Statehood to J&K at right time: Centre

Mehbooba says pre-August 5 position will have to be returned with interest

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir would be granted statehood at an "appropriate" time after normalcy is restored there, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated this in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.
He was replying to a question on whether the government had any proposal to "reinstate" the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and whether some efforts have been made to end the year-long ban on different means of communication.
"Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted at an appropriate time after normalcy is restored in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
"In view of the constitutional changes and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of the Jammu and Kashmir into Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh, in national interest and also in the interest of security of J&K, temporary restrictions on various communication channels like internet and mobile services were resorted to in Jammu and Kashmir," the minister stated.
Subsequently, the matter "was reviewed from time to time and restrictions imposed were gradually eased out in a phased manner and 4G internet data services were restored in the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir from February 5, he said.
The Centre had revoked the special status of the erstwhile state that was provided to it under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019.
Meanwhile, Alleging that BJP has become the modern-day East India Company, former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the saffron party only bothered about land and resources and not the people and their aspirations.
Castigating BJP for bulldozing the democratic ethos and institutions of the country, Mehbooba equated the present day style of functioning of BJP government with the erstwhile East India Company which only bothered about land and resources and not the people and their aspirations.
“For BJP like East India Company every citizen of the country is a suspect and guilty until proven innocent,” she said
However, she said PDP would continue to advocate peace with dignity through dialogue and reconciliation, struggle for the identity and rights of the people of J&K.
The PDP reiterated its commitment to the founding philosophy and agenda of the party on its 22nd foundation day.
Recalling the turbulent times when the party was established to provide a political alternative and a meaningful agenda for peace, dignity and development in Jammu & Kashmir, the party leadership underlined the relevance of the guiding principles and ethos of PDP which is to advocate & facilitate resolution through dialogue and reconciliation, peace with dignity and equitable development.
Addressing the main commemoration event at the party headquarters in Srinagar Mehbooba took pride and expressed satisfaction in the fact that the party leadership and its foot soldiers continue to path with absolute commitment to the ideals and the core agenda of PDP.
“Illegal and unconstitutional actions of August 5, 2019 and beyond have only added to the complexities of J&K issue whereby those with full faith in the democratic and constitutional mechanism of our country have been deeply hurt and they feel betrayed,” she said.
While we have taken it upon ourselves to struggle for our identity and rights by all peaceful and constitutional means, we are also not losing the sight of the bigger picture and would continue to advocate the resolution through dialogue and reconciliation to bring about lasting peace not only in Jammu and Kashmir but the entire subcontinent,” Mehbooba said in her address.
“Our unflinching and uncompromising stand vis a vis our identity and rights aside, the changing geo-political scenario is proving the agenda and roadmap of PDP more relevant today than ever before. It is our belief that peace in South Asian region and the prosperity of people is subservient to sustainable peace in J&K and the only way to achieve it would be to follow up on what former CM Mufti Mohammad Syed had envisioned and even executed when at the helm of affairs from 2002-2005,” she said.
Advocating for change in the current approach of the government towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba emphasized the need for a shift from security centric approach to J&K. “It is high time that the idea to look at J&K through the security prism alone be given up. Such an approach has miserably failed to achieve the desired results. J&K has to be looked at as a political & human problem. It is an issue of people desirous of peace with dignity and identity,” she added.
Reaching out to the people of the country, Mehbooba said that J&K had not acceded with a political party but the democratic and secular people of the great nation and that they must not remain mute spectators while the people of J&K are being demeaned and muzzled.