The common people on the streets of Jammu and Kashmir were 'upbeat and jubilant' after the apex court delivered its long-awaited verdict on Monday, upholding the abrogation of Article 370 and setting the stage for conducting the maiden Assembly polls by September 2024.
The common people refrained from discussing the politics surrounding the abrogation of Article 370; instead, they were keen on witnessing the 'dance of democracy.
Senior Advocate Sheikh Shakeel called it a landmark judgement.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Sheikh Shakeel said, "The Apex Court has paved the way for restoring democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. The five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has also directed the Centre to restore the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir while setting the stage for long pending Assembly polls.”
A senior representative of the deprived Valmiki society Gharu Bhatti and president of the West Pak refugees joint action committee Labha Ram Gandhi also welcomed the landmark judgement.
The Apex court has cleared all the hurdles allowing our children to realise their dreams and work hard. “The successive Governments in the State deprived us of our basic fundamental rights. We were caged and living in inhuman conditions for a long period of 70 years. After the Abrogation of Article 370, we were given the voting rights. We were granted citizenship of Jammu and Kashmir and our children were granted permission to sit for competitive examinations. Now they have been admitted toadmittedly professional colleges and preparing for Administrative examinations. It is time to distribute sweets,” he said.
The apex court has also directed the Centre to restore statehood status as soon as possible, Ashok Kumar, a local businessman running a provision store in the Nanak Nagar area of Jammu said.
However, the political parties reacted differently in both the Jammu and Kashmir regions. In Jammu, J&K Unit BJP chief Ravinder Raina hailed the Supreme Court’s verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370, saying “We honour and respect the judgment in letter and spirit.”
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad termed the Supreme Court’s verdict on pleas challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution “sad and unfortunate”, but said “We have to accept it.”
“It (the court verdict) is sad and unfortunate,” Azad told reporters.
The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said the people of the region are not happy with the verdict delivered by a five-judge bench of the apex court.
On the other hand, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said he is disappointed but not disheartened by the Supreme Court verdict.
In a broadcast on ‘X’, Omar apologised to the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh for failing to convince the apex court to restore Article 370.
“Unfortunately, we could not convince the five judges, and for that… I apologise to the people of J&K, Ladakh, and those in the country who wanted us to succeed,” he said. “Our efforts will not end here,” the NC leader added. “I am in Srinagar at my home and addressing you because the gate has been locked and I am not being allowed to meet anyone…,” Omar said.
PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti urged people not to lose hope, even as her party suspended all its political activities for a week.
According to a statement issued by the PDP spokesman, the decision has been taken to stand in solidarity with the people of Jammu & Kashmir in the wake of the Supreme Court of India’s judgment of the issue of Article 370.
“The party president Mehbooba was scheduled to address various workers' conventions as part of her ongoing public outreach programme and many such conventions were scheduled over the next few days. Many other political activities were also scheduled by the party. But to stand in solidarity with our people at this crucial juncture in the wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict on the issue of Article 370, We have decided to cancel all our political activities for the next one week,” the party chief spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari said in a statement.
Former president of J&K Congress GA Mir said the apex court should have given a time frame for the restoration of the statehood and ensured special safeguards for the jobs and land for the locals of the Union Territory.
