On October 28, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah revealed that he had received assurances from the highest level on the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
He was speaking to cabinet colleagues and administrative secretaries in Srinagar to mark Vigilance Awareness Week, during which he administered an integrity pledge to promote transparency and integrity in public services.
Referring to the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir, where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha controls key powers, Abdullah said that some may feel they can exploit the current system to their advantage by finding loopholes. “Please be rest assured, this is very much a temporary phase,” he said. “I have just come back from very successful meetings in Delhi. I have received assurances at the highest level that the commitments made to Jammu and Kashmir, particularly regarding our governance model, will change,” he said.
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#WATCH | Jammu & Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah says, "...Some may feel that they can exploit this system to their advantage, that they can find loopholes in this system that we have in J&K at the moment, but please rest assured, this is very much a temporary phase. I have just come… pic.twitter.com/GbhWOuqEFp
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024
“Therefore, if anyone believes that the Union Territory status will shield them from accountability, please remember, the shield is only temporary. Once full statehood is restored, there will be no loopholes to exploit or any advantage in playing one against the other.”
Last week, Abdullah chaired the first cabinet meeting, where a resolution seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir was passed. After Lieutenant Governor Sinha also cleared the resolution, Abdullah travelled to Delhi and presented it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
When the BJP moved to revoke Article 370, it linked the restoration of statehood to delimitation and elections in J&K. Delimitation was completed in 2022, and elections were held in September and October this year.
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Following the National Conference (NC) and Congress’s strong mandate, winning 48 of the 90 seats in the J&K assembly, Abdullah told THE WEEK that the conditions set for statehood restoration had been met, expressing optimism about its return.
Observers note that while the NC had campaigned on restoring Article 370 and statehood, the party is currently prioritising statehood, seeing it as essential for delivering on election promises.
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Sources within the NC indicate that while Article 370 remains a demand, regaining statehood would empower the government to work without hindrance. “We have a solid mandate. All we need now is the authority to do our job with no strings attached,” said an NC leader, who preferred anonymity. “Statehood will allow us to take pro-people decisions and keep our opponents in check.”
However, some experts believe that recent militant attacks on security forces and non-local workers in Kashmir could jeopardise the prospects of an early statehood restoration. They suggest that the Centre may delay statehood, citing security concerns. BJP’s general secretary Ashok Koul and state president Ravinder Raina have already said that a decrease in militant attacks is necessary for restoring statehood. “The restoration of statehood is not a political issue but a policy matter,” Raina said on Accession Day on October 27. “Since Jammu and Kashmir has suffered immensely due to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism over the past 35 years, any haste should be avoided.”
Observers also note that the BJP’s struggle to gain power in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the revocation of Article 370, delimitation, and the granting of Scheduled Tribe status to Paharis, could play a role in delaying the restoration of statehood.
While New Delhi has reaffirmed its commitment to statehood for J&K in both public and private statements, the timeline remains uncertain. Past statements by Shah and other leaders suggest that statehood may be restored once security and development milestones are met, indicating a medium- to long-term timeline dependent on the region’s stability.
