Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 20: Cracks have developed in the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) or “Gupkar Alliance” formed in October to fight for the restoration of special status for Kashmir with one of the six alliance partners leaving the combination.
Though the other members of the alliance tried to maintain a brave face in the wake of the People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone taking his outfit out of the PAGD, the development is certain to cause a setback to the unity of the major political parties in Jammu and Kashmir outside the BJP and the Congress.
The PAGD was formed on October 20, 2020 in the wake of the District Development Council (DDC) elections in the newly-created union territory of J&K after six political parties, some of them rivals, – National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, CPI (M), Awami National Conference, Peoples’ Conference and Peoples’ Movement came together to fight for the restoration of special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 of the Constitution that was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
On Tuesday, Lone wrote to PAGD chairperson and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah saying that the Peoples’ Conference decided to part ways with the PAGD over the issue of fielding of proxy candidates by constituent parties against the officially mandated candidates of the alliance during DDC elections.
“No party is willing to cede space; no party is willing to sacrifice. We fought against each other in Kashmir province not against the perpetrators of August 5 (2019). And those who perpetrated August 5 and their minions are now vocally gleeful. It is difficult for us to stay on and pretend as if nothing has happened,” Lone wrote.
“Trust between allying partners who have been rivals all along can be very elusive and extremely fragile. Proxies have made it perpetually elusive. This alliance needed sacrifice,” he said.
The CPI (M) general secretary Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami who is one of the senior most leaders of the Gupkar Alliance said Sajjad Lone could have raised the issues internally instead of exiting. He maintained that while Lone’s exit “is unfortunate it is not a setback.”
Over the issue of fielding of proxy candidates by constituent parties against the officially mandated candidates of the alliance during the DDC elections, he said, “The exit of Sajjad Lone is not good for alliance or people. The DDC elections took place soon after the PAGD was formed. No one denies that there could have been shortcomings in the PAGD but they could have been rectified from within and not from the outside,” Tarigami said.
He also said the PAGD leadership will be meeting soon to discuss pressing matters. “We need to broaden the base of the alliance by including more people and groups as we have not reached a significant section of people in J&K and Ladakh. We alone can’t fight it and need more people and groups as part of the alliance.”
Awami National Conference vice president, Muzaffar Shah who is also senior member of PAGD said the alliance came into being for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and that Lone was wrong to quit.
“Elections are a minor thing. If Lone took a decision it was his choice but to me his decision was wrong. PAGD is much stronger even today. All three regions are together for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35 A. The matter is in court. Our case in the court is water tight. Let the court begin its hearing and you will see what PAGD will do. Our job is to get the crown back,” said Shah who is a nephew of Farooq Abdullah.
He accused the BJP government at the centre of trying to weaken the PAGD. “Our minor issues will not weaken our major resolve,” he said.
Sources said Lone’s exit from the PAGD could give his party a chance to head the chairmanship of two DDC councils in Kupwara and Baramulla districts. The Peoples’ Conference leadership was already eyeing those two districts in north Kashmir which it considers as its bastion.
