A NEW RAY OF HOPE?

JAMMU & KASHMIR

- Moazum Mohammad

For the past week, Jammu and Kashmir has been rife with rumours of all sorts, ranging from Jammu being bestowed standalone statehood to New Delhi extending an olive branch to the mainstream political parties in the erstwhile state. But nothing has been confirmed yet. The rumours were fuelled by the arrival of new security forces in some districts, which police say are returning troops from recently poll-bound states. Liutenant t Governor Manoj Sinha has put to rest the rumours, but apprehensions remain. “We are not convinced,” says National Conference MP and retired justice Hasnain Masoodi. The people talk about the days before August 5, 2019, when then J&K governor Satya Pal Malik had ‘allayed public fears’ about the move to abrogate Article 370. “We can only hope and pray that there is no fresh experiment. I hope the denial issued by the L-G turns out to be true. That said, we are ready for any eventuality,” says Masoodi.

The fresh rumours put the focus back on the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the five-party forum that is pushing for the restoration of J&K’s special status and statehood. Two partners, the People’s Conference led by Sajad Lone and the Congress, have exited the alliance, and it now includes the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), CPI(M), Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement and the Awami National Conference. The PAGD met at the Fairview residence of former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on June 9. The meeting came after six months but what surprised many was the softening stand of PAGD chief and NC patriarch Farooq Abdullah vis-à-vis the Centre.