Over 100 Eminent Citizens Urge MPs to Take up J&K Statehood in Parliament

New Delhi: Three organisations and 124 eminent citizens have written to members of the parliament, requesting that they seek the immediate and full restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir in this ongoing monsoon session of parliament.

"We are heartened to note that the session has had a full discussion on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and its aftermath, including Operation Sindoor. Several critical and appropriate questions have been raised in the public domain in this matter on a wide range of issues. They relate to national security, to strategic affairs, to policing and administration, and the failure to find a political resolution to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir. We hope many of these problems will be addressed during the session, with a view to evolve a bipartisan political consensus on Pahalgam and the threat posed by terrorism, as well as the future of democracy in a deeply troubled region, where a large number of people continue to feel alienated and poorly treated," the letter says.

A day ago, opposition members of the parliament did indeed ask why, 100 days after the Pahalgam attack, the attackers have not been captured and demanded that union home minister Amit Shah take responsibility.

The authors of the July 27 letter noted that they have a key question in this context.

"In this context, we urge that a very critical question, the loss of Statehood and the diminution of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, is not lost sight of during the discussions. A powerful plea by you and your party colleagues for restoring statehood with
the utmost urgency is required," the letter said.

The signatories of the letter are former bureaucrats, former armymen and women, activists, academics, lawyers and journalists.

The letter sought to remind MPs that the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir is something to which the Union Government is already committed.

They noted that it is important not just for peace-building in Jammu and Kashmir, but for restoring faith in the federal architecture of our Constitution.

"This is crucial, as all the States of our Republic can become vulnerable to the rise of centralising and authoritarian trends in our polity. To prevent such an eventuality, we propose that a clause be inserted into Articles 1 and/or 3 of the Indian Constitution, laying
down that no existing state can be turned into a Union Territory," they wrote in the letter.

The hundred-strong signatory list wrote that the MPs' support for the statehood demand will "demonstrate parliamentarians’ solidarity" with Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership and legislators.

"The issue of unconstitutional removal of statehood has been pending for six years. It must not be allowed to become a precedent for disrupting the basic structure of federal India," they added.

The full list of the signatories is below.

