All Party Meeting throws fresh challenges for Kashmir's mainstream and New Delhi

In Srinagar, there is a buzz on the ground as most of the political leaders are back here after attending the All Party Meeting (APM) with Prime Minister Modi. This meeting with the PM is being seen as the first ice-breaking between New Delhi and Kashmir after removing special status and bifurcating the erstwhile state into two Union territories.

In past, many of these political leaders were seen romancing with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), now the same have been pushed to the fringe. Though, all the leaders have been claiming that they were able to appraise PM Modi about the pain and sufferings of the people and what restoration of statehood would mean to the population. This tells a common man, how much has changed between the Kashmir and New Delhi equation.

In the meeting, PM has talked about his developmental agenda, delimitation, and elections in the Union territory but has not given any particular timeline, when it comes to restoring statehood, and if sources are to be believed none of the leaders, have raised the demand of restoration of special status. Most of them have demanded statehood before elections and some Confidence-building measures (CBM’s).

Will New Delhi fulfill the demands made by the leaders or will go as per its plan as Union Home Minister, Amit Shah has made it amply clear that statehood will be restored only when the atmosphere is conducive, and the bigger question is, will these political parties participate in the election process of UT. If the political parties accept the New Delhi offer, they will not be abandoning their positions and credibility before their vote bank and if they reject the same, they will leave turf open for the BJP and its allied candidates.

Taking note of the PM’s agenda, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have announced their participation in Assembly elections conditional.

Though, Omar also has maintained that being sub- judice (Art 370) doesn’t mean they (NC) would not be discussing the restoration of special status.

People Conference leader, Muzaffar Hussain Beig was quick to add that the Supreme Court was already hearing petitions questioning the Constitutional validity of the J&K Reorganization Act, 2019, and demanding restoration of Article 370 would be tantamount to contempt of court.

CPI (M) senior leader, M Y Tarigami is of the opinion that when Home Minister can decide about elections and can fix an appropriate timeline for the delimitation commission’s exercise, why the same yardstick can’t be applied for the restoration of statehood. It shows the ambiguity on issues that he(HM) wants to derail and focus on the issues that he wants to go ahead with.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir need a credible process, a forward movement and the first step should be the restoration of statehood. J&K should have statehood with a Governor and then only the elections should be held,” he said

Many leaders believe that the onus lies on New Delhi, if it wants to send a clear message of trust, “then it should return to us what was ours”.

Leaders further believe that the people of J&K were never against the electoral process and if New Delhi wants the people of J&K to be part of the credible process, then, the election should be held when statehood is restored.

Elections in states should be the first process to resolve the complex situation in J&K. New Delhi was away from Kashmir and today being rigid, it is far more away. Can the distance, be bridged? If yes, then the process needs a much larger heart as the list of illusions have much more increased between New Delhi and Kashmir says political pundits here.

Now, much depends on the Modi administration whether to go ahead with its own plan or to follow developments with more such meetings as demanded by the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir.

(Credit-ANI)