In a major development in Jammu and Kashmir politics, four main regional parties and two national parties — the Congress and CPI(M) — Saturday issued a joint statement, saying they would “tirelessly struggle to get back the special status and restore the Constitutional guarantees forcibly taken away from J&K”.
This was for the first time after more than a year that Dr Abdullah chaired a party meeting and spoke at length about the Gupkar Declaration.
The statement said that all parties will abide by the “Gupkar Declaration” of August 4, 2019 in which regional parties and the Congress resolved to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and fight against any move to dilute it.
The statement also said the “unfortunate events” of 5 August last year have unrecognizably changed the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi.
The Gupkar Declaration was adopted by the Kashmir based parties and Congress days before the August 5 decision was taken by central government.
Prior to stripping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the leaders had met at the Gupkar residence of Abdullah here and drafted the Gupkar declaration.
Earlier on August 20, Abdullah had told reporters that he was in constant touch with Mehbooba and that they stood by the Gupkar declaration.
“The series of measures undertaken on August 5, 2019 were grossly unconstitutional and in reality measures of disempowerment and a challenge to the basic identity of the people of J-K. 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,” it said.
The NC patron said he was concerned about the slump in the economy and the situation owing to Covid19. “There is hardly anything to say as people continue to suffer. Businesses are down and so is tourism. On top of that the Covid19 has taken a heavy toll on people.”
The leaders who attended the meeting also exhorted the Centre 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.