Prime Minister Narendra Modi sure has a wacky, subtle sense of humour and a way of communicating that few can match. PM Modi says certain things and can charm anyone with his smiles and mannerisms. But he sure can convey equally well by leaving things unsaid, not uttering a word on something that may be on everyone’s mind.
Modi took a selfie with a young entrepreneur and called him my friend. He praised the baking skills of a group of Kashmiri women.
His royal ignore was reserved for Abdullahs, Mehbooba Mufti, and others who had formed the People’s Alliance of Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) in 2019. During his recent visit to Srinagar on March 7, he virtually spoke about everything else under the sun but PAGD! By not saying a word about this loose grouping, he was effectively declaring that PAGD was dead. Unworthy of his attention.
Flashback to early August 2019, when heavy deployment of security personnel was being done all through Kashmir and Amarnath pilgrims were sent back home. Sensing something serious was in the offing, regional political leaders gathered at the Gupkar residence of National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah on August 4. This was a day before the Centre decided to abrogate Article 35-A and watered down Article 370, effectively neutering it.
The leaders who had gathered that day were Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Sajjad Lone, Imran Reza Ansari, Shah Faesal, Muzaffar Shah, among others. The meeting was chaired by Farooq, and Mehbooba was made the vice chair of the group. It unanimously declared that “all the parties would be united in their resolve to protect and defend the identity, autonomy, and special status of J&K against all attacks and onslaughts whatsoever.’’
Afterwards, it was projected as a united grouping that would fight back for the restoration of Article 35-A, as well as Article 370 in its earlier avatar. Initially, seven parties, including the NC, PDP, CPI(M), J&K People’s Conference of Sajjad Lone, Congress, and Jammu & Kashmir’s People’s Movement, were a part of the PAGD. However, the Congress stepped back in November 2019 saying it was not a part of PAGD. Lone’s PC was the next party to walk out saying they were leaving it as it “lacked a clear road map’’.
As long as hearings in the Supreme Court on petitions relating to Article 370 continued, there was some semblance of unity in PAGD. However, its constituents were utterly despondent when the SC upheld the government’s actions pertaining to Article 370 on December 11, 2023. Its demise, as predicted by Sajjad Lone in November 2019, happened a couple of days ago. This happened after Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti addressed two different press conferences and sparred over the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat.
Omar said that since Anantnag, Srinagar, and Baramullah seats were held by the NC, the party wanted to put up its candidates in these three seats again. He also said that there could be seat sharing talks with other parties on Jammu, Udhampur and Leh Lok Sabha seats held by the BJP. Mehbooba, however, feigned deep hurt and said that her party workers wanted her to contest from Anantnag. Incidentally, Omar’s NC and Mehbooba’s PDP are part of I.N.D.I. Alliance led by the Congress.
In such a situation, with the NC and PDP likely to be pitted against one another, not only has the PAGD died in J&K but practically the India Alliance too. On record, both Mehbooba and Omar have reiterated their resolve to fight the BJP. But the question of a united front has evaporated.
Mehbooba termed PAGD a joke, but the leader of the J&K Apni Party, Altaf Bukhari, was more damning when he said that it was dead. Not buried though, as its last rights have not been conducted formally, Bukhari added!
