Srinagar: As six-political parties have formed an alliance for restoration of special status of Jammu and Kashmir, uncertainty continues whether they remain united on other issues irrespective of their ideological differences.
On last Thursday, mainstream parties held a meeting and formed an alliance for restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state as it existed before August 5 last year.
The meeting was held at the residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and attended by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone, Peoples Movement leader Javaid Mir, CPIM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and Awami National Conference vice-president Muzaffar Shah.
“We have decided that the Gupkar Declaration will be renamed as People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. Ours is a constitutional battle. We shall struggle for restoration of what was snatched from J&K and Ladakh,” Farooq told reporters after the two-hour meeting.
He said the alliance also seeks a dialogue between all stakeholders for resolution of the issue pertaining to J&K.
However, leaders of these parties remain silent whether their alliance will continue for other issues in J&K.
Senior National Conference leader and Member Parliament Retd Justice Hasnian Masoodi said six-parties have united seeking restoration of Article 370.
“This alliance will continue unless we get August 4, 2019 position. We will continue to strive for it,” Masoodi told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
Asked whether these parties will also continue their alliance for any elections to be held in J&K, he replied, “We will decide that time. Presently our prime focus is on restoration of special position of J&K.”
“There are some differences between these parties. But we are united to fight for restoration of Article 370,” he said.
Senior CPI-M leader M Y Tarigami said it was to premature to say whether these parties will fight jointly any election in the future.
“This alliance is on certain objectives so that special status of J&K is restored. Rest time will decide on which other issues these parties will fight jointly,” Tarigami told news agency KINS.
“We have been insulted by abrogation of Article 370. We will strike for its restoration,” he added.
Echoing similar views, a senior PDP leader said, “Nothing has been decided about other issues. We have met only once. It is premature to comment on what other issues this alliance will fight for,” he added.The BJP deserves the credit for uniting all Jammu and Kashmir parties in an unprecedented alliance to demand the restoration of the former state’s special status, Kashmiri politician Sajad Lone has asserted that as “inhabitants and not tourists” they will outlast the central government.
The decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional autonomy by the centre was “short-sighted and borne out of hatred”, Lone told a national news channel.
The former minister in the BJP-PDP government and now a key architect of the bloc named “People’s Alliance”, Lone said he “felt like a stranger” after he was released from year-long detention and saw “outsiders” had taken over the reins of Jammu and Kashmir.
Lone, who was detained along with hundreds of political leaders after the centre announced the move last August, was released on July 31 this year. He said the joint fight for the restoration of Article 370 will be within the framework of the constitution and seek to end the violence and uncertainty.
“This is a collective mechanism and primarily what was ours has been taken away from us. We will struggle peacefully, within the ambit of the constitution as is the right in every part of the country,” said Lone.
Traditionally bitter political rivals, the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party or PDP, People’s Conference and other groups have decided to keep their individual rivalries in suspended animation and fight together to get Article 370 restored. (KINS)