Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 27

Veteran statesman Karan Singh on Saturday urged the Government of India to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying J&K’s people should not have to “beg” for a commitment that New Delhi has repeatedly made but has yet to fulfil.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an interfaith dialogue in Srinagar, the former Sadr-e-Riyasat of the erstwhile state said the restoration of statehood was both expected and overdue, although he acknowledged that the timing ultimately rested with the central government.

“The Government of India has promised to restore statehood,” Singh said. “It should happen. We were the biggest state, so we should not have to beg for the state. They have to give it. When they decide to do so depends on them, but the commitment has already been made.”

Singh’s remarks come as the demand for statehood has once again emerged as the principal political issue in Jammu and Kashmir following the formation of an elected government after the 2024 Assembly elections.

The National Conference (NC)-led government has intensified pressure on New Delhi, announcing that its legislators, Members of Parliament and alliance partners will stage a demonstration in the national capital on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session to press for the restoration of statehood.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also appealed to opposition parties in the INDIA alliance to support the campaign, arguing that restoring statehood is a constitutional commitment rather than a political concession.

Jammu and Kashmir lost its statehood on Aug. 5, 2019, when the federal government revoked the region’s special constitutional status under Article 370 and reorganised the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Although legislative elections held in 2024 restored an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, several key subjects, including law and order, police and public order, continue to remain under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor, who represents the federal government.

The Supreme Court, while upholding the abrogation of Article 370 in December 2023, noted the Centre’s assurance that statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at an “appropriate time.”

The Centre has since reiterated that commitment in Parliament and before the courts but has not announced a timetable.

Singh, one of India’s longest-serving public figures and a former union minister, has consistently advocated greater political reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir and has supported the early restoration of democratic institutions following the constitutional changes of 2019.

Beyond the issue of statehood, he appealed for stronger social cohesion within Jammu and Kashmir, stressing the importance of preserving harmony between the Kashmir and Jammu regions.

“The relationship between Kashmir and Jammu should remain strong,” Singh said. “Sometimes that relationship becomes fragile, but we must ensure that our state grows together and continues to represent the diversity of India.”

He also emphasised the importance of interfaith dialogue at a time when religious polarisation has become a growing concern in many parts of the world.

“It is important that followers of all religions continue to live together peacefully,” he said. “History has shown the consequences of division. Dialogue allows people of different faiths to understand one another, and that is essential for preserving India’s pluralistic character.”

The comments were made during an interfaith dialogue organised by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) and the Inter-Faith Harmony Foundation of India at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar.

The programme brought together religious leaders, academics, writers and public representatives to discuss communal harmony and the role of dialogue in promoting peaceful coexistence.

Singh’s intervention adds to the growing chorus of political voices calling for the restoration of statehood, an issue that is expected to remain central to political discourse in Jammu and Kashmir as Parliament prepares to convene for its Monsoon Session.