E Home Secretary Gopal Pillai, former interlocutor Radha Kumar call for restoration of J&K Statehood, repeal of Reorganization Act
Home Secretary Gopal Pillai and former Jammu and Kashmir interlocutor Radha Kumar, who co-chairs the Forum of Human Rights in J&K, on Wednesday (August 5
Home Secretary Gopal Pillai and former Jammu and Kashmir interlocutor Radha Kumar, who co-chairs the Forum of Human Rights in J&K, on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) called for the restoration of full Statehood to J&K and the repeal of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. They also urged the Centre to accept Ladakh’s demand for Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. In its annual report, the forum, which has prominent individuals as its members from across the country, said it was the first time in independent India that an existing State has been “demoted” to Union Territory status. “This demotion contravened Articles 1 and 3 of the Constitution of India and the basic structure doctrine that India is a federal democracy. If that demotion was unconstitutional, then it follows that Statehood must be restored,” the report said. It pointed out, “Governance in J&K remains stalemated between the concentration of powers in the hands of the Lieutenant-Governor, who is not accountable to the people, and the elected administration, which is accountable to the people but has little to no powers of governance.” The Forum welcomed the ruling Conference (NC) and the Congress’ campaign for the restoration of Statehood.
It, however, cautioned that the Centre may argue that the time is not appropriate for the restoration of J&K’s Statehood, “given the Red Fort terrorist attack”. “Not only is that argument not tenable, but it can also be argued that this is exactly the time to do so,” it added. Terming the 2025 Red Fort attack as a “security lapse”, the Forum said it indicated “scattered revival of homegrown militancy”. It claimed that the police would carry out illegal detentions, coercive interrogations and extrajudicial demolitions in Kashmir in the wake of such attacks. “Reportedly 500 (people were detained) following the Red Fort attack and over 2,000 following the Anantnag shooting, suggests indiscriminate action by the J&K police,” it added. On the positive side, the Forum said the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had issued a series of orders quashing detentions under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and granting bail in cases under both the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the PSA.
The Forum also flagged “continued economic distress and ill-considered Union interventions that follow a start-stop pattern”. “Unemployment is twice the national rate. The apple industry has its worst year in a decade. Tribal homes continue to be demolished in violation of the Forest Rights Act,” it added. on Ladakh and PoK On Ladakh, which was carved out as a separate Union Territory from the erstwhile Kashmir division, the Forum underlined the need to accept the demands for Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. Referring to the violence of 2025 in Ladakh’s Leh, the Forum said, “The
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