What Changes in Jammu & Kashmir After the Abolition of 370?
On the 5th of August 2019, The Central Government of India abolished Article 370, which promised special rights to Jammu and Kashmir. Other than that, the government also divided the state into two different union territories.
Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh became too new union territories of India. Before abolishing Article 370, the government imposed a curfew in the valley, and thousands of protesters were arrested.
The abolition of Article 370 was one of the promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party. For the last 20 years, the Bharatiya Janata party has promised the rest of India that they will abolish Article 370 and make Kashmir like any other state of India.
The Importance of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Article 370 was everything for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It gave special rights to the state since Jammu and Kashmir became a part of India in 1947.
Even though Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, India claims to be their part, and now it’s a union territory of India.
The central Government of India has claimed that Article 370 was an obstruction in the return of Kashmiri pandits to the valley. Millions of Hindu Kashmiri have been long exiled to their own country.
The BJP government was looking to get control of the valley to control Islam terrorism. Pakistan plays a crucial role in the peace and harmony of the valley.
Since 1947, Pakistan has been running propaganda offering freedom and rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We all know that those claims are nothing more than propaganda as they have not provided any special rights to people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
There are no facilities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as compared to other parts of the country. The people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have been living in misery, and their government does not have any plan to revive them in the upcoming years.
What does the Indian government say about Article 370?
The central Government of India is hopeful of reviving conditions in Kashmir valley even after abolishing Article 370.
The home minister of India, Amit Shah, said that democracy had reached the grassroots level in Jammu and Kashmir since the abolition of Article 370.
Before 2019, there were only 90 MLAs and 6 MPs in Jammu and Kashmir. Nowadays, it also has more than 30,000 pages. They have sarpanches in tehsil panchayat and zilla panchayat. These members are working together to improve democracy in Kashmir.
Mr Amit Shah further mentioned that there had been a significant drop in terror-related and stone-pelting incidents since the abolition of Article 370.
The central Government of India has improved the overall structure of the state, and there are fewer curfews with better conditions.
A few days ago, the foreign minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto, said that Pakistan is not going to have any bilateral talks unless the Indian government reinstates Article 370 in the valley.
On the same day, the Indian foreign minister, Mr Jayashankar, said that the Indian government does not want to hold any Bilateral talks with countries that sponsor terrorism.
What is the Ground Reality of Kashmir After Article 370?
There is no doubt that the ground reality of Kashmir is also improving after the abolition of Article 370. Around 2,00,00,000 people visited Kashmir valley last year, and it gave jobs to Thousands of Kashmiris.
The ground reality is Improving even in Kashmir valley, where stone pelting was one of the biggest jobs for Local youth. Kashmir is once again one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, where law and order are back in power.
New investments are coming in the region. An Emirati Development company announced a $60,000,000 investment in the valley. The company is going to build offices and other business properties.
These new investments are also going to generate employment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It will help them stay away from terrorist organizations.
Since 2020 more than 200,000 micro and small medium enterprises have been registered in Jammu and Kashmir. Around 38,000 of these enterprises are run by women, which is a big leap for the region.
Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a sharp rise in different factors. There are fewer terrorism-related incidents in the valley, and it has attracted more investments than ever before.
In the upcoming days, the Indian government is going to hold the g20 summit in Kashmir Valley, which is a big leap for the region. It will be the first international event in the region after the abolition of Article 370.
What is the future of Article 370?
The Government of India is not going to reinstate Article 370. Till the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power, the government is not going to reinstate Article 370.