Srinagar: More than 150 representatives from different sections of Jammu and Kashmir’s civil society on Tuesday unanimously called for the immediate restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory, adopting a resolution at a meeting in Srinagar that urged the Union Government to fulfil its commitment without any further delay.
The meeting, held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), was presided over by National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah and attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. It brought together representatives from various sections of society as part of the party’s outreach ahead of its proposed protest programme in New Delhi demanding restoration of statehood.
According to the resolution adopted at the meeting, the demand for restoration of statehood represents the collective and unanimous voice of Jammu and Kashmir’s civil society and reaffirms broad-based public support for restoring full statehood at the earliest.
The National Conference, in a statement, said the gathering unanimously called upon the Union Government to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without further delay.
Following the meeting, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the interaction as “extremely productive” and thanked civil society members for participating in the deliberations.
“Thankful to all the representatives of civil society of Kashmir who accepted the invitation. The meeting was extremely productive and Dr Sahib was able to get a lot of useful feedback and good suggestions. The meeting passed a unanimous resolution calling on the Union Government to fulfil its promise and restore full statehood to J&K without further delay,” Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.
The Chief Minister said the interaction provided valuable feedback and constructive suggestions that would help strengthen the campaign seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
The meeting assumes significance as it comes ahead of the National Conference’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, where the party plans to intensify its demand for restoration of statehood.
Earlier this month, senior NC leaders met Dr Farooq Abdullah at his Gupkar residence in Srinagar to finalise preparations for the protest. During the meeting, the party resolved to invite all constituent parties of the INDIA bloc, besides other political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, to participate in the demonstration.
The National Conference also decided to reach out to political parties outside both the INDIA bloc and the NDA. As part of the initiative, Dr Farooq Abdullah is expected to personally write to leaders of political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, urging them to join the protest in support of restoring full statehood.
Tuesday’s civil society interaction also follows the National Conference’s day-long off-site meeting held at Dachigam National Park last month, where legislators, Members of Parliament and alliance partners reviewed the government’s performance and resolved to launch a coordinated political campaign in New Delhi for restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards.
Party leaders said the Srinagar meeting marked another step in building wider public and political consensus around the demand for statehood by involving civil society representatives in the campaign.
The demand for restoration of statehood has remained one of the National Conference’s principal political commitments since the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The party has consistently maintained that restoration of full statehood is essential for democratic governance, constitutional accountability and safeguarding the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
