'Committed to strive for restoration of Art 370, 35A': J&K parties a year after Gupkar

It’s been a year since the Gupkar Declaration, and in a joint statement released on Saturday, six political parties in Jammu and Kashmir who were signatories to the declaration reiterated that they are committed to strive for the restoration of Article 370 and 35A.

“We are committed to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the Constitution of J&K and the restoration of the state and any division of the state is unacceptable to us. We unanimously reiterate that there can be "nothing about us without us," NC president Farooq Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, JKPCC chief GA Mir, CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami, JKPCC leader Sajad Gani Lone and ANC leader Muzaffar Shah said in a joint statement.

In 2019, August 4, many political parties in the erstwhile state had met at the residence of NC patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah at his Gupkar Road and passed a declaration (Gupkar Declaration) in support of the Article 370 and 35A.

“The parties are united in their resolve to protect and defend the identity, autonomy, and special status of J&K against all attacks and onslaughts whatsoever. The modification, abrogation of Articles 35A and 370, unconstitutional delimitation or trifurcation of the state would be an aggression against the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” the statement reads then.

The joint statement said the signatories of the Gupkar Declaration have barely managed to establish a basic level of communication with each other due to a series of prohibitive and punitive curbs imposed by the government, aimed at impeding all social and political interactions. “The limited confabulations held within the constraints imposed have resulted in this unanimous resolution,’’ it reads.

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'Spitefully shortsighted and unconstitutional move'

The statement called the abrogation of the special status under the two Articles "spitefully shortsighted and unconstitutional move" and observed that the measures have "unrecognizably changed the relationship between J&K and New Delhi".

"The series of measures undertaken on 5th August 2019 were grossly unconstitutional and in reality, measures of disempowerment and a challenge to the basic identity of the people of J&K. The measures attempt to redefine who we are. These changes were accompanied by repressive measures meant to silence people and coerce them into submission, and continue unabated," it said.

While expressing gratitude to the people of India, “the political parties, the intelligentsia and other civil society groups for opposing the unconstitutional measures of 5th August 2019 and ever since standing with the people of J&K in this crises, we appeal for their unstinted support to our just cause till the unconstitutional measures of 5th August 2019 are undone and the special status of J&K restored,” the joint statement read.

The statement urged the leadership of India and Pakistan to take due notice of the ever-increasing skirmishes at the LAC and LOC resulting in casualties on both sides and unabated violent incidents in J&K and work for enduring peace in the region.
As per political pundits in the UT, this joint statement is going to complicate the Centre’s efforts to revive the political process in Jammu and Kashmir which has become a big challenge for the Centre after the revocation of Article 370.

(Image source: Twitter)

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