MADURAI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist), after its 24th Party Congress held in Madurai from April 2 to 6, passed a resolution demanding the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, along with the revival of democratic rights and civil liberties. The party described the August 5, 2019, decisions of the BJP-led central government, which revoked Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories, as unconstitutional and disastrous.
According to the resolution, these actions have not only dismembered a historic state but also created a political vacuum and intensified alienation among the people. The CPI(M) expressed grave concern over the continuing erosion of civil liberties and democratic freedoms, noting that arbitrary arrests under laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Public Safety Act have become routine. It said that hundreds of political activists and journalists remain incarcerated, both within and outside Jammu and Kashmir, and that many young people are being denied job opportunities and passports under the pretext of security clearances.
The party recalled that Jammu and Kashmir had enjoyed land and employment rights protections since the time of Maharaja Hari Singh. While similar safeguards exist in several Indian states, such protections were unilaterally stripped from Jammu and Kashmir, worsening the insecurity among its permanent residents. The resolution also criticised the state of the economy, arguing that the promised benefits of development and investment had failed to materialise. Key sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts and transport were described as being in deep crisis, with apple growers facing increasing difficulties and a lack of legal guarantees like the Minimum Support Price.
The CPI(M) condemned what it described as a climate of executive overreach through new domicile laws, media restrictions, and intimidation of government employees. Nevertheless, it acknowledged that the recent Assembly elections, held after a gap of seven years, saw a significant turnout, demonstrating the people’s desire for democratic participation. The party said that the electorate had clearly rejected the BJP’s attempt to polarise the region and manipulate the outcome using proxies and financial power.
However, the resolution warned that the BJP-led government at the Centre continues to undermine this democratic mandate. It accused the administration of obstructing the functioning of the new government led by Omar Abdullah, citing the large-scale transfer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre officers as a move that further eroded the authority of the elected legislature.
The party’s resolution called for the immediate granting of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as a first step towards restoring its special status. It also demanded protection of land and job rights, restoration of democratic and trade union freedoms, release of political detainees and journalists, and an end to indiscriminate arrests of youth. It concluded with an appeal to all secular and democratic forces in the country to stand in defence of the constitutional and democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
