SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) General Secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar on Sunday said the dismissal and arrest of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on August 9, 1953, had cast a “long shadow” over Jammu and Kashmir’s democratic journey and damaged public trust in New Delhi.
In a statement issued from the party headquarters at Nawa-e-Subha, Sagar described August 9, 1953, as one of the “darkest chapters” in the democratic history of the country, alleging that the removal of the then democratically elected government and arrest of Sheikh Abdullah dealt a serious blow to the political aspirations of the people of J&K.
“9 August is not merely a date on the calendar. For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, it is a painful reminder of a betrayal that shook their faith in democratic institutions,” Sagar said.
He said Sheikh Abdullah’s arrest and subsequent incarceration had left a deep political wound in Jammu and Kashmir, with successive developments further aggravating feelings of alienation.
Sagar also linked the events of 1953 with the Centre’s decisions of August 5, 2019, saying they had further eroded whatever trust remained between the people of J&K and New Delhi.
“The wounds of 1953 were still alive in the collective memory of our people when the unilateral decisions of 5 August 2019 were imposed upon Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever little trust remained was shaken further,” he said.
The NC leader said people of Jammu and Kashmir had nevertheless continued to participate in the democratic process, despite their grievances, and had voted in parliamentary and Assembly elections after being assured that Statehood would be restored.
“Our people were repeatedly told that delimitation, parliamentary elections and legislative elections would pave the way for the restoration of Statehood. They believed those assurances. They participated in the democratic process. They voted. They elected their representatives,” he said.
Questioning the continued delay in restoring Statehood, Sagar asked how long the people of J&K would have to wait for what he described as a promised right.
“How many more elections must the people participate in? How many more assurances must they hear?” he asked.
Sagar said the issue of Statehood was not merely administrative but involved “democratic dignity, political confidence and constitutional trust”.
He called for restoration of full-fledged Statehood as the first concrete step towards rebuilding trust between Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre.
“Now New Delhi must do its part. Promises made to the people cannot be reduced to slogans or deferred indefinitely,” he said.
Sagar also said the people of J&K had repeatedly demonstrated faith in democracy by participating in elections and choosing the ballot despite difficult circumstances.
“The least they deserve in return is respect, dignity and the restoration of their constitutional rights,” he said
