was described as a “temporary and transitional” measure. He reminded leaders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated assurances, including a promise made in Kashmir earlier this year, which he referred to as “Modi ka Wada” and also mentioned the Centre’s commitment before the Supreme Court to restore statehood.However, he criticised the delay, arguing that terms like ‘at the earliest’ or ‘as soon as possible’ cannot be stretched indefinitely. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have already waited long enough—statehood must be restored now.”” the letter stated.Abdullah also challenged the rationale behind the removal of Article 370, which he said was justified in the name of equality. However, this principle has not been applied equally.“The denial of statehood is not something that has been imposed on any other region in India; in fact, the historical trajectory has always been from Union Territory to State, not the reverse,” the letter said.He called the “prolonged and unprecedented disempowerment” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir “unjust” and said it “undermines the very rationale that was invoked to justify the changes of August 2019.”“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,” he said.Abdullah also pointed to the strong voter turnout during the last assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it proof of people’s continued faith in democracy. In response, his government’s first action was to pass a unanimous resolution calling for immediate restoration of statehood.He said he had handed over this resolution personally to the PM Modi and and was “assured that statehood would be restored.” However, he was disappointed that “more than nine months have passed, and yet there is no clarity, timeline, or visible progress toward fulfilling that solemn assurance”.The chief minister also referred to two recent developments, the high voter turnout in the recent elections and the public condemnation of terrorism after the deadly attack in Pahalgam, as important chances to heal old wounds and strengthen national unity. He warned that ignoring these moments would be a serious mistake.Abdullah’s letter also acknowledged that J&K has faced extraordinary challenges due to the historical and geopolitical circumstances. Despite this, he said the region functioned effectively as a part of the Indian Union and instead of being strengthened, it was unfairly being downgraded to a UT.He criticised the current administrative setup as imbalanced and ineffective, a Union Territory with a legislature, but without real power. He said that officials from the Centre can overrule the decisions of the elected government, which weakens democracy.He added that the elections lose meaning if the government chosen by the people is not allowed to function. “I would reiterate that the restoration of statehood – and with it, the full constitutional and democratic rights of the people – is important not only for J-K but also vital for upholding the federal and democratic character of our Constitution,” he said.
