Seven regional parties of Jammu and Kashmir formed an alliance on 4 August 2019 called People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). These seven parties are National Conference (NC), PDP, CPI, CPM, PC, JKPM and ANC. They formed the alliance with an aim to restore Article 370 and thereby return J&K to its special status, which was revoked last year ensuing much debate. Farooq Abdullah who belongs to National Conference was as elected as the Chairman of the PAGD.
Mehbooba Mufti of People’s Democratic Party was made the Vice Chairperson. Veteran CPM leader M Y Tarigami was elected as the convenor while Lok Sabha member from South Kashmir Hasnain Masoodi became the coordinator. Sajjad Gani Lone of People’s Conference would be the spokesperson. In October PAGD became an official alliance.
Gupkar Alliance was formed a day before the abrogation of article 370 that provided special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. But the abrogation not only took away the special provisions of the state but also bifurcated it and made it into a union territory. The alliance adopted the flag of the erstwhile state as its symbol.
Farooq Abdullah has alleged that BJP has tried breaking the federal structure. He also clarified that it is anti-BJP and not anti-national.He also said that BJP was promoting a false propaganda. But there are various controversies that have surrounded this alliance. Union home minister Amit shah has called out the alliance “unholy global gathbandhan” and that it went against national interest in series of tweets.
While all the parties in the alliance are actively having all-party meetings Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee appears to have quietly distanced itself from the alliance. JKPCC chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who was part of the meetings that took place before the formalisation of PAGD earlier this month, has skipped the last two meetings. The JKPCC had issued a statement after the previous meeting that Mr. Mir could not attend due to the advice of doctors.
The erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir has always been a sensitive issue due to its geo-political location. The state has been in lockdown for a year now. The Gupkar Alliance aims to restore the statehood but seems to be in caught up in controversies.
