Adversity%20does%20things%20to%20people.%20It%20also%20compels%20political%20opponents%20to%20join%20hands.%20This%20is%20precisely%20what%20is%20happening%20in%20Jammu%20%26amp%3B%20Kashmir%2C%20with%20signatories%20to%20the%20Gupkar%20declaration%20comprising%20disparate%20political%20parties%2C%20including%20the%20National%20Conference%20and%20Mehbooba%20Mufti-led%20PDP%2C%20meeting%20in%20Srinagar%20on%20Thursday.%20The%20meeting%20comes%20close%20on%20the%20heels%20of%20Mehboba%u2019s%20release%20from%20her%2014-month%20detention.

The%20Gupkar%20declaration%20was%20issued%20on%20August%204%2C%202019%2C%20a%20day%20before%20the%20abrogation%20of%20article%20370%20%26nbsp%3Band%20the%20signatories%20included%206%20pro%20India%20parties%2C%20including%20the%20NC%20and%20the%20PDP.%20Between%20them%20the%20two%20parties%20have%20dominated%20the%20political%20landscape%20of%20the%20state%20for%20several%20decades.%20The%20parties%2C%20some%20of%20them%20bitter%20enemies%2C%20signalled%20their%20resolve%20to%20sink%20their%20differences%20and%20work%20united%20to%20protect%20and%20defend%20the%20identity%2C%20autonomy%20and%20special%20status%20of%20J%26amp%3BK.%20Soon%20thereafter%20the%20three%20former%20chief%20ministers%20%26nbsp%3BFarooq%20Abdullah%2C%20Omar%20Abdullah%20and%20Mehbooba%20Mufti%20along%20with%20with%20scores%20of%20other%20leaders%20were%20put%20behind%20bars.%20%26nbsp%3B

Since%20their%20last%20meeting%20much%20water%20has%20flown%20down%20the%20Jhelum.%20The%20whole%20political%20scenario%20has%20undergone%20a%20radical%20change.%20Article%20370%20was%20abrogated%20and%20the%20state%20was%20divided%20and%20turned%20into%20a%20UT.%20Mass%20protests%20have%20failed%20to%20materialise%2C%20in%20part%20due%20to%20the%20massive%20mobilisation%20and%20deployment%20of%20security%20forces%20and%20also%20on%20account%20of%20a%20disillusionment%20with%20the%20current%20crop%20of%20Kashmir%u2019s%20political%20leaders.

In%20a%20way%20Kashmir%u2019s%20mainstream%20leaders%20have%20found%20the%20ground%20slipping%20away%20under%20their%20feet.%20The%20local%20populace%20has%20little%20faith%20in%20them%20and%20the%20Centre%20has%20done%20little%20to%20help%20them%20either.%20Their%20dilemma%20was%20best%20summed%20up%20by%20former%20chief%20minister%20when%20he%20commented%20that%20%22we%20%26nbsp%3Bdon%u2019t%20really%20know%20where%20we%20stand%2C%20the%20people%20in%20the%20valley%20are%20angry%20with%20us%20for%20bring%20pro%20India%20while%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20country%20thinks%20we%20are%20with%20the%20militants.%22%20This%20in%20many%20ways%20also%20sums%20up%20the%20difficult%20situation%20that%20Gupkar%20signatories%20find%20themselves%20in.%20%26nbsp%3BMany%20Kashmir%20watchers%20believe%20that%20the%20current%20situation%20has%20left%20them%20with%20no%20role%20to%20play.%20They%20are%20looked%20at%20with%20suspicion%20from%20both%20sides.

These%20parties%20have%20set%20themselves%20an%20ambitious%20agenda%20of%20trying%20to%20get%20the%20special%20status%20of%20J%26amp%3BK%20restored.%20From%20the%20situation%20on%20the%20ground%20and%20given%20the%20mood%20at%20the%20Centre%2C%20that%20at%20best%20appears%20to%20be%20a%20mirage.%20The%20BJP-led%20central%20government%20considers%20the%20bifurcation%20of%20the%20state%20and%20the%20abrogation%20as%20one%20of%20the%20biggest%20moments%2C%20hence%20there%20is%20very%20little%20likelihood%20of%20it%20ever%20agreeing%20to%20revert%20to%20the%20status%20quo.%20Farooq%20Abdullah%20has%20always%20worn%20his%20pro%20India%20allegiance%20on%20his%20sleeve%20and%20has%20never%20been%20afraid%20to%20shout%20about%20from%20the%20roof%20tops%2C%20but%20given%20the%20current%20situation%20even%20he%20has%20now%20resorted%20to%20statements%20that%20China%20will%20help%20restore%20article%20370%20to%20the%20state.%20%26nbsp%3B

It%20will%20be%20interesting%20to%20note%20if%20the%20leaders%20of%20tomorrow%u2019s%20meeting%20can%20come%20up%20with%20any%20substantive%20apart%20from%20the%20optics.%20The%20dice%20at%20the%20moment%20appears%20heavily%20loaded%20against%20them.%20%26nbsp%3B

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