Azad salutes all prominent citizens of J&K who stood and signed petition against state re-organisation and abrogation of Article 370. 

The news which was published in International and National Newspapers and news portals went viral on social media with the headline," Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Dogras condemned abrogation of Article 370".

The letter reads;

My dear Kashmiri Pandits , Dogra’s and Sikh  brothers and sisters . 

I salute your courage and conviction for unanimously and unconditionally rising to the occasion and condemning  the unilateral , unconstitutional and  undemocratic decision of  the GOI to revoke the article  370 and  down grading the state to the status of a Union Territory without  taking  the people of Jammu and Kashmir  into confidence. I was feeling so hurt and isolated till your statement of unity and brotherhood appeared in the media . It is not a matter of region or religion, it is  a  question of our identity , which has been erased in one sweeping stroke by the ruling GOI. We are proud people who take great pride in celebrating the ethnic  and religious  diversity of  the state of Jammu , Kashmir and Ladakh . A state recognized  as a  symbol of secularism, a state which maintained the tradition of unity and brotherhood for it’s people .

Though divided by  huge mountains and rivers, people from different regions speak and dress differently, yet we were united as one big community ,connected to each other on a much deeper level , tied by our common love for our mother land and its people who helped one another in the darkest hours. 

During my long political career, I’ve had the great fortune to visit over 100 countries and the respect , love and affection I got by virtue of  being a Domicile of the great state of Jammu and Kashmir region is unbelievable . Henceforth, If at all I get  any opportunity to represent my country  I have to introduce myself  a domicile of  the union territories  of India.

I write this with tears in my eyes and pain in my heart, I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that this would happen to my state and the innocent and trusting people of my state.

This was a state which was expanded by maharaja Hari Singh’s forefathers,  brick by brick and this was the state for which thousands of Kashmiri Muslims and Pundits and Hindu , Muslim and Sikh brothers and sisters of Jammu  region had shed their blood from time to time. My heart also  bleeds for thousands of widows and family members of the security forces and police who have lost their lives in  Jammu and Kashmir trying to fight  militancy. 

But inspite of this huge loss of our thousands and thousands of brave youth ,  men, women and security forces, what have the people got in return? A divided state and two union territories“ .

From being celebrated as a state of  Jammu and Kashmir headed by a Maharaja of one of the biggest Princely state of the country  till 1947 and  then , ruled by the Prime Minister as head of the Govt. and Sadder-e-Reyeasat  as head of the state. subsequently, Governor and Chief ministers  as head of the state and head of the Govt. respectively  and now, down graded to a   union territory which will be headed by  an  L.G,   officer equivalent to a Joint Secy.  of  the Govt.  of India  . Therefore ,  all these changes have to be   understood,   by each one of us,  keeping religion,  region and personal likings aside and work together  to get our statehood and identify back.