New Delhi: Three organisations and 124 eminent citizens have written to members of the parliament, requesting that they seek the immediate and full restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir in this ongoing monsoon session of parliament.“We are heartened to note that the session has had a full discussion on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and its aftermath, including Operation Sindoor. Several critical and appropriate questions have been raised in the public domain in this matter on a wide range of issues. They relate to national security, to strategic affairs, to policing and administration, and the failure to find a political resolution to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir. We hope many of these problems will be addressed during the session, with a view to evolve a bipartisan political consensus on Pahalgam and the threat posed by terrorism, as well as the future of democracy in a deeply troubled region, where a large number of people continue to feel alienated and poorly treated,” the letter says.A day ago, opposition members of the parliament did indeed ask why, 100 days after the Pahalgam attack, the attackers have not been captured and demanded that union home minister Amit Shah take responsibility.The authors of the July 27 letter noted that they have a key question in this context.“In this context, we urge that a very critical question, the loss of Statehood and the diminution of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, is not lost sight of during the discussions. A powerful plea by you and your party colleagues for restoring statehood withthe utmost urgency is required,” the letter said.The signatories of the letter are former bureaucrats, former armymen and women, activists, academics, lawyers and journalists.The letter sought to remind MPs that the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir is something to which the Union Government is already committed.They noted that it is important not just for peace-building in Jammu and Kashmir, but for restoring faith in the federal architecture of our Constitution.“This is crucial, as all the States of our Republic can become vulnerable to the rise of centralising and authoritarian trends in our polity. To prevent such an eventuality, we propose that a clause be inserted into Articles 1 and/or 3 of the Indian Constitution, layingdown that no existing state can be turned into a Union Territory,” they wrote in the letter.The hundred-strong signatory list wrote that the MPs’ support for the statehood demand will “demonstrate parliamentarians’ solidarity” with Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership and legislators.“The issue of unconstitutional removal of statehood has been pending for six years. It must not be allowed to become a precedent for disrupting the basic structure of federal India,” they added.The full list of the signatories is below.1. Ammu Abraham, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai2. Tanvir Aeijaz, Associate Professor, Ramjas College, University of Delhi3. Hilal Ahmed, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi4. Mani Shankar Aiyar, Former Union Minister and MP, Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, Delhi5. Apoorvanand, Professor, Delhi University, Delhi6. C. Balakrishnan (retd), Secretary Coal, GOI, Delhi7. Rana Banerji (retd), Special Secretary Cabinet Secretariat, GOI, Delhi8. Sanjaya Baru Former Media Advisor to the PM, Delhi9. Prajit K. Basu, Former Professor, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad10. Amit Bhaduri, Economist, Dharwad11. Madhu Bhaduri, IFS (retd), Writer, Dharwad12. Anando Bhakto, Journalist, Delhi13. Niloufer Bhagwat, Vice President of the Indian Association of Lawyers, Mumbai14. Anjali Bhardwaj, Satark Nagrik Sangathan15. Anuradha Bhasin, Editor Kashmir Times, Jammu16. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, Founder and Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Right toInformation Movement, Srinagar17. Pankaj Butalia, Filmmaker, Delhi18. Maneshwar S Chahal, Member Constitutional Conduct Group19. Feroze Chandra, Journalist, Mumbai20. Gurjit Singh Cheema, Retired Financial Commissioner/ Addl Chief Secretary, Punjab21. Zafar Choudhary, Editor, The Dispatch, Jammu22. F.T.R. Colaso IPS (retd), DGP Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir23. Lt Gen Kamal Dawar (retd), Indian Army, Kasauli24. Capt Praween Dawar, former Member Minorities Commission, New Delhi25. Satish Deshpande, Former Professor, Delhi University, Bengaluru26. Malini Devanandan, Physician, Kodaikanal27. Nikhil Dey, Mazdoor Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan28. Arundhati Dhuru, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Lucknow29. A.S. Dulat, Former Secretary, R&AW, Delhi30. K.P. Fabian, IFS (retd), Delhi31. Enakshi Ganguly, Former Director, Haq Centre for Child Rights, Goa32. Rajni George, Editor Sky Islands, Kodaikanal33. Jayati Ghosh, Economist and Professor, Delhi34. Suresh K Goel, Former DG Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Delhi35. Colin Gonsalves, Lawyer, Delhi36. Kamini Gopal, Resident, Kodaikanal37. H.S. Gujral, Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Punjab38. Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi39. Ramachandra Guha, Writer and Historian, Bengaluru40. Meena Gupta, Retired Civil Servant, Hyderabad41. Ravi Vira Gupta, Former Deputy Governor, RBI, Delhi42. Wajahat Habibullah Former Chief Information Commissioner, Delhi43. Zoya Hasan, Professor Emerita, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal NehruUniversity, Delhi44. Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist, Delhi45. Madan Lal Hind, Samajwadi Jan Parishad46. Nalini Tyabji, Artist, Delhi47. Prem Shankar Jha, Former Editor Hindustan Times and Media Advisor to PM VPSingh, Delhi48. Najeed Jung, Former Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, Delhi49. Air Vice-Marshal Kapil Kak (retd), Indian Air Force, Noida50. S Kalidas, Writer, Journalist, Goa51. Sajjad Kargili, Member Kargil Democratic Alliance, Kargil52. I D Khajuria, Member, National Committee, Internationalist Democratic Platform (IDP), Kathua53. Vinod Khanna, IFS (retd)54. Suhas Kolhekar, Climate, Health Rights and Social Justice Activist, National Allianceof People’s Movements (NAPM)55. Gita Kripalani, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (retd), Gurugram56. Radha Kumar, Former Member, Group of Interlocutors & Co-Chair, Forum forHuman Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, Kodaikanal57. Subodh Lal, Former DDG (International Relations), Department of Posts, GOI, Noida58. Smriti Lamech, Communications Professional, Kodaikanal59. Ashok Ogra, Media Educator, Delhi60. Dinesh Malhotra, Member Constitutional Conduct Group61. Rita Manchanda, Author, Conflict & Peace Studies Policy Advocate, Delhi62. Saeed Malik, Journalist, Srinagar63. Ajay K. Mehra, Political Scientist, Noida64. Aditi Mehta, Former Secretary to the Government of Rajasthan, Udaipur65. Major-General Ashok Mehta (retd), Indian Army, Noida66. Nivedita Menon, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi67. Malay Mishra, Former Ambassador of India to Hungary, Delhi68. Bashir Mir, Social Activist, Baramulla69. Avinash Mohananey, Former Director General of Police Sikkim, Chandigarh70. Manoranjan Mohanty, Former Professor, Delhi University, Delhi71. Sudhansu Mohanty, Former Financial Advisor, Minister of Defence, Govt of India, Bengaluru72. Deb Mukharji, Former Ambassador to Nepal, Delhi73. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, Former High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, IFS (retd), Delhi74. Vanita Mukherjee, Independent Researcher, Delhi75. Sudipto Mundle, Economist, Delhi76. Nagalsamy IAAS (retd), Former Principal Accountant General of TN, Chennai77. Janaki Nair, Former Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Bengaluru78. B.M. Nanta, Member Constitutional Conduct Group79. Niya Tapo, Intersectional Climate Activist, Arunachal Pradesh80. Pinto Norbu, Businessman and Former MP, Leh81. Amitabha Pande, Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, Government of India, Noida82. Sandeep Pandey, General Secretary, Socialist Party (India), Lucknow83. Anand Patwardhan, Filmmaker, Mumbai84. Maxwell Pereira, IPS (retd), Author85. Pamela Philipose, Journalist, Delhi86. Gopal Pillai, Former Union Home Secretary and Co-Chair, Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi87. R. Poornalingam, Secretary to Government of India (retd), Chennai88. Justice Anjana Prakash, former judge of the Patna High Court, Delhi89. Jyoti Punwani, Freelance Journalist, Mumbai90. Ram Punyani, Writer, Activist, Mumbai91. Ellora Puri, Honorary Director, Institute for Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, Jammu92. Badri Raina, Columnist and Author, Delhi93. M.K. Raina, Actor-Director, Delhi94. Swarna Rajagopalan, Independent Researcher and Writer, Chennai95. Aruna Rajkumar, Resident, Kodaikanal96. Sajad Rasool, Journalist, Srinagar97. Gauhar Raza, retired Scientist, Poet, Delhi98. A. Madhukumar Reddy, Member Constitutional Conduct Group99. Latha Reddy, Former Deputy National Security Adviser of India, Bengaluru100. Julio Ribeiro, I.P.S. (retd), Mumbai101. Aruna Roy, Mazdur Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan102. Vaishna Roy, Editor Frontline, Chennai103. Anand Sahay, Journalist, Bengaluru104. Shivani Sanghvi, Lawyer, Mumbai105. Deepak Sanan, Former civil servant, Shimla106. Meera Sanghamitra, All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) & National Alliance ofPeople’s Movements (NAPM), Hyderabad107. Tanika Sarkar, Former Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi108. E.A.S. Sarma, Former Secretary, Government of India, Visakhapatnam109. A. Selvaraj, IRS (retd), Former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Chennai110. P.C. Sen, Former Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission of India, Delhi111. Farooq Renzu Shah, Chairman Kashmir Society and Former Commissioner Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar112. OP Shah, Centre for Peace and Progress, Kolkata113. Shankar, Mazdoor Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan114. Ashok Sharma (IFoS), Kirti Chakra, retired PCCF Gujarat, Gandhinagar115. Ashok Sharma, IFS (retd), Noida116. Gayatri Singh, Lawyer, Mumbai117. Padamvir Singh, IAS (retd)118. Shantha Sinha, Former Chairperson, National Commission for Child Rights, Hyderabad119. Arun Subramanium, Journalist, Bengaluru120. Nandini Sundar, Sociologist, Delhi121. P.S.S. Thomas, IAS (retd), Former Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission of India122. Sanjay K. Tikoo, President, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti, Srinagar123. Major-General S.G. Vombatkere, VSM (retd), Mysuru124. Suneel Watal, IT Professional, DelhiOrganisational Endorsement:Mazdur Kisan Sakthi Sangathan (MKSS), RajasthanSatark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS), DelhiThe Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi