I wrote the other day at the sweeping administrative changes that were in the offing, which happened today with Indian parliament scrapping Art 370, ending the special status of Jammu & Kashmir. Article 35(A) too stood terminated, with that ending 72 years of an animated suspension of the state.
J & K has been notified as a Union Territory with legislative Council, the region of Ladakh, which included Leh and Kargil a separate Union Territory without a Legislative Council. Terminating Art 35 A will entitle Indians of non-Kashmiri origin from other states to acquire property in the valley and set up businesses.
Inclusion of Indian states has happened during Sardar Patel’s time, with many princely states, Goa and Hyderabad. Sikkim also opted to join the Indian Union. There was no murmur of protest, either from the opposition parties or the self-styled intellectuals over the annexation of Tibet by China and the brutal human rights violations.
J & K is a crucial gateway with Pakistan and China, two countries, who have hegemonistic agendas against India, necessitating heavy military enforcements in the border state. Extremist and terrorist outfits like the Taliban brainwash the youths of the state, ISIS, JeM, LeT etc. to attack India and Indian forces. The political parties in the valley are shady and unpatriotic, with their first allegiance to religion and Pakistan. As more and more security forces are killed by Kashmiri terrorists and Pak infiltrators, ignoring these recurrences would have made India look weak and helpless.
If Congress could not resolve the J & K impasse in seven decades, they have no moral stand to criticize the political action on the state today. The Presidential Gazetted order action cannot be challenged in the Supreme Court, to the disappointment of the opposition parties. Neither the world countries may have any locus-standi in moving any resolution over the scrapping of Art 370. Pakistan and its PM Imran Khan have understandably rejected the change in the status of J&K, which is laughable. If there is progress in the Indian side of Kashmir, there will soon be a revolution on the other side, which they may be apprehensive.
I am sure India continues to be benevolent towards ordinary Kashmiris, most of whom languish in utter poverty. On the contrary, most Kashmiri leaders have been thriving in wealth, living in pomp and luxury. Unleashing an economic development program and enabling commerce and industry will usher an era of peace and growth, which alone could erase the distrust of India with the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. I am sure with the restoration of peace, tourism will get a big boost.
The opposition seems rudderless, and directionless in not knowing what to support and what to oppose. By opposing the scrapping of Art 370 the opposition has walked into an abyss, chosen voluntarily. I disparagingly ignore the pathetic criticism by a few Social network pseudo intellectuals that the move was to hide BJP’s embarrassment over the Unnao rape and murder, by their party man; despicable indeed! They did similar on the Pulwama attack too.
India stands with our government today. I do!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
