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NC mobilises civil society, sets stage for statehood protest in Delhi

Early Times Report

Jammu, July 7: In a significant political development, nearly 150 prominent members of civil society on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution demanding the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, lending support to the National Conference's campaign to press the Centre on the issue.
The meeting, convened by the National Conference (NC) at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake, brought together representatives from trade bodies, religious organisations, social groups and other eminent citizens to build public support ahead of the party's proposed protest in New Delhi on July 20.
The resolution urged the Central Government to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without any further delay, describing it as essential to fulfilling the democratic aspirations and constitutional rights of the people.
The development assumes significance as it is the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019 that a broad-based civil society gathering has formally passed a resolution seeking the restoration of statehood.
The Centre has consistently maintained that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Government had also passed a resolution urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite the restoration of statehood.
The meeting was led by National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and witnessed extensive deliberations on ways to build a broader public movement on the issue. Participants suggested taking civil society into confidence and forging a united political front cutting across party lines to collectively press the Centre for the restoration of statehood.
Addressing the gathering, Jammu and Kashmir Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam welcomed the initiative of bringing together diverse sections of society and expressed full support for the demand.
He said the restoration of statehood represents the democratic aspirations and constitutional dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and deserves the united support of all stakeholders.
President of the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Mohammad Yaseen Khan, highlighted the difficulties faced by the business community in resolving issues under the present administrative arrangement and called for political unity to strengthen the demand for statehood.
Describing the meeting as "extremely productive", Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the interaction generated several valuable suggestions and reflected a broad consensus among different sections of society.
"The resolution reflects the collective and unanimous voice of civil society representatives present at the meeting, reaffirming the broad-based demand for the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir," an NC spokesperson said.
As part of its campaign, the National Conference has planned a series of events, including major conventions in Srinagar and Jammu on July 11 to mark the death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, wife of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
The party is also preparing for a major demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 20. The proposed protest will be attended by the party's 41 legislators and four Members of Parliament, who will stage a sit-in demanding the restoration of statehood. The NC also plans to submit a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, while Dr. Farooq Abdullah has decided to invite leaders of the INDIA bloc and other political parties to join the protest.