Congress Stages Hunger Strike in Srinagar, Seeks J&K Statehood Restoration

Rapid Summary

• Jammu and Kashmir congress leaders organized a hunger strike in Srinagar on August 9,2025,demanding the restoration of full statehood for the Union Territory.
• The protest was led by JKPCC (Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee) president Tariq Karra at the party’s headquarters, joined by senior leaders such as Ghulam Ahmad Mir and other party MLAs.
• A similar hunger strike is planned in Jammu on August 10 as part of the Congress’s ‘Hamari Riyasat, hamara Haq’ campaign.
• The protest seeks to reverse changes made on august 5,2019,when J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories (J&K and Ladakh) following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
• Tariq Karra compared their protest with ancient events like the Quit India Movement, emphasizing peaceful struggle.
• Hunger strikes are planned across six districts from August 9 to August 21.Any subsequent steps will depend on parliament’s decisions regarding statehood restoration during its ongoing session.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The hunger strike initiated by Jammu and Kashmir Congress represents a importent moment in public discourse around statehood restoration for the region. It underscores unresolved political grievances stemming from constitutional changes made in August 2019 that reshaped J&K’s governance structure. By linking this movement to historical events like Quit India Day, it invokes wider messaging about self-determination within national frameworks.The method-a peaceful hunger strike-signifies an attempt at dialog-oriented activism rather than disruptive forms of protest. Though,its long-term effectiveness depends largely on both public engagement within J&K’s segments of civil society and how policymakers at the central level respond during or after Parliament’s current session. As political narratives evolve around autonomy or statehood demands in regions like J&K post-reorganization debates hold national implications beyond superficial symbolism.