NOT EVEN A PRETENSE OF DEMOCRACY
13 July, 2025 will go down as a dark day in Indian democracy. People from Jammu and Kashmir have been observing this as Martyr’s Day as 22 Kashmiris died in 1931 on this day in police firing ordered by the Dogra ruler Hari Singh. These people were part of a large crowd which had gathered outside Central Jail in Srinagar on the occasion of court hearing of Abdul Qadeer who had given a call for revolt against the tyrannical rule of the king. For people of Jammu and Kashmir this was part of their freedom struggle which culminated when the Ruler abandoned the kingdom along with his Prime Minister in the face of attack from Pakistan and Sheikh Abdullah took over the leadership of the state.
Both National Conference and People’s Democratic Party, the two major political parties of J&K, had asked from Lieutenant Governor permission to observe Martyr’s Day which was denied to them. The graveyard where the above-mentioned 22 people have been buried, Mazar-e-Shuhada was kept out of bounds for people. What was even more shameful was that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, opposition party leader Mehbooba Mufti and other Ministers and leaders were kept under house arrest reminding people of the draconian clampdown in 2019 when Article 370 was diluted and 35A was abrogated.
Can we imagine in any other state of India, the Governor or LG putting the CM and elected members to Assembly under house arrest? This itself shows that the Union Government has different standards for dealing with people of J&K. It got the Assembly elections conducted but the elected government is subservient to the LG imposed on the state by the Union government. There is not even a sham of democracy in J&K. It is outright rule of the Union government with scant regard for the people’s mandate. How do we expect the people of J&K to have any faith in the Indian state?
If the Indian state wants J&K to be integral part of India then it has to make the people of the state feel that they enjoy the same rights as people of other states. The Army rule has to be withdrawn and power transferred to the elected government. The first thing that is required in this direction is the restoration of statehood. What is required is a great deal of sensitivity in handling the state whereas the Union government continues to use the high-handed manner that it is used to.
Socialist Party (India) stands with the people of Jammu & Kashmir and condemns the discriminatory treatment of people, including the elected government. J&K should be run by people’s mandate not by the Union government. Real democracy needs to be restored in J&K which has been usurped by successive Indian governments. SP(I) will fight along with the people of J&K until true democracy is implemented in the state.
