Srinagar MP and National Conference leader Aga Syed Ruhullah has reiterated his unwavering stance on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370. Speaking about his political position post-2019, Ruhullah emphasized that his fight has always been for the dignity and identity enshrined in Article 370.
In a post on X, Aga Ruhullah said, “After 2019, my political stance has been crystal clear. At one of my earliest public gatherings in Budgam and then at other gatherings throughout Kashmir and also in my interviews post-abrogation, I told my people that our fight must be for the restoration of 370 and the dignity it embodies for the people of Jammu & Kashmir.”
“I’ve been informed about an urge and desire to protest for statehood in Delhi. I AM READY to participate in such a protest, and invite those prioritizing statehood to organize it. I will also try to organise support from at least more than 100 Hon’ble MPs. I believe for them there is no better time than January to organize it, when India’s Constitution—the very document that enshrined our special status—was adopted”, he said.
However, Ruhullah firmly stated that statehood alone cannot address the deeper issues stemming from the abrogation of Article 370.He said, “At the same time I ought to remind that the abrogation of Article 370 was a calculated act of humiliation, and a deep wound deliberately inflicted upon us. The subsequent demotion to a Union Territory was a further attempt to impress upon us the indignity of the abrogation.”
He criticized what he described as a “political statement” behind the abrogation, asserting that it symbolized a betrayal of the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Ruhullah made it clear that accepting statehood without first restoring the region’s special status would be a compromise he could not endorse.
“The abrogation was a political statement, a declaration that our sacrifices mean nothing, and that our future is theirs to dictate. Given this betrayal, this calculated attempt to break our spirit and subjugate our will, I cannot, in good conscience, sidestep from the fight for our special status and settle for the hollow promise of mere statehood. Shouldn’t our voices first rise for our honor, our identity, and the autonomy we have long been denied? “, he said.
He concluded by affirming his commitment to the cause, vowing to continue raising his voice louder with each passing day, “I think they should, and I will keep raising mine, louder each time.”, he said.
The Tree Remembers.
