SRINAGAR: The ruling National Conference (NC) launched its much-anticipated signature campaign demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, beginning from the border area of Mendhar in Poonch district on Sunday.
Senior NC leader and minister Javed Ahmed Rana kicked off the campaign, calling it a “people-driven movement” aimed at reclaiming the democratic rights, constitutional identity, and dignity lost following the revocation of J&K’s special status on 5 August 2019. That decision by the Centre also saw the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without one).
“Mendhar and Poonch have witnessed immense suffering, especially after Operation Sindoor on May 7. This campaign is rooted in the voices of the common people who have, for too long, awaited the restoration of our statehood. It is about reclaiming what is rightfully ours,” Rana said while launching the drive.
He asserted that statehood was not a privilege but a constitutional right, representing the identity, voice, and future of the people. Rana urged youth, civil society members, intellectuals, and citizens across party lines to participate, stressing that the issue transcends politics.
The signature campaign, announced earlier by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in his Independence Day speech at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium, will cover all regions and constituencies of Jammu & Kashmir. NC leaders will visit every village and locality across the 90 Assembly constituencies to collect signatures.
“If people don’t want to sign, I will accept my defeat and that they are content with the current situation,” Omar said, expressing confidence that “lakhs of signatures” will be gathered in the coming weeks. The party aims to submit the campaign results to the Centre and the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the statehood matter again in eight weeks.
Omar’s move comes in the backdrop of no reference to statehood in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, and the Supreme Court’s remarks that “incidents like Pahalgam” could not be ignored in the restoration debate.
However, the NC’s campaign has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who have questioned both its timing and intent.