SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India was founded on a relationship of trust, secularism and constitutional guarantees aimed at safeguarding the Himalayan region’s unique identity. She alleged that the commitments made to the people of J&K at the time of accession had been steadily diluted over the decades, leaving many residents feeling politically and constitutionally disempowered.
Mufti’s remarks came close on the heels of ruling National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah’s assertion that J&K had acceded to the India envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, even as he questioned New Delhi’s intentions towards the erstwhile state.
The accession of the erstwhile princely state of J&K to India took place against the backdrop of extraordinary turmoil in 1947. After tribal militias backed by Pakistan invaded the state in October that year, Maharaja Hari Singh sought military assistance from India and signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947. The following day, Indian troops were airlifted to Srinagar and launched operations to repel the invading forces, marking the beginning of J&K’s formal constitutional relationship with India.
Since the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, the Lieutenant Governor-led administration has introduced several symbolic and administrative measures that have reshaped the public commemoration of J&K’s history. Among the decisions was the administration’s official recognition of dates associated with the last autocratic Dogra ruler, declaring October 26, commemorating the signing of the Instrument of Accession, and September 23, Hari Singh’s birth anniversary, as public holidays. Both occasions continue to feature in the official holiday calendar for 2026.
Amid continuing political debate over the significance of October 26, observed as Accession Day, Mufti addressed a gathering here and said the people of J&K had chosen to join India not merely because of political circumstances prevailing in 1947, but because of the ideals espoused by the country’s founding leadership. She said leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B.R. Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad envisioned an inclusive and secular India where people of different faiths could coexist with dignity and equal rights.
According to Mufti, the accession was accompanied by constitutional safeguards designed to protect the region’s distinct identity, land ownership patterns and employment opportunities. She argued that these protections reflected a solemn understanding between J&K and the Union of India.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir opened their hearts and joined hands with the country, trusting the leadership of India,” she said, maintaining that special constitutional provisions were meant to preserve the state’s unique character while strengthening its relationship with the Union.
Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the former state into two Union Territories in August 2019, the former chief minister alleged that these decisions deepened public anxieties and eroded safeguards that many people believed were essential to their political and cultural security. She contended that the developments had weakened the sense of trust that underpinned the accession arrangement and had intensified feelings of uncertainty among large sections of the population.
Mufti also recalled former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of making J&K a “show window” for the world, arguing that the region was once envisaged as a symbol of India’s democratic and pluralistic ethos. She maintained that J&K had been promised a special place within the Indian Union and questioned whether that vision was being honoured today.
Expressing concern over the prevailing political climate, the PDP president referred to arrests, raids and travel restrictions, while also highlighting cases in which, she claimed, young people had been denied opportunities because their passports were withheld. She further criticised what she described as an atmosphere of excessive security restrictions, alleging that many citizens continued to face obstacles in exercising democratic freedoms and expressing dissenting opinions.
“BJP considers this silence to be peace. It is not peace; it is terror,” Mufti said, alleging that restrictions on political and public expression were being interpreted as signs of normalcy rather than indicators of a deeper political alienation.
Appealing to citizens across the country, she urged them to reflect on the situation in J&K through the lens of democracy, secularism and constitutional values associated with India’s freedom movement and founding leadership. She argued that lasting peace could not be achieved through coercion alone and called for a renewed political process based on dialogue, engagement and public participation.
“This is not right. Instead of using force, hold its hand and teach it to walk with you,” she said, advocating an approach rooted in reconciliation and democratic outreach rather than confrontation.
Mufti further maintained that the Kashmir issue should be approached primarily as a question of humanity, dignity and democratic rights, asserting that sustainable solutions require political engagement with the people rather than an exclusive reliance on security measures.
She also referred to the PDP’s forthcoming convention scheduled for November 2, describing it as an important opportunity for the party to review its political position and deliberate on the evolving situation in J&K.
Her remarks came only days after NC president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah reiterated his party’s longstanding position on accession while emphasising J&K’s place within the Indian Union. “We have never said that we are not Indians. We have always maintained that we joined Gandhi’s India and Nehru’s India, an India founded on democracy, pluralism and justice,” Abdullah said.
Reflecting on the events of 1947, Abdullah noted that J&K, despite being a Muslim-majority state, did not choose to join Pakistan at the time of Partition. He said the decision regarding the state’s future was taken consciously and within the context of the tribal invasion, the brutality of which, he argued, was witnessed firsthand by the people.
At the same time, Abdullah triggered a fresh political debate by expressing scepticism about New Delhi’s approach towards J&K. While reaffirming the NC’s commitment to India, he asserted that the Centre’s actions had often fallen short of its promises to the region. He also controversially suggested that Pakistan’s continued international focus on Kashmir had contributed to keeping the issue alive on the global stage, remarking that, in the absence of such pressure, the interests of the region could have been more easily overlooked.
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