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2 min readSrinagarFeb 17, 2026 04:23 PM IST
Reacting to Meghwal's comment, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that "no one will be satisfied" unless statehood is granted, and hoped the wait would not be long. (File image)
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday hinted at an early decision on the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Meghwal said “you will soon hear about a decision” on the issue.
Reacting to Meghwal’s comment, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that “no one will be satisfied” unless statehood is granted, and hoped the wait would not be long.
“See, you have raised an important issue. It is a sensitive issue,” Meghwal said. “See, the Home Minister has said in the Lok Sabha that you will get this right. It has a process and I feel that you will soon get to hear a decision (about it).”
Meghwal, however, didn’t elaborate, nor did say what the decision would be.
While Meghwal’s comment has renewed a hope of the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar showed cautious optimism.
“Nobody among us would be satisfied till we get it (statehood),” Omar said while reacting to Meghwal’s comment. “Okay, a process is going on. We feel the process has already taken long. We had hoped to get statehood by now. We didn’t get it but we have not lost hope.”
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Omar said his government is in constant engagement with the Centre.
“Sitting on the side, I was also listening to the mantri ji. Mantri ji said that perhaps we would get good news regarding the statehood,” he said. “We are waiting for that good news from the last one and a half years. We hope we will not have to wait longer now.”
The Centre had abrogated Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019. While the Centre promised return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir on the floor of the House, no decision has been taken as of now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year said that the decision would be taken at an “appropriate time”.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. Expertise and Experience Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development. Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor. Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans: Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance. Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population. Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley. Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
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