Impact of dismissal of Article 370 and 35A

The Modi government took a bold decision on 5th August 2019, Monday to remove the article 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution, which offers special privileges to the Jammu & Kashmir. This decision has dismissed the old agreement signed by the president of India in 1954 which grant permanent citizenship to J&K people, separate flag, property rights, and fundamental rights of the constitution. Article 35A also prohibits outsiders of J&K to own any property right or land in J&K. This decision of the government has earned a huge appreciation from the people of India and other political parties.

Whatever might be the reason for nullifying section 370, the process of implementation poses a serious question on the intention of the government. While implementing the law, the house arrest of the political leaders, deployment of thousands of troops day before, restricting internet and communications in the valley, and imposing of section 144 to prohibit the gathering of people in Kashmir. All these acts indicate towards the misuse of power and neglecting democratic principles. The state of Jammu & Kashmir is divided into two union territories J&K and Ladakh. Turning a state into union territories will establish direct control of the central government over the Kashmir region. It is a step towards the ambition of BJP of one nation, one flag, one constitution, and one rule. Politically, one can easily see this decision as a tactic played by the Modi government to rule the Kashmir region and his ambitious dream of 5 trillion Economy of India by 2024.

Demographic character

Kashmir is a Muslim majority state and lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits were forced to move out from the Kashmir in 1990 due to Muslim militants. This decision will help Kashmiri Pandits to relocate to their native place and also enable people from other parts of India to purchase land and property in Kashmir. This is a sinister action of the Indian government to disempower Muslims of J&K to such an extent, that they will become second-class citizens within their state, said Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister of J&K. However, she is ignoring displaced Kashmiri pandits and, where her morals and principles were when she was herself running the government in alliance with BJP?

Favoritism over religion and community

Revocation of Article 35A will allow any Indian citizen to get a government job in Kashmir and companies to acquire land in Kashmir for industrial purposes. Employers will also have the choice to hire anyone for employment, including Non- Kashmiris. It raises a serious question on the decision of the Modi government, which claims that the revocation of section 370 will bring more employment opportunities and growth to the state. Before the revocation, Indian media has described the image of every Kashmiri citizen as a violent and anti-nationalist.

How will an employer show his faith to the Kashmiri people to offer them an essential position in his/her company? How a non-Muslim and non-Kashmiri employer will not give preference to his\her own community for jobs over the Muslim people of J&K whom he/she knows majorly through media and newspaper? There is a chance of disturbances to the non-Kashmiri people and employers by the active militants present in the valley. What plans the government has decided to safeguard them? Without any protection by armed forces, there are very few chances of the survival of the industries in Kashmir. The more and more outsiders and Kashmiri Pandits locate in Kashmir, the more is the chances of survival and winning an election by the BJP government. So, to some extent, Mufti’s concern over the ratio of people is not unnecessary because it has a political reason behind it.

Many Kashmiris are opposing the scrapping of Article 370 and 35A, but some Kashmiris are celebrating the decision of the present government. People are hoping that this dismissal of Article will bring growth and employment to all the sections of the society in Kashmir. This could be a great decision of the Modi government if they scrapped this article 370 &35A in a democratic way than imposing on the people. In a democracy people’s opinion is as much important as the constitution of the country. India as the largest democratic state should be the ideal for the other democratic states in the world.