Jammu & Kashmir: Call for Statehood Restoration Amid Tragedy

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association has renewed its call for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. This demand comes in the wake of a devastating landslide near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine that resulted in the deaths of 34 pilgrims.

The landslide, which also injured 18, occurred on the route to the shrine at Adhkuwari in the Trikuta hills, following a cloudburst in the Katra belt. The association's president, Advocate Nirmal Kotwal, criticized the administration for failing to effectively deal with the crisis.

Kotwal underscored the Supreme Court's decision and the Indian government's promise to restore statehood, urging swift action. He highlighted the need for a responsible power center, suggesting local governance by personally familiar officers, while declaring recent natural disasters as calamities impacting infrastructure and lives.

(With inputs from agencies.)