jammu-and-kashmir-statehood-remains-an-elusive-dream

Recently Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha virtually entered into a confrontation over the transfer of middle and junior level Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers. 

Omar strongly objected to the transfers and asked the Chief Secretary to keep these in abeyance with further instructions that no such transfer orders should be issued without his prior approval. 

This is only one of the issues of contention between the Chief Minister and the Raj Bhawan. Since August 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has been reduced to the status of a union territory. It was on this day when the Bharatiya Janata Party government repealed the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and divided the state into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and a separate UT of Ladakh. 

 

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As the state continued to remain under the central rule, till October 2024 when the elected government was formed, the LG had the complete control of the administration. As long as Jammu and Kashmir remains a UT, the LG will have the control over the law and order, security and the police, like in Delhi.

That much the elected government in JK understands and accepts. What obviously annoyed it and rightly so was the unilateral transfer of middle and lower rung JKAS officers, who directly deal with the day-to-day matters of the administration. An annoyed Chief Minister called a meeting of his party and the allies and also reportedly shot off a letter to the centre, objecting to the interference. 

The UT cabinet had passed the “rules of business” for day-to-day administration till the restoration of statehood last month. However, these have not been approved by the LG and there does not appear to be any urgency on his part to give his approval in the immediate future. The situation is likely to get more complex in the coming times as the elected Chief Minister will start asserting himself more. 

So far, Omar has adopted a pragmatic approach towards the centre and the BJP leadership including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the union Home Minister Amit Shah. This is despite the bitter criticism the two parties hurled at each other during the parliament and later the assembly elections, in 2024. The National Conference went an extra-mile to show its aversion and hostility towards the BJP during the campaign to convince and assure the Kashmiris that come what may, the party (the NC) will never align with the BJP. 

Omar later admitted publicly that the only reason for the NC going along with the Congress and joining the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was to assure the Kashmiris that NC will not go with the BJP. The strategy paid off and the NC swept almost the entire Kashmir and managed an absolute majority of its own with some seats from the Jammu region. 

But Omar put the bitter acrimony of the electioneering behind him and extended olive branches to the BJP from time to time. When Prime Minister Modi came to inaugurate a tunnel in Sonamarg area, Omar lavished full praise on him and credited him for holding free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

This was quite contrary to the INDIA bloc stand, which has been frequently accusing the BJP of manipulating the elections. Omar, on a separate occasion, even jibed the Congress that the party cannot have a dual stand on the EVMs as when it wins it remains quiet and when it loses, it questions the EVMs.

When recently Amit Shah visited Kashmir, Omar personally went to receive him at the airport. He specially accompanied the union minister of parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju during his visit to the world famous Tulip Garden in Srinagar. Omar was trolled for this gesture, particularly when just a few days ago, Rijiju had strongly defended the Waqf Amendment Bill, which NC had strongly opposed. 

Omar, unlike most other opposition Chief Ministers, has adopted a positive and pragmatic approach towards dealing with the centre. That is a natural course for any Chief Minister of any state that s/he has to maintain a good and cordial relationship with the centre. Confrontation between the centre and some Chief Ministers is only a recent phenomenon. 

Omar knows very well that not only does he need to run the UT, he also has to get back the “full statehood”, which he has prioritised over the restoration of Article 370. But sadly for him, the BJP government at the centre has not been forthcoming or categorically clear about it. There is always a vague assurance that the statehood will be restored in due course of time. 

As the time passes, it will be difficult for Omar to explain it to his people as to why the restoration of statehood is getting delayed. It is understandable that the government of India wants to retain complete control over the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir as the terror threat still persists. There have been repeated and frequent terror related incidents sponsored from across the border. The central government, at this juncture, cannot let the security situation get compromised in any way. 

The government of India will need to draw a fine balance between the security concerns and the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who cutting across all regions, want the statehood restored. This can be very much possible. The centre can evolve a JK specific arrangement to restore the statehood, while retaining control over the security apparatus. Omar Abdullah, being quite pragmatic, will be cooperative. 

Both the BJP led centre government and the NC led UT government will need to find a middle path in resolving the issue of statehood, sooner than later. While the Kashmiris have reconciled to the reality of the irreversibility of the Abrogation of Article 370, they very much expect the restoration of statehood, which is their rightful due. In fact not only the Kashmiris, but people from all regions, including Jammu, want the statehood restored. 

Jammu and Kashmir, till 1947 was a ‘sovereign’ state ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh and within a span of 72 years, it was reduced to the status of a Union Territory.