5 min readAug 7, 2026 02:49 PM IST
First published on: Aug 7, 2026 at 02:49 PM IST
The Kashmir Valley witnessed the annual ritual of protests and demonstrations by local political parties such as the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on August 5 against the Narendra Modi government’s historic decision seven years ago to nullify Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution. There were some demonstrations outside Parliament, too, which were joined by some INDI alliance partners, such as the Congress and the Left parties.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chose to stay away from Srinagar on that day, perhaps on the pretext of visiting flood-affected areas in Poonch. Several senior NC leaders were absent at the demonstrations in various places across the Valley. People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone limited his protests to a post on X, calling August 5, 2019 a “brutal coup” and cursing that the day will be seen “with contempt and disdain” by the people of J&K. Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter Iltija were seen on the streets leading motley crowds in protests.
Both the CM and Mehbooba Mufti made the restoration of J&K’s pre-2019 status the main plank of their protests. From Poonch, Abdullah posted a message on X saying, “we haven’t forgotten & we haven’t reconciled far less accepted our current circumstances”. He claimed that his party was committed to “reversing all that was done to J&K”. Mufti, leading a candle march in Srinagar, insisted that “Article 370 was our protection, our dignity and our identity” and “we will not remain silent until the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A”.
However, across the Valley, there was a lukewarm response to these demonstrations from the politically mature, savvy people of J&K. They seem to have realised the futility of the rhetoric of these leaders. They know that there is no possibility of even a debate over the issue in the present political milieu, much less the restoration of the provisions. Abdullah himself said in 2024 that expecting the restoration of Article 370 from those who abrogated it is “foolishness” and “deceiving the public”. In fact, his government even omitted any mention of Article 370 in the Lieutenant Governor’s address to the J&K Assembly in January. Yet, the ritual goes on.
The people of the UT moved on and are enjoying the benefits of good governance, development and daily life free of terrorism under the post-2019 regime. They see the pathetic condition of democracy across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, and their own brethren getting killed by and at the behest of the Pakistani military just for demanding better living conditions. They can see the contrast on this side of the LoC — innumerable benefits in areas like healthcare, education, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and sports. They celebrated democracy by participating in the elections to the UT Legislature in large numbers in 2024.
The problem with the Valley leadership is that they lack any forward-looking agenda and want to take the people backwards. Earlier, they used to bluff that they would take them back to pre-1953 status, although it was their own leadership which had hollowed out Article 370 over decades after 1956. What happened in 2019 was the removal of a skeleton that became a hindrance in the total integration of the state with the Indian Union.
Instead, they should learn some lessons from the leaders and people of Ladakh. After achieving their long-standing demand of UT status, they came up with a roadmap demanding certain constitutional protections and engaged in discussions with the Centre. The Valley leaders are stuck on the demand for statehood and keep returning to the restoration of Article 370.
Both the prime minister and the home minister have said that the current UT status is temporary, and statehood will be accorded at an appropriate time. Article 370 was a temporary provision, but the Valley leaders enjoyed it for 70 years. Why can’t they bear with this temporary UT status for a few years?
The problem is their bankruptcy of ideas when it comes to the future of the people of J&K. They should remember that Article 370 is history and no mainstream party in the country, including the Congress, whose leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi joined their protests outside Parliament, dares to commit to its restoration. The Valley leaders can serve their people better by thinking about the possibilities and opportunities that the Indian Constitution offers for the overall development of the region.
The writer, president, India Foundation, is with the BJP
The problem with the Valley leadership is that they lack any forward-looking agenda and want to take the people backwards. 
Share
