Kashmir Mainstream parties bury decades-old differences, join hands to fight for restoration of Article 370, Statehood

Srinagar: In a significant political development, all major political forces in Jammu & Kashmir on Saturday buried their decades-old differences and joined hands to fight for restoration of J&K’s special status and statehood.
Taking everyone by surprise, the signatories of Gupkar declaration- National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Conference, Congress, CPI(M) and Awami National Conference- Saturday) said they are “committed to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the Constitution of J&K and the restoration of the State and any division of the State is unacceptable to us.”
They reiterated that they are bound, wholly, by the contents of the Gupkar Declaration and will unwaveringly adhere to it.
Rejecting the unilateral constitutional changes effected by BP-led central government, the parties maintained that “series of measures undertaken on 5th August 2019 were grossly unconstitutional and in reality measures of disempowerment and a challenge to the basic identity of the people of J&K.
“The signatories to the GUPKAR DECLARATION of 4th August 2019 have barely managed to establish basic level of communication with each other in the face of a series of prohibitive and punitive curbs imposed by the government, aimed at impeding all social and political interactions. The limited confabulations held within the constraints imposed have resulted in this unanimous resolution,” reads the statement .
The statement reads that the unfortunate events of 5th August 2019 have unrecognizably changed the relationship between J&K and New Delhi.
“In a spitefully shortsighted and unconstitutional move, Articles 370 and 35A were abrogated and the State was bifurcated and relegated to the status of two Union Territories and its Constitution tried to be made unenforceable.The measures attempt to redefine who we are. These changes were accompanied by repressive measures meant to silence people and coerce them into submission, and continue unabated,” the statement reads.
The political parties reiterated their commitment to collectively fight to restore the Special Status of J&K as guaranteed under the Constitution and the commitments made from time to time.
“There is unanimity amongst us that collective institution is the effective way to fight for these rights and tirelessly struggle to get back the special status and restore the Constitutional guarantees forcibly taken away, against our will. We want to assure the people that all our political activities will be subservient to the sacred goal of reverting to the status of J&K as it existed on 4th August 2019,” the statement reads.
In the joint statement, the political parties urged the people of India, the political parties for their “unstinted support to our just cause till the unconstitutional measures of 5th August 2019 are undone and the special status of J&K restored”.
“We exhort leadership of the subcontinent to take due notice of the ever increasing skirmishes at the LAC and LOC resulting in casualties on both sides and unabated violent incidents in J&K and work for enduring peace in the region,” the statement reads.
The signatories of joint statement are Dr. Farooq Abdullah, (JKNC),Mehbooba Mufti (JKPDP), Sajad Gani Lone(JKPC), GA Mir (JKPCC) ,M Y Tarigami, (CPI (M) and Muzaffar Shah (JKANC)