SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference President and Handwara MLA, Sajad Lone, has expressed strong opposition to the celebration of Union Territory (UT) Day in Jammu and Kashmir, calling the occasion a “humiliation” for the region and a reminder of its disempowerment.
Describing the celebration as a harsh reminder of Jammu Kashmir’s demotion from a politically empowered state to Union Territory status, Lone argued that marking the day only deepens the wounds of JK’s people.
“Why should they rub salt into the wounds of the people of JK?” Lone asked, criticising what he sees as an “audacious” commemoration that disregards the sentiments of residents who once lived in a fully autonomous state. He called on elected leaders to distance themselves from these events, which, according to him, wrongly depict JK’s people as powerless.
The UT status, Lone contended, casts an enduring shadow over JK, suggesting either that its people cannot be trusted with self-governance or are incapable of managing their own affairs. “This day,” he stressed, “should be remembered as a day of disempowerment, not triumph.” He called on leaders across the political spectrum to reject pressures from the Central Government to celebrate a day he believes symbolises subjugation.
Lone urged the government to “stop taking the knee in Delhi” and to abandon any sense of “triumphalism,” as, in his view, the so-called celebration is not a victory for JK’s people. He concluded with a sombre reminder that the real cost of these commemorations is borne by JK’s residents, whom he believes are pushed further to the brink by what he terms acts of “humiliation.”