1. Ammu Abraham, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
2. Tanvir Aeijaz, Associate Professor, Ramjas College, University of Delhi
3. Hilal Ahmed, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi
4. Mani Shankar Aiyar, Former Union Minister and MP, Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, Delhi
5. Apoorvanand, Professor, Delhi University, Delhi
6. C. Balakrishnan (retd), Secretary Coal, GOI, Delhi
7. Rana Banerji (retd), Special Secretary Cabinet Secretariat, GOI, Delhi
8. Sanjaya Baru Former Media Advisor to the PM, Delhi
9. Prajit K. Basu, Former Professor, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
10. Amit Bhaduri, Economist, Dharwad
11. Madhu Bhaduri, IFS (retd), Writer, Dharwad
12. Anando Bhakto, Journalist, Delhi
13. Niloufer Bhagwat, Vice President of the Indian Association of Lawyers, Mumbai
14. Anjali Bhardwaj, Satark Nagrik Sangathan
15. Anuradha Bhasin, Editor Kashmir Times, Jammu
16. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, Founder and Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Right to
Information Movement, Srinagar
17. Pankaj Butalia, Filmmaker, Delhi
18. Maneshwar S Chahal, Member Constitutional Conduct Group
19. Feroze Chandra, Journalist, Mumbai
20. Gurjit Singh Cheema, Retired Financial Commissioner/ Addl Chief Secretary, Punjab
21. Zafar Choudhary, Editor, The Dispatch, Jammu
22. F.T.R. Colaso IPS (retd), DGP Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir
23. Lt Gen Kamal Dawar (retd), Indian Army, Kasauli
24. Capt Praween Dawar, former Member Minorities Commission, New Delhi
25. Satish Deshpande, Former Professor, Delhi University, Bengaluru
26. Malini Devanandan, Physician, Kodaikanal
27. Nikhil Dey, Mazdoor Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan
28. Arundhati Dhuru, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Lucknow
29. A.S. Dulat, Former Secretary, R&AW, Delhi
30. K.P. Fabian, IFS (retd), Delhi
31. Enakshi Ganguly, Former Director, Haq Centre for Child Rights, Goa
32. Rajni George, Editor Sky Islands, Kodaikanal
33. Jayati Ghosh, Economist and Professor, Delhi
34. Suresh K Goel, Former DG Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Delhi
35. Colin Gonsalves, Lawyer, Delhi
36. Kamini Gopal, Resident, Kodaikanal
37. H.S. Gujral, Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Punjab
38. Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
39. Ramachandra Guha, Writer and Historian, Bengaluru
40. Meena Gupta, Retired Civil Servant, Hyderabad
41. Ravi Vira Gupta, Former Deputy Governor, RBI, Delhi
42. Wajahat Habibullah Former Chief Information Commissioner, Delhi
43. Zoya Hasan, Professor Emerita, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, Delhi
44. Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist, Delhi
45. Madan Lal Hind, Samajwadi Jan Parishad
46. Nalini Tyabji, Artist, Delhi
47. Prem Shankar Jha, Former Editor Hindustan Times and Media Advisor to PM VP
Singh, Delhi
48. Najeed Jung, Former Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, Delhi
49. Air Vice-Marshal Kapil Kak (retd), Indian Air Force, Noida
50. S Kalidas, Writer, Journalist, Goa
51. Sajjad Kargili, Member Kargil Democratic Alliance, Kargil
52. I D Khajuria, Member, National Committee, Internationalist Democratic Platform (IDP), Kathua
53. Vinod Khanna, IFS (retd)
54. Suhas Kolhekar, Climate, Health Rights and Social Justice Activist, National Alliance
of People's Movements (NAPM)
55. Gita Kripalani, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (retd), Gurugram
56. Radha Kumar, Former Member, Group of Interlocutors & Co-Chair, Forum for
Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, Kodaikanal
57. Subodh Lal, Former DDG (International Relations), Department of Posts, GOI, Noida
58. Smriti Lamech, Communications Professional, Kodaikanal
59. Ashok Ogra, Media Educator, Delhi
60. Dinesh Malhotra, Member Constitutional Conduct Group
61. Rita Manchanda, Author, Conflict & Peace Studies Policy Advocate, Delhi
62. Saeed Malik, Journalist, Srinagar
63. Ajay K. Mehra, Political Scientist, Noida
64. Aditi Mehta, Former Secretary to the Government of Rajasthan, Udaipur
65. Major-General Ashok Mehta (retd), Indian Army, Noida
66. Nivedita Menon, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
67. Malay Mishra, Former Ambassador of India to Hungary, Delhi
68. Bashir Mir, Social Activist, Baramulla
69. Avinash Mohananey, Former Director General of Police Sikkim, Chandigarh
70. Manoranjan Mohanty, Former Professor, Delhi University, Delhi
71. Sudhansu Mohanty, Former Financial Advisor, Minister of Defence, Govt of India, Bengaluru
72. Deb Mukharji, Former Ambassador to Nepal, Delhi
73. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, Former High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, IFS (retd), Delhi
74. Vanita Mukherjee, Independent Researcher, Delhi
75. Sudipto Mundle, Economist, Delhi
76. Nagalsamy IAAS (retd), Former Principal Accountant General of TN, Chennai
77. Janaki Nair, Former Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Bengaluru
78. B.M. Nanta, Member Constitutional Conduct Group
79. Niya Tapo, Intersectional Climate Activist, Arunachal Pradesh
80. Pinto Norbu, Businessman and Former MP, Leh
81. Amitabha Pande, Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, Government of India, Noida
82. Sandeep Pandey, General Secretary, Socialist Party (India), Lucknow
83. Anand Patwardhan, Filmmaker, Mumbai
84. Maxwell Pereira, IPS (retd), Author
85. Pamela Philipose, Journalist, Delhi
86. Gopal Pillai, Former Union Home Secretary and Co-Chair, Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi
87. R. Poornalingam, Secretary to Government of India (retd), Chennai
88. Justice Anjana Prakash, former judge of the Patna High Court, Delhi
89. Jyoti Punwani, Freelance Journalist, Mumbai
90. Ram Punyani, Writer, Activist, Mumbai
91. Ellora Puri, Honorary Director, Institute for Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, Jammu
92. Badri Raina, Columnist and Author, Delhi
93. M.K. Raina, Actor-Director, Delhi
94. Swarna Rajagopalan, Independent Researcher and Writer, Chennai
95. Aruna Rajkumar, Resident, Kodaikanal
96. Sajad Rasool, Journalist, Srinagar
97. Gauhar Raza, retired Scientist, Poet, Delhi
98. A. Madhukumar Reddy, Member Constitutional Conduct Group
99. Latha Reddy, Former Deputy National Security Adviser of India, Bengaluru
100. Julio Ribeiro, I.P.S. (retd), Mumbai
101. Aruna Roy, Mazdur Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan
102. Vaishna Roy, Editor Frontline, Chennai
103. Anand Sahay, Journalist, Bengaluru
104. Shivani Sanghvi, Lawyer, Mumbai
105. Deepak Sanan, Former civil servant, Shimla
106. Meera Sanghamitra, All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) & National Alliance of
People's Movements (NAPM), Hyderabad
107. Tanika Sarkar, Former Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
108. E.A.S. Sarma, Former Secretary, Government of India, Visakhapatnam
109. A. Selvaraj, IRS (retd), Former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Chennai
110. P.C. Sen, Former Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission of India, Delhi
111. Farooq Renzu Shah, Chairman Kashmir Society and Former Commissioner Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar
112. OP Shah, Centre for Peace and Progress, Kolkata
113. Shankar, Mazdoor Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan
114. Ashok Sharma (IFoS), Kirti Chakra, retired PCCF Gujarat, Gandhinagar
115. Ashok Sharma, IFS (retd), Noida
116. Gayatri Singh, Lawyer, Mumbai
117. Padamvir Singh, IAS (retd)
118. Shantha Sinha, Former Chairperson, National Commission for Child Rights, Hyderabad
119. Arun Subramanium, Journalist, Bengaluru
120. Nandini Sundar, Sociologist, Delhi
121. P.S.S. Thomas, IAS (retd), Former Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission of India
122. Sanjay K. Tikoo, President, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti, Srinagar
123. Major-General S.G. Vombatkere, VSM (retd), Mysuru
124. Suneel Watal, IT Professional, Delhi

Organisational Endorsement:

Mazdur Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan
Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS), Delhi
The Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi

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