JK News Today’ Commentary
Article 370 one of the most contested constitutional provision in the Indian Constitution was abrogated on August 5, 2019 . More than five years have passed and we are celebrating 75 years of the adaption of the Constitution recalling how this document that guided our destiny all these years . Its history and the contributions in guiding the country in tough times was recalled with anecdotes and the events in Lok Sabha .
This period of 75 years also had 70 years of Article 370 in it. But now there is a need to rewrite the post- Article 370 history to underscore the importance of the momentous decision taken by the Narendra Modi Government five years ago . The historians must have documented the events and all that followed this epoch-making event which changed the whole mindset of the nation toward Jammu and Kashmir . The state which was viewed with a lot of fear and apprehension , suddenly became the defining part of the India’s unity and integrity . ; separate flag, separate constitution of the state were gone and so were all the barriers that the Article had erected between the erstwhile state and the rest of the country..
It was a historic development that completed an unfinished task . The nation had been waiting for decades this to come to an end . And when it happened, it was not only end of the political and physical barriers but it changed the psyche too. The Indian nation felt relieved that all the barriers had gone , they felt freshness of the air of freedom which they could breathe without an iota of doubt that it was different .
To a large extent, the people in Jammu and Kashmir also felt the same way .They felt liberated from a psyche that they were not purely Indians , as they had a separate constitution and flag . This also is a recorded fact that when PDP and BJP ruled in coalition for three years ( 2015-2018) even the BJP ministers had to sport two flags on their cars , entered the secretariat and Assembly buildings with two flags . This was the situation and condition.
At this moment when the things have changed; India has complete sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir , and the people in this territory feel and believe in India and India only, all other illusory options
This was an inflection point for the whole of Jammu and Kashmir. The whole of the territory and its population were integrated into the national mainstream within two days after the Parliament passed the abrogation of Article 370 and President gave assent to it . This was more than a velvet revolution .of a different nature. The majority of the people in J&K wanted their integration with the country in complete terms, but they were not finding an echo of their aspirations . It was only on August 5, 2019 when Home Minister Amit Shah moved the bill to remove Article 370 from the Constitution that they found that their hopes were realized. Even the few souls who wanted this Article to stay, recognized the fact in latter days that ambiguity and uncertainty which clouded their future and put a question mark on the real identity of their children, whether they were full Indians or not That doubt has been removed once and for all .
All that what happened in the period from August 2019 to this date underscored importance of the removal of Article 370 in the lives of the people. Equally important is the fact that how it changed all the dynamics of the geopolitics and made international community aware of accomplishing a conflict-resolution without firing even a single shot, not in air even. Among others , it was a powerful message to Pakistan which had been raking Kashmir issue every now and then that Government of India was capable of resolving its internal issues without dialogue with Pakistan or external interference..
There is much more that can be written in the history of post-August5-6, 2019- the grassroots democracy , most peaceful elections and smooth transition of power from the Centre to J&K’s elected government on the governance, though police public order and other critical issues, as is norm in a UT, remained with the Centre.
These developments have been written n pieces but its historical documentation is awaited . It must be written with a clear and fair analysis of events and their impact on future.
