Cracks in Gupkar Alliance over G20 Summit in Kashmir [details]

Serious differences have cropped up between the two main constituents of the Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) over the coming summit of G20 in Srinagar.

Leaders of the National Conference and People Democratic Party (PDP)-the main constituents of PAGD have taken different lines of the decision of the Union Government to hold the G20 summit in Srinagar-the capital city of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

While PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is opposing the holding of the G20 summit in Srinagar, National Conference president and veteran leader Dr. Farooq Abdullah is optimistic about the coming historic event in the Union Territory.

Talking to media persons Dr Farooq Abdullah said that they are hopeful that the G-20 meeting in Srinagar would pave the way for the arrival of foreign tourists in J&K.

"Kashmir is famous for tourism, but since the terrorism erupted, the foreign tourists are not visiting J&K. We hope that this event will help to pave the way for foreign tourists to visit J&K again," he said, adding that the delegates of different countries are visiting here for tourism purposes.

Important to mention here that earlier some NC leaders opposed holding the G20 summit in Kashmir but now they are appreciating this decision.

Government violating rights of people in name of G20 summit: Mehbooba

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti believes that the G20 summit would be a futile exercise as, according to her, as the event gets underway in Kashmir, one can't help but notice the Narendra Modi government's urgency to market it as an "event of normalcy"

"Right before G20 in Kashmir, security forces are breaking into homes, ransacking & violating the privacy of people here. As if the existing repression in Kashmir wasn't enough, the Government of India's paranoia about G20 has unleashed bigger demons. Even women are not spared", she observed.

"In the run-up to the G20 event, we have witnessed an increase in an already unprecedented security presence. In the guise of ensuring an incident-free event, hundreds of young men have been detained", she alleged.

"I understand the relevance of such events. G20 may well serve as a cosmetic image-building exercise for an ultra-zealous right-wing government", she said.

NC, PDP formed PAGD to protect the 'special status of J&K

With much publicity, the PAGD was formed in 2019 by six political parties with the pledge of perseverance and steadfastness toward the restoration of Article 370. This resolution was written in the Alliance's declaration where the political parties stated there would be "nothing about us without us," meaning they will stick together come what may.

"We want to assure people that all our political activities will be subservient to the sacred goal of reverting to the status of J&K as it existed before August 2019," read PAGD's declaration.

Within a couple of months after its formation, PAGD received a severe jolt when Sajad Lone of the Peoples' Conference, left the alliance. Lone charged both NC and PDP with fielding proxy candidates against the officially mandated candidates of the alliance during the DDC elections. He called these actions "a breach of trust".

Meanwhile, stakeholders hail the summit as an exercise to revamp tourism in Kashmir.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) President Javid Ahmad Tenga has said that the international event is big for the economy of Kashmir.
"Kashmir hasn't seen much influx of high-end tourists from American and European countries in the last three decades. This event will convey a message to them about the region and, in turn, inspire confidence among the intending foreign tourists to visit Kashmir, which will not only boost the tourism sector but also promote our handicrafts, trade, and other economic segments," he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club Chairman Mushtaq Chaya hailed the G20 summit as encouraging for the region's travel and tourist industry.