NEW DELHI (Kashmir English): A peace conference held in New Delhi highlighted growing disempowerment, anger and alienation among Kashmiri youth following the scraping of Article 370, with speakers urging the Indian government to fulfill its promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, nearly all speakers at the conference — including senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Kapil Kak and peace activist O.P. Shah — stressed that the post-2019 situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remains far from normal.
They said the revocation of Kashmir’s constitutional status has failed to bring peace and has instead intensified resentment in the Valley.
Addressing the conference organised by the Centre for Peace and Progress, Mani Shankar Aiyar suggested invoking special provisions under Article 371 and pressed the Indian government to restore statehood as promised at the time of the August 2019 decision.
Aiyar rejected the claim that scrapping Article 370 would bring normalcy, saying incidents such as the Pahalgam attack and recent hostilities with Pakistan contradict that narrative.
Removal of Kashmir’s special status
He said the removal of Kashmir’s special status and subsequent military operations have weakened India’s diplomatic position vis-à-vis Pakistan and China, indicating that the decision has done more harm than good.
Senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was not allowed by authorities to travel from Srinagar, sent a message that was read at the conference. In his message, he emphasized dialogue and engagement as the only viable path to resolution, while unequivocally condemning Indian state terrorism and warning against collective punishment.
Mirwaiz said the post-Article 370 period has witnessed shrinking civic space, demolitions, harassment of families and pervasive fear, deepening alienation especially among youth.
He cautioned that continued disempowerment could fuel anger and urged a dialogue process rooted in compassion, justice and genuine inclusion rather than force and coercion.
The conference underscored that the unresolved Kashmir dispute continues to impact internal stability and regional peace.
