The myth J&K is only the property of Kashmiris has to be broken and it has to be made clear that J&K belongs to India and the people of India
Sheikh Khalid Jehangir
The stand of the BJP vis-à-vis Article 35-A and Article 370, which provide special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is clear that it wants both the Articles to be scrapped.
The Article 370 has done more harm to J&K than benefitting it. The Article 370 has only benefitted the rich people while the poor have been left high and dry. The politicians of Kashmir-based parties, who are acting as custodians of Article 370, have befooled the people of J&K by raking up this issue again and again. They have thrived by selling dreams to people. Politicians, who are playing politics over Article 370, are not the well wishers of people of Kashmir. They are their biggest enemies as this Article is the biggest impediment to the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
The petition challenging Article 35-A is being heard in the Supreme Court and the three member bench is likely to announce its decision within six weeks. Irrespective of whether it (Art 35-A) remains a part of the Indian Constitution or not, the time has come for at least a debate to find whether Article 370 has benefited the common man in Jammu and Kashmir. This is need of the hour. The Congress has unfortunately obfuscated this issue with the rhetoric of secularism to the extent where it is hard to count its merits and demerits.
The first Prime Minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru had said that Article 370 would get worn out with the passage of time and die. The BJP believes that it has died and time has come to scrap it. The Kashmir based mainstream politicians should stop beating their chest over the matter and fall in line. The abrogation of the Article 370 would complete the process of J&K getting integrated with rest of the country. The matter at present is sub judice. We should allow the Apex Court to take a call and abrogate this law once for all. The abrogation of Article 370 would send a message that J&K is an integral part of India and whoever opposes it would be considered as an enemy of J&K. This time the BJP is in power and the top leaders need to take a call vis-à-vis abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Many people believe that Article 370 is the root cause of sedition and secessionism in Kashmir. Once this Article is done away with it would allow nationalist people to breathe freely and would allow people from rest of the country to come to J&K and invest there. The scrapping of this Article would end the hegemony of a few people and would open J&K for all.
The myth J&K is only the property of Kashmiris has to be broken and it has to be made clear that J&K belongs to India and the people of India. It is strange that people of J&K can go to any state and buy properties there but when it comes to J&K, people from other states cannot buy any property in J&K. Similarly, if any girl from J&K gets married to an outsider she loses her right to be the citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. This injustice has to end.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that BJP would follow the Agenda of Alliance but the point is that Government of India has no control over Supreme Court. If the Apex Court, which is hearing the writ petition pertaining to Article 35-A scraps this Article it would be a big victory for the nationalist people across the country.
The mainstream parties which are beating their chest should stop doing it and endorse that J&K is an integral part of India and Article 370 and Article 35-A are the biggest impediments in the progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir.
(The writer is a Srinagar-based freelance journalist)
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