Karan Singh calls for restoration of J&K's statehood, says UT status diminution of 'crown of India'

Singh noted that before the constitutional change, the entire debate used to revolve around how much autonomy was to be accorded to the state.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and veteran politician Karan Singh has demanded the immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and said that the current status of the region is an "unacceptable" diminution of the "crown of India".

In a recent interview to PTI Videos, Singh, a three-time Rajya Sabha MP and Sadr-i-Riyasat (constitutional head) of the erstwhile state, also voiced his concerns over the changes following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

He noted that before this constitutional change, the entire debate used to revolve around how much autonomy was to be accorded to the state.

"The whole game has changed after the abrogation of (Article) 370," Singh said.

He said Jammu and Kashmir's transition to a union territory is a diminution of the erstwhile state and it is "unacceptable".

Singh noted that a former Indian ambassador to the US said that the current status of Jammu and Kashmir has put it behind states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in terms of governance efficiency.

"(Hum) toh mukut hai Hindustan ke (We are the crown of India)," he said.

Asked about statehood restoration, the former Union minister said, "Definitely. Full statehood." He also advocated for domiciliary laws similar to those in Himachal Pradesh, which restrict land ownership to locals.

"These are the domiciliary laws that we want," he said.

However, Singh feels not everything about the abrogation of Article 370 is negative.

He said the abrogation scrapped a law that took away the property rights of women from the state who married outsiders and also enabled many people who migrated from Pakistan to exercise their franchise.

"So I took a very nuanced view. Some things are positive in it," he said.

Decades ago, Singh had proposed trifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He proposed that Jammu should be merged with Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh should be made a union territory and Kashmir should remain a state.

"Everyone jumped at me and the proposal was rejected. Today things are different. Jammu has its own personality now," he said.

Asked if he had any such radical proposal now, he said, "I think that now the only radical suggestion is the reinstatement of statehood plus domiciliary laws to safeguard the people of the state and a genuine attempt to strike a fair balance between Jammu and Kashmir regions." The only way to do this is to have a peaceful relationship between the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government, he underlined.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and dividing it into two union territories — J&K and Ladakh. While the former has a legislative assembly with limited authority, Ladakh operates without one.

In December 2023, the apex court upheld the Centre's decision but reiterated the need for the swift restoration of statehood.

During the interview, Singh also reflected on his relationship with the Abdullah family, particularly with Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, the first chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

He described Sheikh Abdullah as a "remarkable" Kashmiri leader who significantly influenced the region's political landscape, but acknowledged the complexities of their interactions given the historical tension between the monarchy and the emerging democratic forces.

Recalling the time when Jammu and Kashmir's first assembly was constituted, Singh said his father Maharaja Hari Singh and many of his loyalists thought that he should not take up the role of 'Sadr-i-Riyasat' because Sheikh Abdullah had insulted the Dogras and the Maharaja.

"So that was where the tension in a way began. I suppose it was an inevitable fallout of politics. You see, I realised that the monarchy had lost its importance. That the future lay in democracy. I wanted to be part of that democracy," he said.

Singh credited National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah for bringing him back into politics after a 12-year hiatus.

"After the four elections that I won from Udhampur, I changed my constituency, went to Jammu and lost. After that I really gave up politics. I was out of politics for 12 years... he got me back into politics," he said.

He also recalled the NC's support in his election to the Rajya Sabha.

Singh described Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the third generation of the Abdullah family to occupy the office, as a "balanced individual" with the potential for a successful political future.

"I think he'll go far. I hope he will because, you know, he has got a second chance now," the former minister said.