Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
Senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Wednesday said the National Conference (NC) should not limit its proposed protest at Jantar Mantar to the demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, but should also press for the reinstatement of the special constitutional status that existed under Article 370 before its abrogation in August 2019.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the residence of former Jammu and Kashmir minister and National Conference leader Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, who passed away on Tuesday, Soz said the restoration of constitutional autonomy should remain the central political demand of the people of the Union Territory.
“The National Conference should not talk only about statehood at Jantar Mantar. Our issue is not merely statehood,” Soz said.
Questioning the long-term viability of Jammu and Kashmir’s status as a Union Territory, he said, “Who can snatch statehood? Can anyone keep it a Union Territory forever? Whether it is the Prime Minister or the Home Minister, no one can keep Jammu and Kashmir a Union Territory permanently. This is a temporary arrangement.”
When asked whether he had been invited to participate in the National Conference’s proposed protest on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the former Union minister replied in the negative.
“No, I don’t even have an invitation,” he said.
Soz maintained that the real political issue confronting Jammu and Kashmir is the restoration of internal autonomy and the constitutional safeguards that existed under Article 370.
“The real issue of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is internal autonomy, and we should fight for the restoration of Article 370. Sometimes people say among themselves that nothing will be restored. That is the wrong message for our youth,” he said.
Recalling the historical context of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India, Soz said the younger generation should understand the circumstances under which the decision was taken.
“Our young generation should remember that we, a Muslim-majority state, acceded to India, which had a Hindu majority. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah believed that remaining with India was the right decision. Today, our internal autonomy must also be restored on our own terms,” he said.
The National Conference has announced plans to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi during the Monsoon Session of Parliament to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Soz’s remarks add to the ongoing political debate over whether the demand for statehood should be accompanied by a call for the restoration of the constitutional safeguards that existed prior to August 5, 2019.
