In an unusual return to political theatrics in the Kashmir Valley, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a convention in Srinagar’s Tagore Hall on June 11, reviving contentious demands for the restoration of Article 370 and bilateral talks with Pakistan, positions largely abandoned even by most regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir today.
Chants of “Lal Salam,” the ideological slogan synonymous with the Left movement, resounded in the hall as the CPM sought to paint the abrogation of Article 370 as a historic betrayal of constitutional principles. However, what stood out more than the rhetoric was the ironic undertone of a party that has long presided over political decay in states like West Bengal and Kerala now demanding “democratic rights” in Jammu and Kashmir.
CPM’s ‘Convention for Restoration of Constitutional Rights’
The event, titled “Convention for the Restoration of Legitimate Constitutional Rights of the People of Jammu and Kashmir”, was addressed by CPM general secretary M Alexander Baby, who claimed that the reading down of Article 370 amounted to a violation of the social contract between the state and the rest of India.
Here are some glimpses of today’s program at Srinagar @cpimspeak @CPIMKerala @tarigami @MABABYCPIM @JohnBrittas @AARahimdyfi @aishe_ghosh pic.twitter.com/ULCdlboOdZ
— Syed Azaz Abidin Zaidi ☭ (@syedazazzaidi) June 11, 2025
“Before adding it into the Constitution of India, Article 370 was thoroughly deliberated upon and agreed to,” Baby said, dismissing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s claims that the abrogation brought peace and development to Kashmir.
Familiar Rhetoric, Familiar Blind Spots
The CPM, whose political strongholds have seen violent cadre-based suppression, political murders, and ideological rigidity over decades, appeared less interested in the democratic failures within its own backyard. In contrast, Baby took aim at what he termed the “marginalisation of elected representatives” in J&K, asserting that security meetings chaired by the Lt. Governor (a Centre-appointed nominee) had sidelined past chief ministers like Omar Abdullah.
“This only emboldens the terrorists,” Baby claimed, without acknowledging that the vacuum in leadership was as much a result of local political failures as of central decisions.
CPI (M) @cpimspeak Kashmir Convention, Seeks Rights
The #CPI(M) #Jammu #Kashmir held a one-day convention at #TagoreHall #Srinagar to press for the restoration of the legitimate #constitutionalRights. Party General Secretary M A Baby, @tarigami , and six MPs participated pic.twitter.com/nWyQxnDzpV— Kashmir Life (@KashmirLife) June 11, 2025
Tour of Uri and Symbolic Gestures
In a dramatic gesture, Baby and fellow party leaders toured border villages in Uri, which were affected by Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor. Criticising the government’s compensation package, he said: “The government is providing only Rs 1.3 lakh for damaged houses. That amount is meagre,” adding that party MPs would raise the issue in the Lok Sabha.
While expressing concern for the victims of cross-border hostilities and terror attacks, such as the recent killing of ponywallah Adil Shah in Pahalgam, Baby simultaneously called for de-escalation.
CPIM delegation led by @MABABYCPIM visited different parts of Uri to assess the damage caused due to shelling from Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/T9GwgZGHGz
— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) June 10, 2025
“Terrorism must be fought, but war is not a solution… We must stop at a certain point and begin negotiations,” he said, advocating bilateral dialogue with Pakistan but opposing any third-party mediation, particularly involving Donald Trump.
Repeating Old Patterns
The party also trotted out the usual anti-Centre narrative, with senior CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami alleging discrimination against J&K.
“This is the only region in the country where such a reversal from statehood to Union Territory has taken place. Elsewhere, UTs have been upgraded,” Tarigami said, conveniently overlooking the Left’s decades-long support for weakening national integration in the Northeast and their historic opposition to national security legislation.
Context Matters: A Party That Forgot its Role in Disruption
The CPM’s renewed interest in Kashmir raises eyebrows, not just for its anachronistic politics, but for its reputation of ideological obstinacy and violent governance in places like Bengal, where opposition parties, press freedoms, and democratic dissent were all once casualties of Left Front rule.
From ignoring infiltration from Bangladesh, to stifling industrialisation through ideological rigidity, and backing anti-national student politics in Delhi, the party’s legacy across India is marred by disruption, not dialogue.
As Kashmir emerges slowly from decades of terrorism, insurgency, and political manipulation, the CPM’s call for Pakistan talks and restoration of Article 370 seems less about rights and more about reclaiming lost ideological ground.
While Srinagar heard chants of ‘Lal Salam’, much of India watched with scepticism, wondering whether the CPM had truly come to defend democracy, or just repeat the very model of political misadventure it has exported to other parts of the country.
