Time to unlock: On a year after the removal of J&K’s statehood

A minimum of 2 dozen politicians in Jammu and Kashmir remain in detention, some unnotified, a year after it was denied of its Statehood and special constitutional status on August 5, 2019 Last week, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s detention was formally extended by another 3 months under the J&K Public Safety Act, but a number of others stay restrained within their houses in Kashmir, which is now a Union Area under the rule of Delhi. Last week once again, the administration flat out denied before the Supreme Court that previous Union Minister and Congress leader Saifuddin Soz was under detention, though he has been restrained from moving and speaking easily. He was enabled to visit his ailing sis but rejected a meeting with his daughter by the authorities on Friday. Neither the J&K government nor the Centre has actually released a list or variety of leaders who were detained last year. At least 16 National Conference and 8 PDP leaders are under house arrest, according to these parties. Previous IAS officer and chief of the J&K Individuals’s Movement Shah Faesal and Awami Ittehad Party leader Engineer Rashid remain in detention too. Peoples Conference (PC) primary Sajad Lone was released a