Srinagar, Sep 28: Peoples Conference (PC) President and MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone Monday said that statehood restoration was not a favour or a fresh promise but an obligation rooted in the political commitments made to the people of J&K in 1947.
Speaking during the debate on the resolution, Lone supported the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly resolution seeking restoration of statehood and said the House should not treat assurances made in recent years as the starting point of the statehood debate.
“If we are here today, it is not because of Modi Ji’s promise or because of the Supreme Court. We are here in this country because of the promises made to the people of J&K in 1947,” Lone said.
He said the commitment made in 1947 envisaged an “exalted status” for J&K within the federal structure, including autonomy and the power to take its own decisions.
Lone said the erosion of that position took place gradually, referring to developments in 1952, 1956, 1958, and 1965, before the changes of 2019 resulted in the loss of statehood and special status.
He also criticised the functioning of the UT administration, alleging that elected representatives had been sidelined by unelected bureaucrats.
“The IAS officers today do not even pick up the phones of elected representatives here,” Lone said.
He also questioned the Supreme Court’s handling of the challenge to the conversion of a state into a Union Territory, saying the court did not answer whether such a move was legally permissible and instead fixed a timeline for restoration of statehood.
Lone objected to the language suggesting that statehood would be “given” to J&K.
“We should stop talking about the promises made by the Supreme Court in 2019. Our promise is the promise of 1947. That should be the reference point of this Assembly,” he said.
Meanwhile, PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para supported the government resolution but termed its wording vague, arguing that it failed to mention Article 370, Article 35-A, or autonomy.
Para said the resolution only referred to statehood despite expectations among people that the government would address the broader political issues associated with the 2019 changes. “We support every resolution of the government. But the reality is, the wording of the resolution is vague,” he said.
Para said that eight National Conference (NC) MLAs had sought amendments relating to autonomy and Article 370, but said these issues were not reflected in the final resolution.
AIP senior leader and MLA Langate Sheikh Khursheed also backed the resolution, saying restoration of statehood should be viewed as a political right rather than a concession.
“Our political identity was taken away, our political rights were curtailed, our flag was removed and our emblem was taken away. What was taken away from the people of J&K must be returned to them,” Khursheed said.
He took a dig at the NC’s repeated references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2024 commitment on statehood and questioned why historical commitments made by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were not given similar importance.
“If the NC can repeatedly remind people of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise made in 2024, why does it not remind the people of J&K and the country of the promises and commitments made by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru to Kashmiris?” he said.
Khursheed said political commitments could not be selectively remembered according to convenience and maintained that statehood was linked to the political identity, dignity, and democratic rights of the people.
“People of J&K are not asking for a favour. They are asking for the restoration of what was taken away from them, including their statehood, political identity, flag, and emblem,” he said.
Khursheed also displayed a poster carrying the former J&K state flag and emblem with the message: “We demand what you snatched from us democratically.”
