On October 31, 2019, the birth anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh came into existence as UTs. The date is significant as Patel’s birthday is celebrated as National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas).
The historic decision to bifurcate J&K was announced by Home Minister Amit Shah in the Parliament on August 6.
Abrogation of Article 370 led to complete integration of J&K with Indian Union, said the Home Minister while addressing the Parliament and a major benefit of integration is that Indian laws are now applicable throughout J&K and Ladakh.
Time was ripe for Modi 2.0 to change the status quo in J&K
Abrogation of Article 370 has been a core agenda of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar since the days of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who had expressed his displeasure at J&K’s special status saying: “Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur do Nishan nahi chal sakte (There cannot be two Constitutions, two Prime Ministers and two flags in one nation).”
The people of Jammu & Kashmir were tired of the corrupt mainstream parties while separatists had already been exposed as Pakistani puppets toeing Islamabad and ISI’s line. The Modi government, armed with a solid mandate in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, decided to challenge the status quo.
A change of this magnitude shocked many in the political establishment including the civil society.
Congress, Left stand exposed
Even Hurriyat was affected by the tectonic shift and this year in June, Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani resigned from his faction of the Hurriyat Conference.
It also exposed the Congress and the Left front as they questioned the Modi government’s decision to scrap Article 370.
After August 5 decision, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that the government has wiped out Jammu and Kashmir’s identity while former Home Minister P Chidambaram termed the day as a “black day” in India’s history.
The Congress has also rejected the newly passed land laws in J&K which permits non-Kashmiri people to purchase land.
Centre needs to keep an eye on rabble-rousers
Now, out of detention, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti have formed Gupkar Alliance for the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state.
Both Abdullah and Mufti have made seditious statement after coming out of detention. While Abdullah had said he hoped that Article 370 will be restored in Jammu and Kashmir with China’s help, Mufti sparked a row saying she will not hold the Indian tricolour until they get their flag back.
She also parroted Abdullah’s statement regarding China saying that Beijing speaks of Article 370 too, calling it disputed and asking why it was made UT?
Gupkar Alliance formed to reclaim the special status
Mufti had also said that India will run on Constitution not BJP manifesto but had no problem in joining hands with the saffron party to form government in J&K.
After the bifurcation last year, China termed it “unlawful” and “void”, saying it was “not effective in any way” as the UTs of J&K and Ladakh include some of China’s territory.
The Centre needs to keep an eye on these rabble-rousers and work for the development of both the UTs to realize the dream of economic as well as social integration of J&K and Ladakh.
