ON August 30, Gulam Nabi, secretary of J & K CPI(M) while reacting to the former finance minister, Haseeb Drabu’s assertions on the 'Gupkar Declaration' with reference to CPI(M), said it was not based on facts.

In an Op-Ed piece in Greater Kashmir, Drabu had questioned whether J&K CPI(M) had the blessing of the high command to be part of the Gupkar Declaration or it is a 'localised' show of solidarity.

To put the records straight, the CPI(M) central leadership has strongly opposed unconstitutional, illegal and authoritarian decisions taken by the BJP government on August 5, 2019. In fact, the CPI(M) has always been at the forefront to not only safeguard the special status of J&K but also restore the original position of Article 370.

In 1983 a conclave of opposition parties was held in Srinagar, which was attended by CPI(M) veteran leader Jyoti Basu and leaders from other national and regional parties. A document was adopted in the conclave on state-centre relations in which the defence of Article 370 was also advocated. Jyoti Basu was a key figure in drafting the document. When H D Devegowda led government was formed which was supported by CPI (M) and other Left parties, veteran CPI (M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet played an important role in drafting its common minimum programme which contained the assurance of granting maximum autonomy to J&K.

In 2010, CPI(M) Central Committee meeting adopted a resolution 'On the Jammu and Kashmir issue' for not only in defence of Articles 370 and 35A, but for restoring the original position of Article 370. At the heart of the matter lies how in letter and spirit its eroded autonomy and special status can be restored.

Similarly, when an RSS backed NGO challenged Article 370 and 35A in the Supreme Court, an intervention application was moved by the CPI (M). Since last year the statements of CPI(M) Polit Bureau and Central Committee have clearly and repeatedly opposed the BJP government’s disastrous move to abrogate J&K’s special status, dividing and reducing it to union territories.
Similarly in August 2019, CPI(M) came up with a detailed document titled: “Fraud on Constitution: Kashmir Betrayed” which is available online. The document clearly mentions that the CPI(M) is committed in its fight against the unconstitutional and undemocratic abrogation of Article 370, 35A and asserts that these measures are totally against the unity and interests of India as a whole. In the document, the CPI(M) has vowed to support the restoration of democracy, statehood and full autonomy to J&K.

Demonstrations by the CPI(M) and other Left parties throughout India were held on August 7, 2019, is a clear message to those who term the party’s J&K unit’s participation in “Gupkar Declaration” as a 'localised' show of solidarity. CPI(M) and Left parties in both houses of the Parliament, characterised this move as an attempt to destroy the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. The Party had conducted a nationwide campaign in defence of Article 370 and against the destruction of the state of Jammu & Kashmir.The general secretary, Sitaram Yrchury has repeatedly raised this issue in every forum.

CPI(M) has also filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court of India challenging the abrogation of Article 370, 35A and J& K Reorganisation Act 2019.

In an 'Editorial' dated August 2, 2020, People's Democracy, the official organ of CPI(M), the party's position is reaffirmed as under:  "the onslaught of the BJP and RSS must be fought back squarely. In the case of J&K, we have seen several secular opposition parties unwilling to take a firm stand that the special status and statehood of J&K should be restored. They seek to reduce the matter to only the release of political prisoners and restoration of democratic rights. This is a compromising stand. The fight for democracy, secularism and federalism requires a clear-cut stand – statehood along with a special status for J&K must be restored. Not to do so would further diminish India as a secular democracy".