In a strong show of solidarity and political urgency, the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir organized a public meeting titled “Statehood Now” at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi. Held from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Deputy Speaker’s Hall, the event brought together a powerful coalition of voices demanding the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The gathering was marked by the presence of 122 former civil servants, alongside top political leaders, retired military officers, legal experts, and human rights activists. The meeting aimed to spotlight the political and human rights challenges faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019 and the region’s subsequent downgrade to a Union Territory.
Key speakers included:
- Dr. Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
- M.Y. Tarigami, senior CPI(M) leader
- Surinder Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister of J&K (former)
- Ruhullah Mehdi, politician and prominent voice from the Kashmir Valley
- Sajjad Kargili, political activist from Kargil
- Manish Tewari, senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament
Speakers collectively emphasized that the continued denial of statehood undermines democratic representation, regional identity, and constitutional rights. They called the August 5, 2019 decision a serious blow to federalism and a cause of long-term disenfranchisement for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The forum also underscored the need to restore civil liberties, conduct free and fair elections, and reopen democratic spaces that have shrunk drastically in the past six years. Several speakers demanded that Parliament must move swiftly to reverse the “temporary” Union Territory status and reinstate Jammu and Kashmir’s position as a full-fledged state.
The meeting concluded with a joint resolution calling upon the Government of India to take immediate legislative and administrative steps toward restoring democratic governance and statehood, and to initiate genuine dialogue with stakeholders across all regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was seen as a pivotal moment in the growing nationwide consensus that statehood is not a privilege but a democratic right that must be urgently restored.
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