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On People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration
The new alliance is reconfigured around the prospect of democratic politics, but its realisation may face challenges.
More than a year after the abrogation of the special constitutional status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and its reorganisation (bifurcation and downgrading of its status from state to two union territories), a number of mainstream political parties of Kashmir (including National Conference [NC], Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], People’s Conference, Communist Party of India [CPI], Communist Party of India [Marxist], Awami National Conference and Jammu Kashmir People’s Movement) have come up with a joint response in the form of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Taking the position that the rights of the people of J&K were “unconstitutionally snatched,” the alliance seeks to “constitutionally fight” for the restoration of the special status of this erstwhile state.
The formation of the alliance follows the spirit of the Gupkar Declaration that was adopted on 4 August 2019, a day before the changes in the structure of the state were announced in Parliament. Amidst the rumours that the Government of India was going to take some unprecedented steps in relation to J&K, the representatives of six mainstream parties of Kashmir had resolved that modification, abrogation of Article 35A and Article 370, or unconstitutional delimitation, or trifurcation of the state would be an aggression against the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. It was therefore resolved that all parties be united to protect and defend identity, autonomy and the special status of J&K.
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