Returning the statehood

19/10/2020

While the long-standing ideological commitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party to undo Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is why Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was stripped of its special status as well as Statehood making it a simmering cauldron of discontent, our collective mythmaking about Kashmir is the deeper reason for what the former State has become today. Kashmir has been a favourite site of our national mythmaking; myths that have over the years assumed larger-than-life manifestations in our collective psyche. Kashmir has most things that popular myths are made of: mesmerising beauty, cross-border terror, deep states and their agents, war and heroism. Clearly, myths about Kashmir are not created by the right wing alone but by successive Indian governments over several decades, enthusiastically embellished by a vibrant, popular culture. The most prominent among them is regarding the ills of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution. Home Minister Amit Shah’s statements last year on the floor of Parliament that Article 370 was the root cause of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is a widely accepted sentiment notwithstanding the fact that there is little material basis to it — neither was Article 370 responsible for terrorism in the Valley nor has its removal ensured a reduction in terrorism.

Government will not take long to restore Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir which was converted into the Union Territory on August 5, 2019 and declared that there will be a wave of development there in next 5-6 months as Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is taking development to grass-root level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said during an interview. Shah’s statement assumed significance as almost all political parties have been demanding restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Development in Jammu and Kashmir remained priority of the Central Government, the Home Minister said law and order situation has normalized in Kashmir and a lot could have been done for development of Jammu and Kashmir but due to spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the development did take a hit there. To a question on senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P Chidambaram’s statement that Article 370 should be restored to Jammu and Kashmir, he said the Congress Party had also taken similar stand in the Parliament. “Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should make their stand on the issue (restoration of Article 370) clear,” he said.

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