'If Ladakh Could Do It, So Can We': Mehbooba Writes To CM Omar, BJP For Unity In Restoring Rights And Dignity Of Jammu Kashmir

Srinagar: Buoyed by the Ladakh political unity over its negotiations with the Government of India, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti has written to the chief minister Omar Abdullah and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for united outreach to the Prime Minister and Home Minister for a sustained dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in restoring their rights and dignity.

“Recent breakthroughs achieved by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance with the Centre offer an important lesson - only dialogue can deliver meaningful outcomes,” Mehbooba has written in her letter to the chief minister Omar Abdullah.

In the letter to CM Omar, Mehbooba claimed that she had sought an appointment with him, "but due to your preoccupation, it has not been possible". She said that Jammu and Kashmir "finds itself yet again at a crossroads in its history where the pervasive feeling of despair and disillusionment has gripped the state".

“It necessitates a broad consensus above and across party and partisan lines to pull J&K out of the current debilitating stalemate. If we want to restore the dignity & security of our people, a constructive dialogue with the Government of India is a much needed imperative. The time has come to make a united outreach to the Hon'ble Prime Minister & Hon'ble Home Minister and prevail upon them to initiate a sustained dialogue with the people of Jammu & Kashmir,” she said.

Besides Omar, the PDP president has written letters to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, CPI(M) leader Mohd. Yousuf Tarigami, People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone, MP Engineer Rashid, AAP President Mehraj Malik, PDF Chairman Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, J&K National Panthers Party President Harsh Dev Singh, Shiv Sena (J&K unit) President Manish Sahni, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti President Sanjay Tickoo, and Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee Chairman Jaspal Singh.

Mehbooba has urged them to come together for a joint and coordinated outreach to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“We have to keep our disagreements & contrarian views on the back-burner to unite for the common good & collective welfare. This cannot become a matter of appropriating political credit or point scoring. Rather it must become a moment of unification in the largest interest of people we all claim to represent. Given the fact that disagreements and squabbling between regional parties have been detrimental to the collective interests of J&K a reasonable consensus especially post 2019 is the only solution. If Ladakh could do it, so can we,” she said.

She urged the chief minister to call an all party meeting to set the ball rolling to reach out to the Central Government. “Your support is a prerequisite for the success of this political platform. Genuine unity in these difficult unprecedented times can lead us towards restoring our rights and dignity of our people guaranteed by the Indian Constitution,” she said.

The letter by Mehbooba Mufti came weeks after the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance claimed a breakthrough in their talks with the Government of India for seeking sixth schedule status under Article 371 and a legislative assembly. Ladakh showed this political unity after August 2019 when it was bifurcated as a union territory from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Political parties including PDP and National Conference, Peoples Conference and other regional parties had formed had formed Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) two days before the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 but it began showing signs of split after the centre government conducted the first ever district development council elections in November-December in 2020.

On August 24 in 2021, the PAGD, in its first meeting after the abrogation of Article 370 and division of the state into two union territories, had passed a resolution that read:

“Unconstitutional decisions of August 5, 2019 taken in the Parliament to nullify Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India and the damaging legislation which dismembered the historic State and created two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh—has created a big political void and deep uncertainty in the erstwhile State. It is most unfortunate that the judicial challenges against this abrogation as a violation of the Constitution continue to remain pending before the Supreme Court even after two years.”

This meeting was held at the Gupkar Road residence of National Conference president and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar. By this time, the PC led by Sajad Lone had left the alliance.

CM Omar Reacts

Reacting to the PDP President's letter, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that her letter gave the impression that he had kept her waiting for an appointment for weeks on end, "which is clearly not the case".

"Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba, we spoke on Saturday when you asked to meet. I told you I was in Pahalgam on Sunday & would get in touch on Monday or Tuesday to fix to meet. Your letter gives the impression that I’ve kept you waiting for an appointment for weeks on end, which is clearly not the case. Be that as it may, your letter to me is now in the public domain and I will be sending you a reply, similarly routed, once I’ve consulted my senior party colleagues," Omar wrote.

Read More:

1. Mehbooba Mufti Appeals Jammu Kashmir Parties To Unite For Political Rights On Ladakh Pattern
2. Mehbooba Mufti Demands Disneyland On Former Army Garrison In Kashmir