Saurabh Mukherjee
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby, addressing a party convention in Srinagar on Wednesday, June 11, called for the immediate restoration of Article 370 and full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
Baby is leading a CPI(M) parliamentary delegation on a two-day visit to the region, during which the team visited shelling-affected areas in Uri, met political leaders, and paid respects to the family of Adil Ahmad Shah, a local pony handler killed along with 25 tourists in the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Speaking at Tagore Hall, Baby stressed that trust-building with the people of Jammu and Kashmir is essential for countering terrorism.
“If we want to defeat terrorism in Kashmir, democratic rights must be restored—rights that were stripped with the abrogation of Article 370. Restoration of Article 370 and statehood must go hand in hand,” he said.
Referring to the April 22 Pahalgam attack as a “horrendous crime,” Baby said the assailants aimed to sow communal discord, but the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India rejected these divisive attempts.
“Terrorists committed a horrendous crime in Pahalgam on April 22, aiming to divide the people of Jammu & Kashmir and the rest of India along religious lines. However, both the people of J&K and the people of India refused to succumb to this divisive strategy,” he said.
He urged the central government to now reciprocate by addressing the people’s concerns and restoring democratic processes.
The CPI(M) leader also questioned the handling of security in the region, noting that although a ceasefire was in place, the Pahalgam attack exposed serious lapses.
“We had issues along the borders, but a ceasefire has now been declared. This is the time to reflect on the security lapses that led to the killing of innocent people in Pahalgam,” he said.
He demanded a special session of Parliament to deliberate on Jammu and Kashmir's issues and criticized the current administrative setup where critical security meetings, such as those of the Unified Command, are led by the Lieutenant Governor without the participation of an elected chief minister.
Baby recounted a poignant moment from the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. Aarti, a tourist from Kerala whose father was killed during the incident, has maintained contact with two Kashmiri men who helped her, calling them “brothers.”
“This bond is a testament to the real spirit of the people of Kashmir,” Baby said.
The CPI(M) delegation also met Shah’s parents and promised to raise the issue in both Houses of Parliament.
The party reiterated demands for the release of political prisoners, reduction in electricity tariffs, rationalization of reservation policies, and an end to restrictions on the press.
Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami, CPI(M) legislator from Kulgam, said that the people of J&K have shown resilience through decades of oppression but warned that the consequences of the August 5, 2019 decisions—when Article 370 was abrogated—extend beyond the region.
“J&K was the first, but this assault on democracy and the Constitution could happen in any other state—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, or Odisha,” Tarigami said.
He also voiced concern over press freedom, stating that journalists face constant threats of charges under PSA or UAPA.
The CPI(M) delegation includes Lok Sabha MPs K. Radhakrishnan, Amra Ram, Su Venkatesan and Rajya Sabha MPs , Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya A.A. Rahim and John Brittas.
Baby is leading a CPI(M) parliamentary delegation on a two-day visit to the region, during which the team visited shelling-affected areas in Uri, met political leaders, and paid respects to the family of Adil Ahmad Shah, a local pony handler killed along with 25 tourists in the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Speaking at Tagore Hall, Baby stressed that trust-building with the people of Jammu and Kashmir is essential for countering terrorism.
“If we want to defeat terrorism in Kashmir, democratic rights must be restored—rights that were stripped with the abrogation of Article 370. Restoration of Article 370 and statehood must go hand in hand,” he said.
Referring to the April 22 Pahalgam attack as a “horrendous crime,” Baby said the assailants aimed to sow communal discord, but the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India rejected these divisive attempts.
“Terrorists committed a horrendous crime in Pahalgam on April 22, aiming to divide the people of Jammu & Kashmir and the rest of India along religious lines. However, both the people of J&K and the people of India refused to succumb to this divisive strategy,” he said.
He urged the central government to now reciprocate by addressing the people’s concerns and restoring democratic processes.
The CPI(M) leader also questioned the handling of security in the region, noting that although a ceasefire was in place, the Pahalgam attack exposed serious lapses.
“We had issues along the borders, but a ceasefire has now been declared. This is the time to reflect on the security lapses that led to the killing of innocent people in Pahalgam,” he said.
He demanded a special session of Parliament to deliberate on Jammu and Kashmir's issues and criticized the current administrative setup where critical security meetings, such as those of the Unified Command, are led by the Lieutenant Governor without the participation of an elected chief minister.
Baby recounted a poignant moment from the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. Aarti, a tourist from Kerala whose father was killed during the incident, has maintained contact with two Kashmiri men who helped her, calling them “brothers.”
“This bond is a testament to the real spirit of the people of Kashmir,” Baby said.
The CPI(M) delegation also met Shah’s parents and promised to raise the issue in both Houses of Parliament.
The party reiterated demands for the release of political prisoners, reduction in electricity tariffs, rationalization of reservation policies, and an end to restrictions on the press.
Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami, CPI(M) legislator from Kulgam, said that the people of J&K have shown resilience through decades of oppression but warned that the consequences of the August 5, 2019 decisions—when Article 370 was abrogated—extend beyond the region.
“J&K was the first, but this assault on democracy and the Constitution could happen in any other state—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, or Odisha,” Tarigami said.
He also voiced concern over press freedom, stating that journalists face constant threats of charges under PSA or UAPA.
The CPI(M) delegation includes Lok Sabha MPs K. Radhakrishnan, Amra Ram, Su Venkatesan and Rajya Sabha MPs , Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya A.A. Rahim and John Brittas.
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