Srinagar: Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir described the administration’s move to celebrate October 31 as the ‘Foundation Day’ of Union territories of J&K and Ladakh as akin to rubbing salt on the wounds of the people of the erstwhile state. While the administration held celebrations, political parties staged protests and issued statements of condemnation.
After 2019, for the first time, the J&K administration celebrated October 31 as ‘UT Foundation Day’. Since 2014, when the Narendra Modi government came to power, the day is also being celebrated as ‘National Unity Day’ across the country.
The celebrations by the UT administration were to commemorate J&K’s designation as a Union territory on October 31, 2019. Political parties questioned the logic behind such celebrations when the Union government had assured that the UT status to J&K was only temporary, and it would be soon bestowed with full statehood again. Tuesday’s celebrations by the administration came days before the scheduled verdict by the Supreme Court on the Article 370 case.
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‘Insult to people of J&K’: Political parties
As part of the celebrations, the administration held a series of events across districts and in both capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu. From students to government employees to commoners, the administration roped in people from all walks of life to highlight, what it described as “progress” in the Union territory.
Celebrations by the Jammu and Kashmir administration to mark ‘UT Foundation Day’ on October 31, 2023. Photo: X (Twitter)/@OfficeOfLGJandK
The celebrations by the administration raised eyebrows of people, for it was the first time after October 31, 2019, such celebrations were held. Even in 2019, the celebrations were a low-key affair and were confined to Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. The day in 2019 marked J&K’s formal transition to Union territory, and G.C. Murmu took over as its first lieutenant governor.
Political parties condemned celebrations by the administration. While Congress observed the day as a “black day”, other parties said that it amounted to rubbing salt in the wounds of the people of J&K.
“There is nothing to celebrate about the day. Should we celebrate the downgrading of our state or the snatching of our democratic rights? In reality, today is a day of mourning and sorrow for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, today is a black day for us,” National Conference vice-president and former chief minister of J&K Omar Abdullah said.
“They are rubbing salt on our wounds. Were we asked before creating this UT or did we have a say in this decision? Did we benefit from this decision?” he asked.
Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and four-time legislator Muhammad Yosuf Tarigami said celebrating the day as “UT Diwas” is an insult to the people of J&K and Ladakh.
“How this can be a celebration? In parliament, the BJP government assured the people that statehood would be restored soon,” he said. “After independence, no state was downgraded to a Union territory. Union territories are demanding statehood. The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance from Ladakh are demanding full-fledged statehood.”
Led by their president Viqar Rasool, Congress party workers staged protests in Jammu, demanding restoration of statehood and assembly elections.
In Jammu, senior National Conference leader Rattan Lal Gupta said the BJP rubbed salt in the wounds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by celebrating the “UT Foundation Day”. He said that the party demeaned the glory of the Dogra community as it was on this day that the erstwhile J&K state was downgraded and “cut into pieces”.
A message behind celebrations?
What could have been the reasons behind the administration celebrating ‘UT Foundation Day’ for the first time after 2019 on Tuesday, October, 31?
This still remains a mystery. While some sections see it as an exercise by UT administration to showcase, what it says, its achievements in the past four years, others see a political message: that J&K’s statehood wouldn’t be restored in the near future.
Also read: J&K: In 5 Years Without Elected Govt, the ‘Crown of India’ Has Become a Khap Panchayat
The ‘UT Foundation Day’ was observed ahead of the Supreme Court’s much-awaited verdict in the Article 370 case. The judgment is expected to be pronounced in November-December as Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, one of the judges of the constitution bench that heard the Article 370 case, is attaining superannuation on November 25.
It is worthwhile to mention that the Modi government has promised multiple times that J&K’s statehood will be restored at an appropriate time.
In a meeting with political parties from J&K on June 24, 2021, Modi assured them that his government is committed to restoring statehood to J&K. On February 13 this year, Union home minister Amit Shah said that the statehood would be restored only after assembly polls.
However, the Union government told the Supreme Court on August 31 that it cannot give any timeframe as regards the statehood, but noted that it would take “some time”.
Umer Maqbool is a Kashmir-based independent journalist, who writes on politics, governance and legal issues.
