Five years have passed since Article 370 was repealed, but the question remains: was it necessary, was it appropriate, and was it abrupt? However, for those of us who grew up in Jammu and Kashmir, the solution is not found in textbooks or panel debates. It is derived from personal experience. It was a constitutional decision for the majority of Indians, but it was liberty for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly those who supported the country during decades of violence, political pressure, and separatism. And for those of us who consider Bharat to be a state of civilization, this was a spiritual return, a reversal of history that had veered too long toward timidity, division, and appeasement.
Autonomy was not symbolized by Article 370. It represented separation. Jammu and Kashmir remained politically isolated, socially perplexed, and culturally isolated from the greater Bharat. It built a wall in people’s imaginations as well as on paper. We continued to be trapped in the cycle of violence, victimization, and political blackmail while the rest of the nation progressed.
Article 370’s repeal was more than merely a constitutional move. It was a correction of civilizational error. It was an indication that Bharat had at last found the strength to cease expressing regret for its unity. It informed the world that no part of this nation is negotiable, not for fear, not for a vote, and most definitely not for permission from other countries. This was more than just a government political strategy. It was an overdue response from a society recovering a long-forgotten, damaged, and misrepresented aspect of itself.
Kashmir is more than just a question of territory. It is the pinnacle of the spiritual geography of Bharat. It is the home of Sharada Peeth, the cradle of Shaivism, and the land of sages. It would be an insult to its history to convert it to a conflict zone. Truth, clarity, and pride were stolen from Kashmir, along with law and order. And restoration, not simply peace, is what we’re after now.
Article 370’s repeal on August 5, 2019, went beyond a simple constitutional modification or administrative change. It was a turning point for civilization. Bharat had been carrying a wound for decades that it was not permitted to acknowledge, much less repair. Article 370 was the wound that aggravated, giving Jammu and Kashmir a false feeling of identity and division that was purposefully maintained at odds with the broader national identity. As a result, a class of political elites, radical ideologues, and outside forces who profited from violence and victimization took control of the area instead of its citizens.
This reality was nothing new to those of us who have lived here. We witnessed firsthand as how the state was treated with guilt, terror, and appeasement. Leaders in the past would refer to Kashmir as a “sensitive issue” and refrain from making choices that would genuinely bring the area together with the rest of the nation in both spirit and law. Despite promises of special status, concessions, and money flowing, peace never materialized. Generations were brought up believing that India was to blame for their suffering and that fighting India would save them. Clerics who turned Friday sermons into open provocation and dynasties who transferred their offspring overseas while common youth picked up stones meticulously built this story.
Our culture has always taught that land is more than just dirt and rock; it is a holy place imbued with the traces of the Divine and the recollections of sages. The Gita tells us, “सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ, ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि” – keep joy and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat in balance, and fight for Dharma without fear of sin. One such battle was the repeal of Article 370. It was motivated not by retaliation or greed but, with the obligation to restore Dharma in a place where it had been gradually undermined. Stories of violence and separation had overshadowed the Valley’s Shaivite history, Sharada Peeth ancestry, and spiritual life for far too long. Not only was Bharat regaining land when it held firm on August 5, 2019, but it was also upholding a holy trust that our rishis had left us.
Article 370 evolved into a handy justification for all failures, including social stagnation, unemployment, lack of investment, and educational backwardness. However, none of these were the inevitable results of war or geography. They were the results of conscious political decisions. Under the pretext of autonomy, fundamental democratic rights were withheld for decades. In contrast to the rest of India, laws protecting the rights of women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and economically disadvantaged groups were not applied here. For what purpose? to defend a “special status” that was solely in place to keep a select few families in positions of authority.
Not merely a clause of the Constitution was altered on August 5, 2019. It was Bharat’s attitude that altered. The Union government behaved clearly and confidently for once. It didn’t recoil. It didn’t look to liberal columnists or foreign powers for approval. It didn’t apologize for taking the long-overdue action. That’s why it was successful. There was no rebellion in the streets. No civil war. No outbreak of widespread violence. The strongest evidence that Article 370 had no emotional sway over the general public was that it was merely a crutch for individuals whose careers had been based on separatism and fear-mongering.
On the ground, the changes over the past five years are evident in daily living rather than in slogans. Once a scene of weekly stone-throwing, the streets are now mostly quiet. Schools don’t close. Tourists have returned in high numbers. The goal and rules of engagement of security forces, which formerly functioned under political pressure and legal uncertainty, are now clear that is to maintain peace by all means.
