Srinagar: Major political parties including the ruling National Conference, its ally Congress, People’s Democratic Party, Peoples Conference and Communist Party (CPI-M) not only stayed away from the official celebrations of UT Foundation Day Thursday, but most of them termed it as a ‘black day’ for the people of J&K.
National Conference provincial vice-president and Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani said that the Union Territory is temporary and the party can never celebrate the humiliation of Jammu and Kashmir.
News agency KNO quoted Wani as saying that there was no question of attending the UT Foundation Day as J&K, which was among the best States of the country, was downgraded to the Union Territory.
“How can we celebrate the humiliation of J&K?” he said, adding that the UT is temporary and it is expected to end soon.
“There have been promises over the restoration of statehood to J&K when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently went to New Delhi,” he said, adding “We are hopeful that statehood will be returned soon.”
And, by the way, he continued, “what’s there to celebrate when you are downgraded!”
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the Union Territory Foundation Day is a “black day” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir as it marks “disenfranchisement and not development”.
J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra also termed the foundation day as a “black day” and said that expecting the people to celebrate it is “asking for too much”.
The Lieutenant Governor administration on Thursday celebrated the fifth foundation day of J&K UT.
“What has happened to J&K has not happened anywhere before. I want to tell the LG that for the people of J&K, and especially for the PDP, today is a black day and we will see it as a black day till J&K’s special privileges are not restored,” Mufti told reporters in Pulwama.
The former chief minister said her party will continue “its struggle till Kashmir issue is not resolved to establish peace with dignity”.
“I hope the newly elected government will take along all the people and struggle to take J&K out of the present situation,” she added.
Later, in a statement, Mufti said October 31 is not a day of celebration for the people of J&K.
“The party firmly rejects this date as the so-called ‘Foundation Day’ of the Union Territory. It fails to represent the will, identity, and aspirations of the people of J&K,” she said.
Mufti emphasized that the imposition of Union Territory status on J&K was not a progressive step, but “rather an unjust act of disenfranchisement”.
“The conversion of our historically significant and autonomous state into a Union Territory, without the consent of its people, is not a symbol of development but a blatant erasure of our statehood and special status,” she said.
The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, which occurred on August 5, 2019, removed constitutional safeguards that had long protected the unique identity, rights, and resources of J&K, she said.
“These articles were the bulwark of our autonomy, culture, and distinct character. The unilateral removal of these provisions stripped away our ability to govern ourselves and protect our resources, leaving our future dictated by centralized control,” the PDP president said.
Mufti pointed out this is not the development the government claims it to be, but a “systematic disenfranchisement” that “deprives” the region’s citizens of their fundamental rights and self-determination.
The valley-based mainstream political parties criticised the LG administration for celebrating the UT Foundation Day and skipped the event.
NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar voiced strong opposition to celebrating “UT Day”, calling the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir a “painful demotion and a violation of the state’s rights”.
Speaking to press as per news agency KINS, Dar emphasized that the NC has consistently opposed Jammu and Kashmir’s reclassification as a Union Territory since it was first implemented in 2019.
“We have never accepted the UT status. This was a state that was illegally and unconstitutionally divided and then downgraded to a Union Territory. So what is the point of celebrating this? We have been opposing it for the last five years.”
He noted that an elected Chief Minister had recently delivered a resolution to New Delhi on behalf of his Cabinet, advocating for the restoration of statehood.
Dar argued that had these democratic requests been respected, there would be no reason to observe “UT Day”.
“The sooner it is revoked, the better it will be for J&K and its people because our rights have been attacked.”
He said that the NC would not recognize or celebrate the Union Territory status, describing it as a “black day” for the region.
“We will never celebrate, we will never accept, and we will never do it. For us, this is a black day.”
Senior party leader Sheikh Bashir Ahmad called it a day of “humiliation” for people of J&K.
“The Union Territory Foundation Day is actually a day of humiliation for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. On this day, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were humiliated. There’s no reason to celebrate it; it’s a day for officials and bureaucracy. From this day, the destruction of Jammu and Kashmir began. This day holds no relevance for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In a democracy, everybody has a right to express their views….”
J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra said that asking people of Jammu & Kashmir to celebrate Union Territory Foundation Day is “grave injustice”.
“You are asking too much from us. The day when Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded and deprived of its due rights will remain a black day for not only the Congress party but for every citizen of J&K. So asking us to celebrate this day is grave injustice with us,” Karra told reporters at party headquarters in Srinagar.
He said those glorifying this day have no belief in democracy.
“Expecting from us that we will be part of such events is impossible,” he said.
Replying to a query, the J&K Congress chief said that the incumbent Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir should be part of security review meetings, and appealed to the Lieutenant Governor to follow norms and parameters.
“Since new government formation in J&K, several security review meetings chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha were held. But it is not an inclusive and holistic approach if Chief Minister J&K is not invited. The CM should have been invited after a popular government formed in J&K. It would be my appeal to LG Sinha that the working should be under norms and certain parameters should be followed in this regard,” he said.
He said the Congress party is consistent that statehood to Jammu & Kashmir should be restored as soon as possible. “The Congress party will demand statehood to J&K in and outside the Legislative Assembly. We maintained it till date and will continue till its restoration. We impress Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to fulfill promises they made on the floor of the Parliament,” he added.
Senior CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA M Y Tarigami said celebrating the Union Territory’s Foundation Day was a “humiliation” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir as “downgrading” the state was “unprecedented” and an “assault” on the Constitution of the country.
“The humiliation of the people of J&K is being celebrated by the rulers and some bureaucrats are applauding it. This is unfortunate,” Tarigami told PTI.
Tarigami also hit out at LG Manoj Sinha following his remarks that skipping the celebrations by the MLAs showed their “dual character”.
He said the Supreme Court has mentioned in its verdict that the UT status is temporary, and statehood must be restored as early as possible.
“LG Sahab must try to look at it and the prime minister, home minister and others who hold the command of the country are on record that this is a temporary status and statehood will be restored,” Tarigami added.
People’s Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone also did not turn up for the official celebrations.
