“The mandate delivered by the people of Jammu & Kashmir in assembly elections last year too was for restoration of statehood a commitment reiterated by Prime Minister of the country even after the elections and assumption of office by the newly elected Government.”
The call for restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and a promise to start an engagement with the stakeholders is obviously not only reiteration of a commitment made by the Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country but also endorsement of the resolution of the newly elected Government passed in its very first cabinet meeting few months ago . Engagement with the stakeholders to show a desire for restoration of statehood is undoubtedly the part of a democratic process and it has been already initiated by the newly elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who has reminded both the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of their commitment on restoration of statehood in three consecutive meetings he has held with them so for. Although neither the Government nor the Supreme Court has fixed any timeline for the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir but the continuing engagement of the Chief Minister with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister over the issue is in itself an indication of a forward movement on restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. What matters the most is the fact that the mandate delivered by the people of Jammu & Kashmir in assembly elections last year too was for restoration of statehood a commitment reiterated by Prime Minister of the country even after the elections and assumption of office by the newly elected Government. The reiteration of the commitments of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister Amit Shah is in itself an indication that Central Government has no serious reservations on restoring statehood to Jammu & Kashmir.
“Barely a day after Lt Governor’s encouraging remarks on restoration of statehood Chief Minister has also dropped hints about his hectic engagements with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister on his demand for restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. While apparently there are no major reasons for further delay in the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir the Central Government may take some more time to complete the process of consultations with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other stakeholders and thereafter take a final call on restoration of statehood.”
As return to normalcy, unprecedented rise in footfall, the conduct of G20 working group meeting and many other national events in Srinagar during last three years leave no scope for any apprehensions about the future of peace and stability in Jammu & Kashmir the newly elected Government has all the right reasons to demand a timeline for restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. Barely a day after Lt Governor’s encouraging remarks on restoration of statehood Chief Minister has also dropped hints about his hectic engagements with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister on his demand for restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. While apparently there are no major reasons for further delay in the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir the Central Government may take some more time to complete the process of consultations with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other stakeholders and thereafter take a final call on restoration of statehood.
