Srinagar: A civil society group in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday urged the Government of India to expedite the restoration of statehood to the region.
In a statement, the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) expressed deep concern over the prolonged delay in reinstating statehood and called on the government of India to act promptly, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s directive in December 2023.
The GCC warned about the negative effects of the existing “dual control” system, describing it as a form of diarchy that hampers effective governance and undermines the well-being of the people.
“For over six years, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have unjustly endured the absence of a representative government,” the group stated, urging ththgovernment of India to respect the democratic aspirations of the populace by restoring full statehood.
It added that statehood would enable the newly elected government to be held accountable for addressing the legitimate demands and expectations of the citizens.
The group also cautioned that further delays would be counterproductive and against the best interests of both Jammu and Kashmir and the country.
“Restoring statehood would reaffirm the people’s right to a responsible, responsive, and empowered government, akin to other states, as was the case in Jammu and Kashmir before its downgrade to a Union Territory in August 2019,” the GCC noted.
The group reiterated its trust in the commitments made by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister in Parliament and called on political parties to unite, setting aside differences, to advocate for the reinstatement of statehood.
Comprising jurists, former vice-chancellors, academicians, civil servants, and business leaders, the GCC appealed for collective action to achieve this objective.