The current administration has brought this clarity to the table. Delhi’s strategy toward Kashmir was characterized for many years by hesitancy, appeasement, and a persistent concern about upsetting a fierce minority. That period was ended by the BJP. In addition to repealing a legal provision, Article 370’s repeal aimed to eradicate the belief that India must always yield to threats and outbursts. The government has proposed an unapologetic integration policy in its stead, according to which the national interest cannot be compromised. The separatist narrative is currently on the backfoot, Pakistan’s power is eroding, and development is starting to establish itself in previously hopeless areas, as a result of this decisiveness. The message from Delhi is one of conviction rather than confusion for the first time in decades.
Additionally, there is a more profound shift that political experts frequently overlook. The way that young people currently speak has changed. in their outlook for the future. In the past, “azaadi” was promoted to young people without jobs or exposure as a romantic ideal. These same young people are now applying for government employment, starting their own businesses, going to college both domestically and overseas, and discussing goals that seem similar to those of their peers in Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore. Though it might not garner much attention, this mentality change has greater impact than any speech. It indicates that the nation-building endeavor is at last taking root here, normalcy, not coercion.
Restoration Must Go Beyond Roads and Jobs
Exposing the hypocrisy surrounding minority rights was one of the most significant results of repealing Article 370. For many years, Kashmir was portrayed as a Muslim-majority area where Indian involvement was regarded with distrust. However, nobody inquired about the fate of Kashmir’s actual minorities.
What about the Kashmiri Pandits, who were expelled in 1990 during a terror campaign that is now regarded as one of the most sinister periods in our history since independence? What about the Valmikis who were brought over from Punjab in the 1950s? Due to their caste, they were only allowed to serve as sweepers and were denied citizenship. What about the refugees from West Pakistan who escaped Partition but were never permitted to vote in local elections or own land? Footnotes are not what they are. These are the victims of a system that, in the name of autonomy, gave preference to the dominating majority.
More focus should be placed on the misery of Kashmiri Pandits in particular. They were not merely relocated; they were long-term obliterated from the national consciousness. Women were raped, children slaughtered, temples desecrated, and their homes plundered. Nevertheless, no political party dared to speak for them for years. For fear of “communalizing” the problem, the media shunned the subject. It was reduced by intellectuals to a migration brought on by “militancy.” The fact that this was a premeditated ethnic cleansing motivated by Islamic militancy was not spoken. Since any attempt to challenge this reality was interpreted as an assault on Kashmiri identity, Article 370 protected it. Now that shield is shattered. Their tale is being told, at least, today. Books are being published, movies are being made, and young Indians are becoming aware of what has transpired. This isn’t retaliation. This is remembrance-based justice.
However, we will fail once more if we stop here. Infrastructure, employment programs, and development initiatives are not the only aspects of rebuilding Kashmir. Reviving the land’s essence is the goal. In the geography of Bharat’s civilization, this place is more than just a piece of land; it is a sacred area. The Dharmic worldview was molded by the many sages and saints from Kashmir, including Abhinavagupta, Kalhana, Lal Ded, and others. Without Kashmir, the concept of India as a spiritual civilization is incomplete. Furthermore, those who sought to obliterate that history and replace it with a strict, separatist, and frequently antagonistic identity were permitted to take control of this territory for far too long.
We must strive for cultural and spiritual reintegration now that we have achieved political unification. Temples need to be restored as places of collective memory as much as as buildings. Opening the Sharada Peeth passage is essential for the sake of civilization as a whole, not merely as a diplomatic gesture. The tales of Kashmir’s scholars and saints, not only its wars and terrorists, should be taught in schools. Traditions, music, art, and language must all be revived. Now is the moment for the government to demonstrate that it does more than just rule; it also fosters. that it fosters culture in addition to handling disputes.
There will be opposition. The same international networks that previously protested the abrogation will attempt to fabricate new stories. This is a cultural imposition, according to some. It is Hindu majoritarianism, according to some. But we have to be resolute. The goal of reclaiming Kashmir is to include what was purposefully deleted, not to exclude anyone. Dharma means equilibrium rather than dominance. In cases when lies became institutionalized, it entails bringing the truth back. It entails giving people who were silenced a voice. And even if doing so causes discomfort in the world, that is what we must do.
