Throughout the history of Independent India, Jammu and Kashmir have been the most volatile part of the country. The region has witnessed prolonged unrest, violence, riots and other controversies. It is no surprise that it has been a subject of global political and media attention for decades. It has been an epicentre of terrorist attacks and disruptive militant activities due to the shared border between India and Pakistan. It remains a region of territorial dispute and contention between India, Pakistan and China and has been at the forefront of International Politics since 2019.
Article 370:
Till 2019, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed considerably more autonomy and remained the only State to be given special status under the controversial Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. Under Article 370, coupled with Article 35 A of the Constitution, Jammu & Kashmir was conferred with the power to have a separate constitution, a state flag and autonomy over the internal administration of the State. This autonomy effectively meant that the residents of the State enjoyed a separate set of legal privileges including different laws for citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights.
On 5 August 2019, the Government of India revoked the special status, or limited autonomy, granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir. The Home Minister introduced a Reorganisation Bill in the Indian Parliament, seeking to divide the State into two union territories(Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh). They were to be governed by a lieutenant governor and a unicameral legislature. Before this controversial action, Section 144 was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent a situation of unrest. The Ministry of Home Affairs also approved the mobilization of thousands of paramilitary security troops into Jammu and Kashmir, citing the reason to maintain law and order in the area. All communications such as phone lines, cable and internet were cut off for 5 months. Major political figures including PDP Chief, Mehebooba Mufti and Former Chief Ministers Omar & Farooq Abdullah were placed under ”preventive detention”.
On Thursday, June 24, The Prime Minister and Home Minister convened a meeting with senior political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir, for the first time since the abrogation of article 370 and the subsequent detention of notable political figures in the State. The key areas of discussion were the restoration of Statehood, delimitation and polls to re-establish an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir. In attendance were 14 prominent leaders from 8 major parties, including 4 former Chief Ministers, 3 of whom were placed under house arrest by the Central Government following the imposition of Section 144 in Jammu and Kashmir back in 2019.
The meeting lasted for 3 hours and was described by the attendees as cordial and positive. However, there remain some major disagreements between the Centre and the State Parties when it comes to charting a path to restoring Statehood. Former Chief Minister and Senior Congress Leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad laid down 5 demands that he made to the Prime Minister speaking to reporters after the meeting. These demands included granting of Statehood, conducting Assembly elections to restore democracy, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in J&K, the release of all political detainees and that on domicile rules. Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah, the leader of the Gupkar alliance further demanded Article 370 be re-established and the State be given a special status once again. He claimed that the decision to scrap it off was not in the best interest of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and called for its reversal. He also called for the reverting of the IAS and IPS cadres of Jammu and Kashmir, which is merged with the Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories cadre. People’s Democratic Party Chief, Mehebooba Mufti asked Modi to resume dialogue with Pakistan “to boost trade and maintain peace in Kashmir”.
The Prime Minister, however, said that Statehood would be restored “At an appropriate time” but only after a delimitation exercise or a redrawing of the electoral map of Jammu and Kashmir. He also said that polls to elect a government in Jammu and Kashmir would also be held only after delimitation and called on the party leaders to cooperate with the Central Government on the same. The PM reiterated his commitment to democratic principles and called the election in Jammu and Kashmir a priority. He also dismissed the restoration of Special Status as a “sub judicial issue”, indicating the recalcitrance of the Government to consider a discussion on the reinstatement of Article 370. It was decided that the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha would set up a committee to review cases of political prisoners, be it those released - like the Abdullahs and Ms Mufti - and those still in detention.
Most leaders in attendance called the meeting fruitful and appreciated the willingness of the Prime Minister to actively engage with and take into consideration the demands of State leaders. However, they also criticized the Central Government’s decision to scrap Article 370 and most of them expressed their opposition to the Prime Minister's emphasis on delimitation before the restoration of statehood or holding elections. The Prime Minister too, said sources, expressed happiness that all participants shared their honest views.
While it may seem like the Centre and State still have irreconcilable differences, this meeting does mark a major outreach by the Central Government and also hints at a future where Jammu and Kashmir retain their Statehood but not its previous special status.
Drone Attack(27th June 2021)
Preliminary investigations conducted by Jammu and Kashmir police and other security agencies recently revealed the likely involvement of Pakistan based Lashkar E-Taiba(LeT) behind a drone strike on Jammu Air force base on Sunday, June 27. This attack was linked with the detention of a LeT operative with 6 kg of Improvised Explosive Device(IED). The drones were supposedly targeting an ATC tower and an IAF helicopter parked at the airbase. Similar drones were seen near the Kaluchak Military Base.
Security officials have told media outlets that major terrorist organizations such as the LeT and the JeM(Jaish E-Mohammed) have been conducting drone sorties recently, supposedly using Chinese parts for deniability.
This attack and others display a pattern of terrorist attacks following any positive development in concerns with Jammu and Kashmir. This drone strike comes less than a week after a high stakes meeting between the Prime Minister and major political leaders of the Gupkar alliance of Jammu and Kashmir.
This latest development puts the Government in a precarious position. India and Pakistan recently revived a Cease-fire agreement along the line of control since 25th February 2021, which effectively makes it very difficult for India to retaliate against this attack, a response from India can lead to heightened tensions which might stall the political developments of Jammu and Kashmir and it will significantly diminish the gains of the meeting held on June 24th. In contrast, no response might increase the likelihood of such attacks in the future.
Article by:
-Kshitij G.Saha
Sources:
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