New Delhi, Feb 02: In a fiery intervention in Parliament, Jammu and Kashmir Lok Sabha MP Choudhary Ramzan on Monday tore into the Centre over the 16-month delay in restoring statehood to the Union Territory, even as elections and delimitation — key preconditions promised by the government — stand completed.
Flagging a staggering unemployment crisis, Ramzan as per Kashmir Convener painted a grim picture, “There are 3,60,000 unemployed students there. Out of which 66,000 are graduates and 47,000 are post-graduates. There are more than that, but unemployment is very high.” He urged the Centre to announce a “special package” to address the “disappointment” among youth.
The outburst comes amid growing frustration in J&K’s political circles, where the Omar Abdullah-led government, elected in October 2024 after the Supreme Court-mandated polls, remains hobbled by the Lieutenant Governor’s overriding powers. Ramzan invoked the government’s pre-poll assurances: “You had promised us that first we will do delimitation, then we will do election and after election you will give us statehood. We have done election and delimitation, but we still haven’t got statehood even after 15-16 months.”
Drawing parallels to a “symbolic” democracy, he questioned: “What is the meaning of that election if the power is not behind the voters? Elected government is there… but only in form without powers. And all powers are in the hands of LG. People have voted, but they don’t rule. They speak, but they are not heard.”
Ramzan invoked B R Ambedkar’s vision, asking if ribbon-cutting on roads and projects was “a substitute for democracy”, and reminded the government of commitments by the Prime Minister, Home Minister — including a recent meeting with Rajya Sabha MPs — and even a Supreme Court affidavit by the Solicitor General promising statehood “immediately after elections”.
The MP also revisited the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, J&K’s “identity”, contrasting it with similar protections in other regions. “When Article 370 was removed… you had promised us… after elections we will immediately give you statehood,” he said.
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