Jammu: Why is Omar Abdullah Desperate for Restoring Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir?”By: Kundan Kashmiri, Kashmir Watcher & President, KPC Omar Abdullah’s persistent demand for restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is not rooted in democratic concern or people’s

welfare, but in a deep political desperation to reclaim lost power. After the historic abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the political monopoly of dynastic parties like the National Conference came crashing down.

With the reorganization of the state into two Union Territories, the cozy power structures that Omar and his party once enjoyed were dismantled. The National Conference, which ruled J&K for decades like a family estate, suddenly found itself out of power, irrelevant,

and disconnected from the real aspirations of the people.The desperation of Omar Abdullah to restore statehood is an attempt to revive that lost empire. For decades, the Abdullah family misused Article 370 to create a political ecosystem that benefited only a handful of elites while ignoring the suffering of minorities,

including the Kashmiri Pandit community that faced genocide and mass exodus under their watch. The ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989–90 happened under the rule or complicity of such political regimes.

The National Conference did little to stop the radicalization of the Valley and instead allowed separatist ideologies to flourish in educational institutions, mosques, and public spaces.Far from being a democratic champion, Omar Abdullah and his party repeatedly compromised the national interest.

They offered indirect legitimacy to separatist organizations like the Hurriyat, promoted anti-India narratives in universities, and protected radical clerics who spread venom against India. At the same time, corruption and nepotism thrived. Government funds meant for development, disaster relief, and employment were embezzled or distributed among cronies.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the youth, were robbed of opportunities, and a poisonous sense of alienation was deliberately cultivated to serve the party’s political

interests.Today, when Omar Abdullah speaks of restoring statehood, he is not doing so for the good of the people but to bring back that same power structure where he and his cronies ruled unchallenged.

His refusal to contest elections for the Union Territory Assembly, despite his loud rhetoric, exposes his real motive, he wants a return to full-fledged power with control over police, administration, and institutions. His definition of statehood is simply the revival of political dominance.

The Central Government must view this demand through the lens of history and caution. Reinstating statehood without deep political cleansing and systemic reform would mean empowering the same forces that destabilized the region, radicalized

generations, and alienated J&K from the national mainstream. It would mean rewarding those who, either silently or actively, encouraged separatist sentiment, opposed the Indian Constitution in the name of Article 370, and

looked the other way when minorities were being persecuted.Any restoration of statehood must be preceded by dismantling the old political order and fully rehabilitating the real stakeholders ,especially the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community that continues to live in exile for the last 35 years.

The Government must ensure that future leadership in J&K is not built on religious appeasement, soft separatism, or dynastic monopoly, but on the principles of inclusiveness, nationalism, and justice for all.

It is important to understand that this is not just about political status, it is about national security, social justice, and historical accountability.

Letting Omar Abdullah or his ilk return to power without addressing their past failures would be a tragic repeat of old blunders. It would open the doors to the same politics that led to bloodshed, radicalization, and betrayal of India’s trust.Omar Abdullah’s desperation must not be allowed to

influence the course of future decisions. India has come too far after the abrogation of Article 370 to now fall back into the trap of soft-separatism. The Centre must not lose sight of the sacrifices made by the armed forces, the pain of displaced communities, and the aspirations of patriotic youth of Jammu, Kashmir, and

Ladakh.The restoration of statehood, if and when considered, must be based on national interest, not dynastic demands. It should not serve as a tool for reviving compromised leadership but as an opportunity to empower a new, honest, and truly representative political class.

Let truth, justice, and the integrity of the Indian nation be the guiding principles not the desperation of fallen dynasts longing to reclaim their lost thrones.Kundan KashmiriPresident, Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC)Email: kundankashmiri@gmail.com | Mobile: 8802167955