On August 5, 2019, India unilaterally revoked Article 370, a cornerstone of Kashmir’s autonomy since 1949. This dramatic action fundamentally altered the region’s political landscape.
The revocation of Article 370 marks a critical escalation in the longstanding, complex Kashmir dispute. This core issue, unresolved since the partition of the subcontinent, stems from the disputed accession of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to India under allegedly coercive circumstances. India’s subsequent decision to bring the matter before the UN Security Council led to the adoption of Resolution 47, which called for a plebiscite to ascertain the Kashmiri people’s wishes.
Article 370 granted significant autonomy to Kashmir, allowing its people to govern themselves in most areas except for foreign policy and defense. This provision also restricted non-residents from owning land in the region. Article 35A further solidified Kashmir’s special status by conferring exclusive rights and benefits upon its permanent inhabitants.
According to Indian constitution, Article 370 could only be modified with the agreement of “State (Kashmir) government”. But there was no govt in IIOJK for over a year at the time of the illegitimate move by Modi/ BJP. Bringing down CM Mufti’s govt & imposing federal govt’s rule was part of sinister strategy that paved way to seek approval from his hand-picked governor in IIOJK and pave way for 5 Aug 2019 action.
India presented itself to the world as conciliatory by bestowing special status on the disputed valley through Articles 370 and 35A of its constitution, despite publicly asserting its position of temporary occupation. This autonomy included provisions for a separate flag and law-making powers.
No government of time ever tinkered with this special status of Kashmir but Modi ventured to change the constitutional status of Kashmir due to political expediencies. Revocation was part of BJP’s electoral manifesto & action aimed to show people to have acted upon it. To make Hindu hardliners happy by populating Hindus in disputed valley. Modi’s desire to show that the BJP is tough on Kashmir, and Pakistan. To install a BJP aligned Chief Minister, pursue its Hindutva policies without any hindrances and legitimize its illegal and UN defiant moves in IIOJK.
India’s unilateral decision to alter Kashmir’s territorial status, a highly contested region and global hotspot, has escalated tensions. Kashmiris endure severe restrictions on their freedoms and face harsh treatment from Indian security forces. For many Kashmiri Muslims, who form the majority in the region and are under Indian occupation, the revocation of Article 370 is a catastrophe, bringing them closer to an Indian state they vehemently oppose.
The people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK) seek liberation from India’s oppressive control and desire to join Pakistan, driven by shared geography, ethnicity, and religion. Historical commitments, including UN Security Council Resolution 47 and pledges from early Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, promised a plebiscite to determine the region’s future. However, India has reneged on these promises, shifting its stance to falsely claim Kashmir as an integral part of its territory.
Pakistan, the sole advocate for Kashmiris in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK), vehemently condemns India’s illegal actions and has raised the issue on all global platforms, including the UN and OIC. Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s indigenous struggle against India’s escalating human rights abuses. The Kashmiri leadership and populace have unequivocally rejected India’s illegal abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, a move designed for political manipulation that has exacerbated their suffering.
India’s claim that revoking Article 370 would bring normalcy, peace, and prosperity to Kashmir is belied by the worsening human rights situation since August 5, 2019.
