PM's Meet On J&K: Gupkar Parties Firm On Articles 370 And 35A
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-06-23 03:53:54
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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
It is good that all parties in the Gupkar alliance have agreed to attend the meeting called by Prime Minister Modi to discuss the situation in J&K and the way ahead. Initially, they had decided to depute NC's Farooq Abdullah to represent them. But later, it was decided that since the invites had come to individual leaders, all will attend. Although the Gupkar alliance is a front where these parties have joined hands to press for their demands (restoration of statehood and special status), in a meeting like the one the Centre has called, it is better for all individual invitees to attend as all opinions must be heard.
Parties in the Gupkar alliance have also made certain demands. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti asked the government to release all political detainees and bring them back from the various jails they are kept in. When it seemed that Mufti will not attend the meeting, the J&K administration released her uncle Sartaj Madani and another PDP leader Naeem Akhtar in a goodwill gesture. This changed her mind and she has agreed to attend.
The parties said that since there is no fixed agenda for the meeting, all issues are likely to be discussed. But they were firm that they will not make any compromise on Article 370. Most parties said they will demand restoration of statehood with special status as decreed by Articles 370 and Article 35A. However, CPM's M Y Tarigami, the spokesperson of the Gupkar alliance said that "we are not going there to ask for the stars. Whatever is possible within the Indian constitution is what we are going to seek". But he added that "there will be no compromise on Article 370 and 35A". There is inherent contradiction in the two statements as presently, Article 370 and 35A are no longer there in the Indian constitution. Demanding their restoration is like demanding the stars.
This means that the meeting is going to be a stormy affair. The government is firm that there will be no going back on the August 5 2019 decisions of abrogating Article 370 and doing away with Article 35A. If the J&K parties insist that the political process in the state can only be started if its pre-August 5 status is restored, it will lead to a dead end. The new reality is that there is no special status for J&K. The only concessions the Centre can make can be to release all political detainees and restore J&K to full statehood. The J&K parties will have to face the reality, although it will need a major climb down from them, and participate in the political process under the new scheme of things.
