Karras Statehood restoration campaign is finally turning tables around

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress Chief Tariq Hameed Karra on Thursday, launched a 15-day mass contact campaign demanding restoration of Statehood to the union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The campaign’s main objective is to gather public support for the restoration of statehood, a crucial issue that has remained at the heart of political discourse since the revocation of Article 370. The initiative is not only a means of asserting political resistance but also a way of connecting with the people on the ground who continue to feel alienated from the central government’s reluctance to announce a time frame for the restoration of the state.

Launched from Udampur district in Jammu province, Karra’s campaign intends to mobilize citizens, educate them on the importance of statehood, and urge the government to fulfil its commitment to restore the region’s full political rights. His plan involves reaching out to various communities, political organizations, and activists across JK to rally behind the cause, and he has expressed his resolve to continue the fight for Jammu and Kashmir’s dignity and identity.

The issue of statehood has been a contentious one in the region since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in August 2019. This move, which led to the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its bifurcation into two Union Territories, has left many locals and political leaders calling for the restoration of the state’s previous status. Tariq Karra, known for his vocal stance on various political issues in the region, has now positioned himself at the forefront of this demand.

The political context surrounding Karra’s campaign comes amid allegations of differences between the ruling NC and Congress over several issues including the alleged “lack of push” by NC in demanding restoration of Statehood for J&K. The region, which had enjoyed a degree of autonomy under Article 370, was left without its statehood status and reduced to a Union Territory along with Ladakh in 2019 When BJP led Union Government decided to abrogate the special status of then state in a sudden move surprising many across the world.. For many in Jammu and Kashmir, it was seen as a unilateral decision by the central government that disregarded the wishes and the political aspirations of the people of the state.

Since then, political leaders across different parties, including those in the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Congress Party, have been vocal in demanding the restoration of the statehood. However, Mr Karra, led JKPCC is the first party which has launched a full-fledged campaign for the cause. The JK Congress Chief who had previously served as a Member of Parliament for the Srinagar Parliamentary Consistency, has been a staunch critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its handling of the Kashmir issue. As part of his ongoing resistance against the downgrading of state into two union territories, Karra has stressed the importance of restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood as a matter of preserving the region’s unique identity and safeguarding the interests of its people.

Mr. Karra has been highly critical of the BJP-led central government, which, despite promising to restore the region’s status, has not taken any concrete steps to do so. According to him, the BJP’s actions since 2019 have been more about consolidating power rather than genuinely addressing the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He has accused the BJP of lacking the political will to restore the state’s full status and its rights.

In his latest public statements and addresses, Karra argued that the central government’s failure to meet its promises reflects its indifference to the concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. His campaign looks to seek not only to remind the central government of its promises but also to mobilize the public opinion to push for what they believe is their rightful status.

Tariq Karra, , believes that the restoration of statehood is the only thing left that can be pushed for return after Supreme Court validated the abrogation of 370 abrogation in 2023, and considers it as essential not only for the socio-political well-being of the people in the region but also for national unity.

The demand for statehood in Jammu and Kashmir is part of a larger regional sentiment that seeks to assert the political rights of the people who have often felt marginalized by the central government’s decisions. For many in the region, the stripping of statehood has led to economic hardships, a lack of political representation, and a sense of alienation from the rest of the country. Karra’s campaign is an attempt to unify these voices and demand a reversal of the central government’s policies in the region.

The outcome of this mass contact campaign could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape. Besides, this, the campaign can position Karra as the protagonist in pursuit for the struggle seeking restoration of statehood to J&k. If successful, the State Congress Chief and the party can be seen as the flag barrier for the cause of restoration of statehood and has the potential of helping him in his attempts to revive the grand old party in the state which has seen a deep downward drubbing ever since 2014 when it lost power to PDP-BJP alliance in the state.

But now with Tariq Karra’s emergence as a central figure in the statehood restoration movement is a significant development in Jammu and Kashmir’s political sphere, particularly for the congress Party which lacked a powerful leadership in the state that can take all along and at the same time take the party to the grass root level in such a forceful manner. His campaign is emblematic of the region’s ongoing struggle for political autonomy, and it underscores the growing dissatisfaction with the central government’s policies since the revocation of Article 370. Whether this campaign will succeed in achieving its goals remains to be seen, but it has certainly highlighted the continuing importance of the statehood issue in shaping the political discourse in Jammu and Kashmir.

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