Though the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal has hinted at an early decision regarding the return of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir, it is too early to anticipate anything in this direction for now.
As Meghwal himself has described the matter as sensitive, people should understand that the chances of restoration of pre-2019 status of J&K are still bleak as normalcy is still elusive in J&K though political statements often claim that peace has been returned. The regular encounters of security forces with the terrorists, the Pahalgam terror attack, and attempts by the violence mongers to disrupt peace like in the recent case whereby an IED was neutralized on Srinagar-Baramulla highway are enough to prove that terrorism is still a problem in J&K.
The Union Law Minister’s statement on return of statehood has nothing new because he has simply reiterated what the Home Minister Amit Shah has said in the Lok Sabha on statehood restoration. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have been demanding restoration of statehood. In 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two UTs viz. J&K and Ladakh.
It is necessary to recall that the top brass of the party in power at the centre has repeatedly assured that the statehood will be restored at an appropriate time, without any specific timeline but giving a hint that when the normalcy will be restored fully. In this context, every stakeholder knows that J&K is still plagued with terrorism as encounters with terrorists and conspiracies to disrupt peace are being orchestrated day in day out therefore expecting return of statehood for J&K sooner rather than later is like expecting rain without clouds.
It is pertinent to mention that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah stating in Parliament that statehood would be restored to J&K, no decision has yet been taken on the issue.
All said and done, one can say that restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir remains uncertain despite remarks made by Arjun Ram Meghwal of an early decision. As the Centre has linked statehood to the return of full normalcy, continued security challenges and terrorism cast doubt on any immediate move. Under the present circumstances and the stances taken by the BJP leadership, which really matter, without tangible peace and stability, expectations of early statehood restoration may be premature and therefore it is advisable for the people who care for J&K to wait and watch, as return of statehood seems to be a distant dream at the moment.
It is certain that the day the Centre feels that long-lasting peace has been established in J&K, it will announce the return of statehood on the very same day, and therefore expecting this change before that is pointless.
