J&K’s major political parties formalise alliance to fight for restoration of Article 370

Farooq, Omar, Mehbooba, Sajad, Muzaffar others attend meeting

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday announced the formation of 'People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration' in Jammu and Kashmir. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti also take part in the meeting. Mufti was released on Tuesday after 14 months of custody. After this Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah met him at his residence.

The alliance was formalised after two hours meeting of the signatories of Gupkar declaration at the residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah here.

Soon after the meeting concluded, Farooq, who was flanked by PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister and his son Omar Abdullah, Peoples Confrence chairman Sajad Gani Lone, Awami National Conference Vice president Muzaffar Ahmed Shah and others, said that all the signatories of the Gupkar declaration have decided to forge an alliance to fight for the restoration of special status.

“Our motive is to fight for the restoration of August 04, 2019 position,” he said, adding that the alliance will fight for the rights that were snatched last year from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

NC president Farooq Abdullah after meeting the PDP chief said they have formed an alliance named ‘People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’. “Our battle is a constitutional battle, we want the government of India to return to the people of the state the rights they held before August, 2019 (when Article 370 was abrogated)," he said.

We also want that the steps be taken for the resolution of Kashmir issue and all the stakeholders should be taken on board in this regard,” he said.

The veteran politician further said that the next meeting of the signatories will be held in coming days to decide on future course of action.

The meeting was also held on 22 August 2020

It is being told that the draft of the meeting will be centered on the Guptar Declaration which is basically a statement signed by six political parties on 22 August 2020. In the meeting on 22 August, these parties had said that a fight would be fought collectively against the violation of Article 370.

On August 22, 2020, six political parties from Jammu and Kashmir signed a statement called 'Gupkar Declaration' to fight collectively against the abolition of Article 370. Those six political parties include National Conference, PDP, INC, Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference, CPI (M) and Awami National Conference.

Story of a secret announcement

On August 4, 2019, a meeting was held by eight local political parties at the residence of National Conference National President Farooq Abdullah at Gupkar Road. At that time, tourists were asked to leave from Kashmir valley and gradually the gathering of security forces was increasing. There was chaos in the whole country about what is going to happen, from the way the number of security forces was increasing, there were speculations that some big decision was going to happen somewhere.

Kashmiri political parties called a meeting in this atmosphere of confusion. In that meeting a resolution was passed which was known as the secret declaration.

It said, 'We are devoted to Article 370 and Article 35A, the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, the common fight for the return of its statehood. The division of the state is absolutely unacceptable to us. We unanimously reiterate that nothing can happen without our unity. ' 

It further said, 'The decisions taken on August 5, 2019 were unconstitutional aimed at denying rights to Jammu and Kashmir and challenging the original identity of the people there.' Those political parties said in a joint statement, 'We want to assure the people that all our political activities will be in the path of return to the status achieved by Jammu and Kashmir by August 4, 2019.'