There are moments in politics that expose far more than a disagreement over policy. They reveal how power responds when citizens demand what they believe is rightfully theirs. The events in New Delhi today were one such moment. A peaceful march demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood was met not with dialogue, but with barricades, restrictions and tear gas. The images spoke for themselves. An elected Chief Minister, Members of Parliament, legislators, senior political leaders and ordinary citizens assembled to press a constitutional and democratic demand. Yet they found themselves being treated as though seeking the restoration of democratic rights was an act of defiance rather than an exercise of democracy itself. 

Statehood is not a concession to be granted at convenience. It is a constitutional commitment repeatedly acknowledged by the Union Government itself. Demanding its restoration cannot be portrayed as unreasonable when even those in power have publicly stated that statehood would eventually return. If that promise exists, then asking for its fulfilment is not confrontation. It is accountability. 

What made today’s events particularly striking was not merely the police response but the contrast it created. Jammu and Kashmir is simultaneously battling devastating floods that have left families displaced, homes damaged and communities struggling to rebuild. Omar Abdullah has spent time moving between flood-hit areas, reviewing relief operations and ensuring that administrative machinery remains focused on those affected. Yet even amid a humanitarian crisis, he travelled........

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