As Parliament prepares for its monsoon session, the people of Jammu & Kashmir look to New Delhi with expectation and resolve. A historic moment has arrived — and with it, the opportunity to fulfill a promise repeatedly made and constitutionally guided: the restoration of full statehood to Jammu & Kashmir.
Following the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directive in December 2023, which clearly ordered the conduct of assembly elections before September 2024, elections were successfully held in a phased manner across the Union Territory. The process marked a significant democratic milestone after years of central rule.
The culmination of this democratic exercise came on 11 October 2024, when Mr. Omar Abdullah took oath as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, backed by a decisive public mandate.
This moment is both symbolic and substantial — the people have spoken, and the institutions have responded. But the work is not complete.
A Popular Mandate Must Be Fully Empowered
The return of an elected government brings renewed hope. It also brings a clear demand: empower the mandate. No government can serve its people effectively while functioning under the limited administrative structure of a Union Territory. A popularly elected leadership must be granted the full legislative, executive, and constitutional authority that comes with statehood.
To withhold statehood now is to undermine the very spirit of the democratic resurgence that the elections represented.
The Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah have, on the record — both in Parliament and at public forums — promised the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. They assured the people that the Union Territory status was temporary and that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time.
Now that the region has witnessed peaceful elections, improved security, developmental momentum, and re-engaged public participation — that appropriate time is now.
Let there be no doubt: restoring statehood is not a political concession. It is a constitutional necessity and a democratic obligation. The people of Jammu & Kashmir have consistently demonstrated faith in the Indian Constitution — even in the face of political marginalisation. It is time that faith is reciprocated with equal constitutional rights.
The Path Forward
As the monsoon session of Parliament opens, all eyes are on the Centre. The path ahead is clear and urgent:
- Respect the verdict of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
- Honour the assurances of national leaders.
- Empower the elected government to function as per the will of the people.
From Kamalkot to Lakhanpur — the message is one: restore our identity, our dignity, and our democratic right to statehood.
Let this Parliament session be remembered as the moment when the Centre chose unity over control, faith over fear, and democracy over delay.
Justice delayed is democracy denied. The people of Jammu & Kashmir have waited long enough. The appropriate time to restore statehood is not tomorrow — it is now.
— Adv. Neelofar Masood
Senior Leader, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC)
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Adv Neelofer Masood is a politician from Baramulla, J&K. She is associated with Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.
