Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed chaos on its third day as Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary introduced a resolution seeking the restoration of Article 370, which was passed with a majority vote.
The resolution, moved by the National Conference leader Surinder Choudhary on behalf of the government, called upon the central government to initiate dialogue with J&K’s elected representatives for restoring special status and constitutional guarantees. It emphasized safeguarding national unity and the legitimate aspirations of J&K’s people.
While many have lauded the National Conference (NC) for bringing forth a resolution seeking dialogue with the Centre on Jammu and Kashmir’s future, questions have emerged regarding the ‘language’ used in the proposal. The resolution has been hailed as a step toward reopening dialogue. However, many are left wondering why the resolution does not specifically highlight the need to restore pre 5 August, 2019 status.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for restoration of special status to the erstwhile state was a “half-hearted” effort which could have been written “in a better way”.
“We believe the language of this resolution could have been better.There is no condemnation of abrogation of Article 370 in this resolution.They (NC) talk about holding dialogue for restoration of the special status. What is the dialogue for? Do they have any doubt that what happened on August 5, 2019 was wrong? I would say it was a half-hearted effort,” Mehbooba said.
The PDP president said it was “sad” that the resolution did not term the abrogation as illegal.
“There is a need to correct the language of the resolution. The PDP will do it,” she added.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed Para posted a detailed response to the resolution on X and labeled it as an “insult to the injury” caused by the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. “By presenting this inert and hollow resolution, the NC has once again betrayed the historical will of the Kashmiri people, trading autonomy for appeasement and integrity for rhetoric,” Para posted on X.
He described the resolution passed in the assembly on Wednesday as a mere exercise in “empty semantics” designed to pacify the public without any real commitment.
“This resolution, wrapped in meaningless platitudes about “reaffirming” special status and “expressing concern,” is not only an exercise in empty semantics—it is a farcical eyewash. The language of this proposal is so deliberately vague that it holds no real substance or commitment,” he said.
Para went on to say that terms like “constitutional guarantees” are dangerously ambiguous, creating the illusion of commitment while giving no clear path to action or protection. Legal documents that rely on such vague language are nothing more than a deceitful farce, intended to mislead, pacify, and ultimately, betray, he wrote, adding that by offering a resolution that says everything and nothing all at once, the NC has shown its willingness to obscure the truth from the people, choosing to deceive rather than defend.”
The PDP Leader also raised concerns over NC’s apparent shift away from the Autonomy Resolution of 2000, accusing the party of betraying its own legacy.
“This move by NC is a grave betrayal, a calculated attempt to distance themselves from the legacy of autonomy they once championed. In effect, this resolution is NC’s final act of surrender on the Autonomy Resolution of 2000—a promise they once heralded, now reduced to hollow words buried in the soil of political expediency,” he said.
“The PDP cannot and will not remain silent in the face of this blatant capitulation. We reject this vague, toothless proposal and are moving a notice to amend the resolution so that it reflects the true spirit of the Kashmiri people’s struggle, aligning with their unwavering commitment to justice and self-respect.”
Proposes Amendments To Resolution
Para also proposed several amendments to the resolution, calling for a firm rejection of the J&K Reorganization Act 2019 and a demand for the immediate restoration of Article 370.
The PDP argued that the resolution’s language should be explicit in its call for the re-establishment of the state’s special status, rather than using ambiguous terms like “constitutional guarantees.”
He asked the ruling party to replace the words “expresses concern over their” with “opposes and rejects the”. “Vague expressions of “concern” only dilute our stand; the language must reflect a firm, unequivocal rejection of the unilateral removal of our constitutional safeguards,” he said.
The PDP proposes that the Assembly call for direct action rather than empty negotiations. The revised wording, he said, would demand, “This Assembly calls upon the Government of India to rescind the J&K Reorganization Act 2019, a law unilaterally imposed, and to restore Article 370 along with all allied constitutional guarantees in their original, undiluted form.”
The third point, according to Para, should explicitly call for the re-establishment of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as it was before August 2019. The PDP proposes,“This Assembly resolves that any process of restoration must prioritize the re-establishment of the State’s special status as it existed, in strict alignment with the resolution previously endorsed by this House on July 4, 2000, as demanded by the Kashmiri people.”
“Don’t be under any misconceptions. Today’s resolution brought by NC doesn’t so much so mention the J&K Reorganization Act 2019, nor ask for its repeal.
It’s just a public plea to the BJP to hold “dialogue” with NC.NC has offered the final funeral prayer for #Article370 today,” former Mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Azim Mattoo posted on X.
People’s Conference chairman and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone said what happened on August 5, 2019 “was against the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“Today, the balls were set rolling to reject it. This is the majoritarian viewpoint of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. I am very happy today. The first Assembly after 2019 has put a stamp that what was done on August 5, 2019 was morally, ethically, legally wrong. It will be remembered in the future how the people of Jammu and Kashmir had rejected it,” he told reporters here.
Later, in a post on X, Lone said the resolution is the start and not the end.
“I would humbly state that the resolution writer has been too economical in the wording of the resolution, which could make it prone to differing interpretations,” he said.
Lone said the resolution will have to be supplemented by explicit terminology.
“We should be unambiguous in our disdain and contempt for 5 August 2019. And we should clearly state that the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as embodied in the state Assembly has clearly expressed that Jammu and Kashmir should be reverted to pre 5 August, 2019 status. We need to remove the ambiguities,” he said.
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