J&K to get back Statehood?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming rally at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium holds immense significance for Kashmir post-Article 370 abrogation. Amid high expectations, the common public eagerly awaits “ Good News” especially regarding the restoration of statehood and the long-awaited Assembly Elections.
Ayaz Mughal
All eyes will turn to Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public rally on March 7. This is his first visit to Kashmir post-Article 370 abrogation in August 2019 so it holds a significance for the Kashmir Valley and second in J&K after his recent visit to Jammu. This rally serves as the second visit to Jammu and Kashmir since August 2019. However, beyond the optics and political symbolism lies a deep-seated expectation among the common public, eager for concrete outcomes.
The expectations for restoration of statehood are echoing across the Jammu and Kashmir since its demotion to a Union Territory in 2019. Home Minister Amit Shah's assurance, on the floor of the house in August 2019, of reinstating statehood once stability is achieved, had also fueled hopes. The Union Government has also filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court assuring the restoration of statehood. The Supreme Court has also directed the Union Government to speed up the process of restoration of statehood for J&K (without the Union Territory of Ladakh).
Now, all eyes are on the rally to gauge the pulse of the situation and ascertain if the time for statehood restoration has indeed arrived.
Although its a non-partisan issue, yet the aspiration for statehood resonates deeply among the common people of Jammu and Kashmir. Another pressing issue that looms is Assembly Elections, which have been on hold since 2014. The absence of a popular government since 2018, followed by the demotion of the state into a Union Territory, has left the region in a political vacuum. Governor Satyapal Malik dissolved the government in 2018, followed by BJP Government the abrogation of Article 370, further deepened the political hiatus. While Panchayat, BDC, and DDC elections provided a semblance of grassroots representation, the absence of a state assembly looms large.
With the public eagerly anticipating good tidings from the podium, uncertainty is a looming presence. Can PM Modi’s speech open a new chapter for Jammu and Kashmir, enshrined in the return of statehood and assembly elections?
Only time will tell; meanwhile, anticipation keeps growing and people of Jammu and Kashmir stay patient waiting for answers in the midst of echoing promises.
