Massive Protest Held against Abrogation of Article 370; Procession Led by Senior Party Leaders Stopped by Police near Raghunath Mandir, Jammu
Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, DD: The Jammu Province unit of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference today observed August 5 as Black Day, marking the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Protest demonstrations were organized at all district headquarters across Jammu Province to denounce the unilateral decision taken by the Government of India on this day in 2019.
In Jammu city, a large protest rally commenced from Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan, the party’s provincial headquarters, and proceeded towards the city centre. However, the peaceful procession was stopped by the police near Raghunath Mandir, where senior party leaders addressed the gathering.
The protest was led by Mr. Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President Jammu; Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Former Minister and Additional General Secretary; Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Provinciasl Secretary Jammu, Vijay Lochan, Chairman SC Cell; Abdul Gani Teli, Chairman OBC Cell; Pardeep Bali Provincial Secretary Jammu, Vijay Luthra Joint Secretary Jammu Province and Satwant Kour Dogra, Provincial President Women’s Wing Jammu Province.
Other prominent leaders who participated included Nar Singh, President Labour Wing; Shamim Begum, DDC Dansal; Rakesh Singh Raka, Vice President Central Zone; Laxmi Datta, Chander Mohan Sharma, District President Jammu Urban; Raghbir Singh Manhas, District President Jammu Rural-A; Ch. Rehmat Ali, Ex-BDC Chairman; Sarshad Natnoo,Rita Gupta, Dilshad Malik, Master Aslam, Waris Gill, Ch. Shabir, S. Gurnam Singh, Subash Bhagat, Ashok Dogra, Devi Dyal Jogi, Nitish Gowsami, Sahil Kerni, Zamir Quershi, Majid Iqbal Naik, Hamed Choudhary, Muzamil Malik, Jatin Bhat, Sumita Bhan, Veer Ji, Ch. Razak, Ashanand, Sapna Gill, Reena Choudhary, Kuldeep Sharma, Jatinder Singh Lucky, S. Gimmy, Deep Mehra, Karan Singh, Asha Singh and Jatinder Kumar, among others.
Addressing the gathering, the party leadership described August 5, 2019, as a dark day in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, when the constitutional rights of its people were unilaterally revoked without their consent. They demanded the restoration of Article 370, full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, and safeguards for land and job rights.
“The decisions taken on August 5, 2019, are unacceptable to us. We will continue our peaceful and democratic struggle for the restoration of our constitutional rights. It was claimed that these decisions would bring development and parity with other states but the reality is starkly different. Unlike other diverse regions of our country, which enjoy their rightful place under India’s federal structure, Jammu and Kashmir continues to be denied its status and rights.”
The leaders emphasized that Jammu, in particular, has suffered due to the prolonged delay in restoring statehood.
“Jammu has been at the receiving end. Its vital interests can only be protected under proper statehood. Jammu and Kashmir is a diverse and sensitive region, and only a democratically elected government under full statehood can address the unique challenges of our people. The National Conference is working on multiple fronts to safeguard the cultural identity, democratic rights, and interests of the people of the region.”
“We are not asking for anything new, but only what was promised on the floor of Parliament and in public by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Home Minister. It’s high time that the promise of restoring statehood is fulfilled,” they said.
The National Conference leadership reaffirmed its commitment to continue its democratic and peaceful resistance to safeguard the identity, dignity, and constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.DD
