Abrogation of Article 370: Is it worth it?

Complete lock down at Lal Chowk- Press trust of India 

The Centre has deceived the people of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating article 370 and 35A. 

It was India’s policy after freedom that whenever there was a dispute in accession the outcome will be decided by the choice of the people rather than the ruler of the Princely state. 

When India accepted the Instrument of Accession(IoA) by Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Lord Mountbatten stated that “it is my Government’s wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir and her soil is cleared of the invader, the question of the State’s accession be settled by a reference to the people”. 

Gopalswami Ayyangar who was a part of the Constituent Assembly of India had also quoted the same. The choice of the people was the prime focus of the then government which has been totally ignored by the present regime. Article 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir constitution defines it to be an integral part of India. Those who want to abrogate the articles are more concerned with the autonomy which it had rather than the integration of India.

The government has taken the decision in a haste without giving any time for its discussion in the Parliament. The people of Kashmir valley who were the stakeholder are not even given a choice. They are being lockdown in their own place. 

This decision by the government is almost like demonetization which was also taken in a haste and it affected the small traders the most. 

In the current scenario, the state has been the most affected since it has been downgraded from a state to a Union territory, thereby setting aside the federal spirit inscribed in the Constitution. There will be two Union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The decision is welcomed by Ladakh since they were demanding the UT status from 1990s. However, Kargil which is a part of Ladakh is opposing this decision as it fears the domination of Buddhism in the new proposed set-up.

There is a complete human right violation with the people of Kashmir. The prime political leaders Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah are under house arrest. The Centre's move to cancel the Amarnath pilgrimage was quite predictable about the huge crisis that was about to happen in Kashmir but here was no one to guide the people that they must be united to face the unwelcomed situation. Kashmir has always faced this lack of leadership.


Whatever is shown on the television is a scripted version of the government. No one can hear what the people of Kashmir want to say. The Kashmiris living in other cities cannot communicate with their parents. The decision has affected the Eid celebrations in Kashmir. The markets are desolate. Mobiles have been disconnected. Internet is off. People are not able to withdraw money from the ATM. The business of selling sacrificial goat in Eid has dropped down due to the curfew. It is quite ironical that the party which once stood against the oppression of the press during emergency is going astray from its own belief.