Wed Jul 23 17:19:39 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A public meeting, “Statehood Now,” organized by The Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, featured prominent political figures discussing the delayed restoration of statehood to J&K, which was split into two Union Territories in 2019 after the revocation of Article 370. Concerns were raised about the government’s governance of the region, recent terror attacks, disenfranchisement of certain communities, and the Supreme Court’s stance on Article 370 abrogation. Speakers, including former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Congress MP Manish Tewari, and Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance, voiced discontent and called for the reversal of the J&K Reorganisation Act and restoration of statehood.

**News Article:**

**J&K Statehood Remains Elusive, Sparking Renewed Calls for Restoration**

**New Delhi, July 23, 2025** – Frustration over the delayed restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) reached a boiling point at the “Statehood Now” public meeting held today, organized by The Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir. Prominent political figures voiced their discontent and demanded immediate action.

Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah urged the “silent majority” to advocate for statehood, lamenting the perceived disenfranchisement of Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis. He criticised the government’s approach, stating, “They look at us through the lens of religion and language. This is not my India.”

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary questioned the Union government’s governance of the region in the past 11 years, highlighting the recent terror attack in Pahalgam as evidence of ongoing security concerns. “How did Baisaran happen? How did Pulwama (2019 terror attack) happen? Why has corruption not stopped yet?” he asked.

Congress MP Manish Tewari weighed in on the Supreme Court verdict about Article 370: “This is a very strange idea and I am not making this up. This is the SC judgment which I have read”.

Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) voiced concerns about Ladakh, stating that the region had been cheated and disenfranchised and calling for a reversal of the J&K Reorganisation Act. The speakers commonly expressed views of land under threat.

The special status of J&K was revoked in August 2019, and the former state was split into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. While Assembly elections were held in J&K in September 2024, the promised restoration of statehood remains unfulfilled.

Former Union Home Secretary G.K Pillai has suggested that the Supreme Court should have mandated statehood, rather than leaving the decision to the government. The future of statehood for J&K remains uncertain, despite the impassioned pleas from regional leaders.

Read More