JK News Today Commentary
The announcement of a new political alliance named as “People’s Alliance for Change” in Kashmir on Monday- June 30, 2025, did not bring any surprise with it, nor it held any hope for change in the political landscape of the Valley, for long tormented by political betrayals. The alliance, announced at a press conference in Srinagar committed itself to restoration of Article 370 and Article 35 A, and the statehood. All these were scrapped in August 2019.
The controversial constitutional provisions, separating J&K from the rest of the country were declared null and void by the Indian Parliament. The promise of the grant of the statehood to the newly created union Territory of J&K, after Ladakh was separated from it and declared another UT was on two conditions; improvement in the situation in the terrorism battered territory and the appropriateness of the time to be determined by the Centre.
The protagonists of the Alliance did not answer any questions how they would achieve all this against the real- time background that Kashmir is not having enough strength even to move a resolution in the Parliament. Second, it is not only the Parliament, but the overall mood of the nation that favored abrogation of Article 370, and another striking fact is that many in the country are unsure whether the restoration of the statehood would serve any purpose. the bigger factor is that it is not only the will of the political parties and promises of the leadership that will determine whether J&K should its statehood back, like all other states in the country.
All the leading figures in the new grouping – Sajad Gani Lone of People’s Conference, Hakim Yasin of People’s Democratic Front and Jamait-i-Islami backed Justice and Development Front led by Shameem Ahmad Thoker- put signatures to the declaration for change, which distinguished between the commoners and the political elite. This was an unmistakable reference to National Conference, and the PDP that have ruled J&K, in various forms from time to time.
The purpose of the alliance, as explained at the press conference is to not only gain the constitutional status that existed before August 5, 2019 when J&K was a state , but it also asserts to create a political space where the elite will make way for the commoners . Though National Conference has not done anything extraordinary in all the eight months it has been in power to live up to confidence reposed by the people in 2024 elections, these parties also contested elections on the similar manifesto and slogans. Sajad Lone scraped through in the polls to win his seat, while all others were not given the mandate. They stood marginalized in the elections, what improvement have they brought in their behavior and political agenda to gain trust of the people.
They are hoping to fill the vacuum that NC government by its actions or inaction, has created since October 2024. But that requires a credible leadership. The negative politics has never paid unless backed by a positive agenda and the commitment to deliver on that. It, at the best is an axis, seeking to stay relevant rebranding themselves as an alliance. If their purpose was to empower the people, why didn’t they join hands on the eve of elections? That time, they were fighting against one another.
At this time , the whole agenda and proclamations of the arrival of PAC – mini PAGD- People’s Alliance For Gupkar Declaration –revolves around obsolete slogans. PAGD , formally launched in August 2020,avowed to change the history with its ambitious declarations , crashed like a house of cards in its first electoral tryst. Within a week, after the District Development Council polls that year , it split . And the man first to run away from the alliance was Sajad Gani Lone just because his party lost few seats in the DDC polls .
Although the fate of the PAGD was known in the changed realities, but its collapse on the eve of the Parliamentary elections in 2024 was a momentous failure . Those who trusted it to live up to its commitments felt badly betrayed .
The people know the reality – they know what fate PAGD met and why ? The rebranded PAGD in its shorter form- PAC- should have resonated with the real things : the people in Kashmir want peace with a secure future . That is missing .
Mukteesh Sharma is Editorial Director JK News Today. Views expressed are personal.
