NEW DELHI: J&K stayed with India because Mahatma Gandhi said it was a country for all, NC president Farooq Abdullah said on Thursday as he, joined by several other opposition leaders, demanded early holding of assembly elections in the UT.The senior leader emphasised that Article 370 was a transitory provision at a national capital event on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir because a plebiscite was meant to take place there but was never held. Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), former Jammu and Kashmir legislator Yusuf Tarigami, politician Sajjad Hussain Kargili, DMK member Kanimozhi, NCP member Supriya Sule, Congressman Shashi Tharoor, and RJD member Manoj Jha were among those present. They all supported the call for elections to be held as soon as possible.In order to establish a new administration, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Peoples Democratic Party held the most recent assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in November and December 2014. In June 2018, the alliance broke down, and the president took control. The Centre then repealed provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, in August 2019 and divided the state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir (which has a legislature) and Ladakh. The tragedy of Jammu and Kashmir, according to Abdullah, is that (Pakistan’s founder M. A. Jinnah) believed Kashmir was in his pocket from the moment India gained independence and two dominions were established.He was unaware that it wasn’t. “Many claim that Article 370 was only temporary…. You must understand why this was the case because a plebiscite was required to determine which dominion we should move to, according to the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister. “You have to understand that a state with a Muslim majority chose to remain in an India with a Hindu majority. We might have travelled to Pakistan, but Gandhi’s proclamation that “this nation is for all” is what attracted us here, he said, noting that there is an increase in communal strife in the nation. He continued, “Kashmir never asked for independence; we are part of this nation, and it has been in turmoil ever since.” Delhi has engaged in its game and will continue to engage in it.The first prime minister, Jawaharlal) Nehru, stated it was the same then, and it is the same now. Abdullah added that there was a lack of confidence in the government. “Whether they agree or not, as long as there is no dialogue with Pakistan infiltrations will continue and many will die,” he further emphasised the necessity of dialogue with Pakistan. Who are you to determine whether I am Pakistani or Indian? Muslims in India are greatly impacted by any disaster between India and Pakistan. Yechury added in his address to the crowd that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is not only a humanitarian concern but also the annihilation of the India that was built after independence.”Today, equality is under attack. He made reference to the ethnic unrest in the northeastern state of Manipur by saying, “You can see what is occurring there. Yechury questioned why elections were still not being held in Jammu and Kashmir, referring to the government’s assertions that everything were normal there. He declared, “This must be treated as abnormal, and elections in J&K should be held right away.” The Union administration claimed credit for holding panchayat elections after Article 370 was repealed, but according to former Jammu and Kashmir MLA M Y Tarigami, elections to elect an assembly are not being held even though the delimitation exercise is complete.Tarigami has voiced opposition to a bill that would include four communities on the Union territory’s list of Scheduled Tribes. Before making any decisions, the government should consult with indigenous organisations, he said. The “Gadda Brahmin,” “Koli,” “Paddari Tribe,” and “Pahari Ethnic Group” are proposed additions to the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu and Kashmir under the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 26. “There is a particular definition of a tribe. There is already conflict amongst the communities; they ought to have established trust before introducing the legislation. They didn’t do it because they wanted to divide people rather than bring them together, he claimed. As it is for the rest of the nation, he claimed that price increases and inflation continue to be big concerns for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. How is Vikas doing? Because of the high level of inflation, the average person is afraid to go shopping. How many employment has the government provided? People in Kashmir deal with similar problems; they must survive, the CPI(M) leader remarked. Sajjad Hussain Kargili, a politician from Ladakh, addressed the gathering and brought up the ongoing demonstrations in Ladakh, which became a Union territory without a legislature. He also questioned how the federal government could deprive any state of its statehood. This was completely unconstitutional because they couldn’t provide statehood while taking it away. Ladakh residents are out on the streets right now. Ladakh was the only region of India without protests; today, they take place every day, he claimed. Congressman Shashi Tharoor expressed his support for the need for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it is unfortunate that there haven’t been any for nine years. Additionally, he emphasised the necessity for a humane approach to search and cordon operations and expressed concern about the rise in the number of security officer fatalities. Manoj Jha, a member of the RJD, referred to the governing Bharatiya Janata Party as a party that is notorious for “burning bridges” rather than building them.Not only about Kashmir, though. They are using it as political fodder in north India. It will be challenging if that fodder isn’t contested,” he said. Additionally, he compared the situation in Manipur to the recent violence that occurred in some areas of Haryana, saying, “The recipe is different, but the idea is to use polarisation without realising that in the end, elections are not held in crematoriums and burial sites.” The sectarian violence in Haryana and the situation in Manipur were also brought up by Sule and Kanimozhi, who described them as worrying. They offered their support for the demand that Jammu and Kashmir hold assembly elections as soon as possible.
