In his first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening , Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah handed over a resolution passed by his cabinet on restoration of statehood to him. This was a foreseen part of the meeting which took place after the historic elections in the Union Territory in which the restoration of the statehood became a major issue .
Omar has done simplest of the things – reminded the Centre of its commitment to restore original statehood to J&K as per the commitment made by the government of India in the Parliament on August 5 and 6 when alongside abrogation of Article 370 , it split the sta6e of J&K into two union territories of Ladakh and J&K. While Ladakh was to stay as the UT, J&K was promised the return of statehood . That commitment was made by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah , and it was reiterated time and again during the Assembly poll campaign.
There also is a politics involved . Omar was bound by his political pledge made in his party National Conference’s manifesto in which it was stated and highlighted that it would work for the restoration of the statehood . Thereafter , the resolution was passed in the first cabinet meeting of 17th October . Omar had to live up to his political promise and that’s what he did.
What came handy to Chief Minister was the repeated assertions of the Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that NC or Congress or their alliance cannot get statehood back to J&K , because Centre alone can do it . The Centre is BJP that leads the NDA government. The government had split the state into two union territories in the beginning of the Modi-2.0 tenure , in August 2019- and that is also the time when it had committed itself to the restoration of the statehood to the UT of J&K..
Omar could not have left the matter to the Centre only without doing his own part . So he presented the resolution to PM , seeking early restoration of the statehood . In reality, Omar has sought the restoration of the statehood as his political responsibility as leader of the NC as also head of the government in J&K . With the statehood , his responsibilities and area of governance will also expand in the changed situation . There are new obligations that he would have to fulfill on the restoration of the statehood . True as it is that he has handled the responsibilities of Chief Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir when it had special status and the most powerful legislature in the country with all the guarantees of jobs and land rights for the permanent residents of J&K, but the situation has changed since . Now he is looking at the restoration of the statehood , in practical terms, not different from other states in the country. The logics are simple – J&K is not seeking upgradation from a UT status to statehood because its status to the UT was reduced only five years ago. It was a full fledged state before that. There , as he has argued time and again, was no justification for bifurcation of the state into two union territories . Worse was making J&K a UT from an exalted status of more than a full-fledged state, with semi few symbols of sovereignty – separate flag, constitution and exclusive rights of its people on its land and jobs . The restoration of the statehood demand also provides a leeway to Omar to navigate new and refined relationship with Centre , as he is keen to avoid confrontation on the issue of the reversal of abrogation of Article 370.
Centre, on the other hand , cannot ignore the demand . The central leadership , in particular, Prime Minister Modi had sensed an urge among the people of J&K for statehood , as he declared that the “ UT status ( for J&K) is temporary , and the statehood will be restored.”
After J&K held most successful and peaceful elections , the natural sequel should be restoration of the statehood, and it should not eb held hostage to the complete elimination of terrorism – as some of the alarming terror attacks have taken place after the government assumed office on October 16. The attacks have taken place when J&K is UT and all the police and law and order powers are with the Centre through its representative Lieutenant Governor . So, the UT status is no guarantee of zero-terror attacks . And Omar as Chief Minister will have to defend nation’s integrity and unity against all terror attacks and elements that support this menace . His plus point is that he is an elected CM and his appeal to people would be more among the people . Centre will need to address this issue in proper perspective and need of the times .