As the Bhagavad Gita says:
सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ।
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि॥
Treat pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike. Then engage in battle. In this way, you will not incur sin.
The Dharma of our day is to act clearly, even when it is uncomfortable, rather than to seek serenity by remaining silent. We let softness take the place of strength for far too long. We mistook hesitation for concord and capitulation for accommodation. The Gita teaches us that doing the right thing shouldn’t wait for everyone to agree.
We must ask those who continue to insist that dialogue is necessary for achieving peace: with whom is dialogue necessary? With the carrying arms? With people who publicly back Pakistan? With people who make claims that India is an occupation? No, when you speak the truth and don’t back down, you will find peace. Dialogue is not giving up. It’s not a concession to people who don’t believe you exist. Bharat must rise with courage rather than humiliation if it is to succeed. Our politics in the past was about controlling sentiment and now it is about influencing fate.
The young people are entitled to a future free from historical constraints. They ought to be aware that their land was not only a valley of bloodshed but also a place of learning. They must be raised to see themselves as part of a great civilization rather than as victims of a border dispute. This will only be feasible if the state continues to hold its ground against both internal and external pressure.
Kashmir is Civilisational, Not Just Political
In history, five years is a short period but it is lengthy enough to make a point. It has been shown and proved now that the fear that was originally employed to keep India out of Kashmir is bogus. The enmity misconceptions surrounding Article 370 have been debunked. It has been established that touching Kashmir will not cause it to erupt. We can’t act like we don’t know the truth anymore. Kashmir is more than just a conflict-ridden area. It is a reflection of Bharat’s soul.
It was more than just a political failure that we permitted to occur there for seventy years. It was a retreat of civilization. We took a step away from reality. We allowed falsehood to pass as narrative, appeasement to pass as peace, and confusion to pass as complexity The repeal of Article 370 marked the start of Bharat’s resurgence as a nation-state and as a morally strong, courageous, and recollective civilization.
However, this is just the start. It is now necessary to finish what has been done legally in spirit. The process of political integration is completed. Stability and security are mostly attained. All that is left is the restoration of Dharma to the place where it originated, together with spiritual and cultural unity. This does not imply that somebody should be dominated or erased. It denotes a rejection of victim-centered politics, exclusivism, and separatist. It entails creating a future that is secure in its course and proud of its heritage.
According to Sanatan philosophy, preserving the land’s purity is a religious commitment rather than a political issue. Kashmir’s rivers, mountains, and temples are live representations of Bharat’s soul, not just quiet witnesses. Our forefathers taught that the Kshatriya spirit in society has a responsibility to rise and bring equilibrium back when Adharma spreads. By maintaining this sacred territory in a condition of disarray and chaos, Article 370 had permitted Adharma to establish itself. Rajdharma, the moral obligation of a state to defend not only its boundaries but also its civilization, was the reason behind its revocation. There is a famous shloka “धर्मेणैव हता सत्यमधर्मेणैव नश्यति.” which means that Adharma destroys truth, but Dharma upholds it: Bharat made the Dharma choice in August 2019.
We must not be reluctant to state unequivocally that Kashmir is Indian, not because of a treaty, the military, or politics. Because Kashmir is Bharatiya by blood, soul, and civilization, it is Indian. Every inch of its soil, from Abhinavagupta to Kalhana, from Sharada Peeth to Amarnath, speaks the language of Sanatan Dharma. Propaganda from separatists cannot change that fact.
This journey needs a daring next step. Not merely as a token gesture, but as a permanent return with security and dignity, we must endeavor to resettle Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. We must repair temples, restore sacred sites, allow spiritual tourism, and establish an environment that allows Dharma to flourish in the valley once more. History textbooks need to be updated to reflect the actual events of 1990. It is imperative that we eradicate the culture of fear that surrounds exposing radicalism for what it is. And we must never again let elite cowardice or vote-bank politics hold India’s unity hostage.
The softness era is ended. There is no more stillness. Now is the moment to take action, communicate, and create. Bharat needs to finish the unfinished business of history with courage and foresight rather than resentment. Let this generation be known for creating a new clarity rather than for maintaining the same uncertainty. That is the real homage to the saints who once walked this land, the soldiers who gave their lives, and the people who suffered.
Let Kashmir not remain a headline. Let it revert to its original purpose as a bright hub of Dharma, beauty, and power at the pinnacle of Bharat. Let it no longer be a flashpoint; let it be a flame of wisdom.
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