- Depriving occupied Kashmir of its identity
Violating solemn promises made to the people of Indian held Kashmir which were enshrined in Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, the Modi government has gone ahead to revoke the constitutional provision. Except for defence, external affairs and communications, Article 370 exempted Indian occupied J&K from the Indian Constitution. It permitted the state instead to draft its own Constitution and made “concurrence” of the state government mandatory for extending a central law to the occupied territory.
The measure has also bifurcated Kashmir by declaring Laddakh a separate Union Territory. Wary of a possible uprising against the move, New Delhi had taken extraordinary measures during the last two weeks. Besides the 32,000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces deployed for securing Amarnath Yatra, 10,000 additional troops were also brought from India. All outsiders were told to leave the Valley, restrictions were put on movements, night curfews were enforced, Section 144 was imposed in Srinagar district, mobile Internet services were snapped, several leaders including former chief ministers Omar and Farooq Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, were placed under house arrest. This is indicative of the administration’s readiness to use maximum force to suppress any agitation.
Among other things, the sudden change in occupied Kashmir’s special status is meant to allow the government to settle tens of thousands of outsiders in the Valley, thus changing its demographic structure. The Issue would no doubt provide another cause célèbre to the people of occupied Kashmir, but this will also add to the difficulties in their way.
As far as India is concerned it has made it known that it no more considers Kashmir a disputed territory, with Pakistan, India and Kashmiris as three stake holders. It has thus resiled from a position that every major political party in India has maintained since the Kashmir ceasefire in 1949. Endorsing the view, former BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee had held talks with both Kashmiri leaders and Pakistan to resolve the core issue of Kashmir.
The change in the status of the occupied Kashmir will harm Pak-India relations. After India taking Kashmir out of the list of disputes, the attempts to normalize relations will face a setback.
While Pakistan will continue to support morally and politically the Kashmiri people’s struggle against Indian occupation, people in Pakistan expect the PTI government and the establishment to keep the Kashmir issue alive in the international forums and bring it back on the agenda of Pak-India talks. Their competence will be closely watched.
