Gupkar declaration a barrier in Delhi plans

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 22

The invocation of the Gupkar Declaration of August 4 of last year by the mainstream parties in Kashmir on Saturday, underlining their “commitment” for the restoration of the special status and until then keeping all their political activities “subservient” to this “goal”, is translation for no to elections in the existing status, which inevitably will draw international attention at the time when China and Pakistan are on the same page on the Kashmir issue.

It becomes clear from the statement by two former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone and JKPCC president GA Mir that made it specific that “all our political activities will be subservient to the sacred goal of reverting to the status of J&K as it existed on August 4, 2019”.

“We all reiterate our 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 taken away against our will,” the statement read.

This standpoint also tells Kashmiris that while the leadership is fighting for the “sacred goal”, nothing else should be expected of it in terms of highlighting of their day-to-day difficulties.

But their self-imposed accountability on the special status or nothing is not going to be an easy task, especially when the Indian nation’s narrative on Article 370 is diametrically opposite to that of the “Kashmiri nationalism”.

The timing of the statement, exactly a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, suggests a reaction of sorts.The PM had hailed the last one year as “major milestone in the new development journey of J&K”.

The PM had also promised the Assembly elections soon after the delimitation work was over.

At the same time, it will figure prominently in international discourse as Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are known figures the world over and their word carries a lot of weight.

Pakistan and China will exploit this statement though they have no sympathy for these leaders.