Srinagar, Aug 08: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) will launch an 11-day hunger strike from Saturday (August 9) to press for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra will lead the symbolic chain hunger strike, beginning in Srinagar at 11:30 am from Congress headquarters, Moulana Azad Road, before moving to Jammu later in the day. Protests will be simultaneously organised across all districts of the Union Territory.“Our sole motive is to remind New Delhi of its commitment to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir,” Karra told Rising Kashmir, outlining the party’s peaceful protest plan. The strike will continue in a relay format with Congress workers participating in groups each day until August 20.Responding to questions about the earlier protest being stalled, Karra said: “It was quite strange. We don’t know whether the Congress party has become a threat to the administration or if other reasons were behind the disruption.” The J&K Congress chief addressed growing speculation that Jammu may be granted statehood while Kashmir remains a Union Territory, branding such reports as politically dangerous.“Rumours are nothing new in Kashmir politics. But if they turn out to be true, it will trigger massive public pressure and global reaction. Any such misadventure by New Delhi will not go unnoticed,” he said. The Congress’s move comes as public demands for the reinstatement of statehood continue to grow in the aftermath of the Centre’s August 2019 decision to revoke J&K’s special status. Karra urged all like-minded people, including civil society activists, traders and lawyers, to join the party’s hunger strike in Srinagar and Jammu, respectively.Earlier, the JKPCC chief had said that due to the absence of a Coordination Committee between the National Conference and Congress, the issues related to hunger strike, protests and other programmes. “The coordination committee is the right platform to discuss these issues, but unfortunately, it doesn’t exist. We had reminded NC a few times about it, but there was no headway,” Karra said. Recently, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, reacting to the Congress party’s recent protest at New Delhi about statehood restoration, said that had the NC been informed, perhaps they would have also joined the protest. It may be recalled that the NC and Congress fought the 2024 Assembly elections jointly. While NC bagged a majority, Congress managed only six seats.
