Article 370 was abrogated on August 5

August 5 would mark one year of the momentous decision to abrogate Article 370, which provided special status for the state, and split the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. The decision had led to a virtual lockdown in Kashmir Valley and normalcy is yet to be completely restored.

August 5 would also mark the momentous day when the foundation stone of the controversial Ayodhya Temple would be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Whether it is just a coincidence that both the events are on August 5 or whether it is a way to rub in the point that the BJP had achieved both its major agendas, is a matter of debate and the jury is still out.

The BJP had made no bones about its promise to abrogate Article 370 and to scrap Article 35 from Jammu and Kashmir. This agenda has been in the Party manifesto since the very beginning. The action was delayed during the first tenure of the Modi government as the BJP shockingly joined hands with Mehbooba Mufti of the People’s Democratic Party, who was known to be a radical leader. She resigned after breaking the alliance with BJP in June 2018 and the state was placed under central rule.

After the NDA led by BJP got a second term with increased majority In 2019, it was evident that the days of Article 370 were numbered. Top political leaders including former chief ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were expecting abrogation of the special status for the state.

What was, however, not expected was the division of the state into two parts and downgrading the status to Union Territories. It came as a bolt from the blue for the leaders as well as residents of the state. It was like adding insult to injury. While the country has seen several union territories getting upgraded to the status of states, it was for the first time that a state had been reduced to two union territories.

The Centre, however, dealt with the aftermath of the decision with an iron hand. It imposed heavy restrictions and virtually cut off communication lines of the people. Telephone and Internet services were completely shut off for several months and have not been completely restored even now. The movement of people was highly restricted and the media was left with no alternative but to report what the authorities wanted to tell them.

Looking back one must say that there were serious apprehensions about law and order situation in the Kashmir valley particularly when independent media was not allowed to function in the region. However, these speculations generally proved wrong and there have been no authentic reports of any large scale violence or agitation from the region.

Although it may be argued that news reports were not allowed to come at that time but with the passage of time, the facts about such incidents do come out in one way or the other. Even Pakistan media, so inimical to India and particularly in context of Kashmir, has not reported any major or widespread protests. A UK based news channel once did release a report about protests and stone pelting but it was later confirmed that the footage shown by it was of a previous incident.

It is not to say no protests or stone pelting incidents would have taken place over the last one year. These may have been stray, and even some serious, incidents but one is yet to hear about any widespread protest movement in the region.

Omar Abdullah, who has remained chief minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir for six years, has finally broken his silence on the eve of the one year of abrogation of Article 370. He has declared that he would not contest elections for the Union Territory Assembly. He said he would contest only if the status as a full-fledged state was restored. Significant he has not kept restoration of Article 370 as a precondition for participating in the elections. Instead he has said his and his party’s campaign for restoration of the special status would continue.

Asked his reaction to the lack of any widespread protests or any movement against the central government’s decisions, he said that it could be due to “fatigue” of the cycle of violence in the state. There is no doubt that the common people had been caught in the vicious cycle of violence and may not have wanted the situation to worsen. It could also be due to effective government measures in cutting out support and supplies from across the border.

Yet that does not and should not mean that all the people of Kashmir have reconciled to the new situation.

One can’t ignore the fact that Pakistan would do its best to keep creating trouble in the Valley. The Pakistan army owes its existence and draws its power from unrest in Kashmir. Pakistan has drawn up a plan for the first anniversary of the taking away of the special status of the state. It includes demonstrations all across Pakistan and even the electronic media has been asked to carry their logos in black to mark the “black day”.

China too is siding with Pakistan and the recent clashes and build up in Ladakh is also believed to be a fallout of the decision on Kashmir. It must be remembered that the union Home minister had declared that the next steps would be getting back Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin which is in the illegal possession of China.

The one thing that can jeopardise the prestigious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project of China is India getting back Aksai Chin and POK as they would cut off this strategic project. Also, China claims large tracts of Ladakh as its territory and there is no surprise that it is trying to assert its presence in the area.

So far so good. There have been no major incidences of violence or any widespread protest but that should not let the government lower its guard. It must try to reach out to the people of Kashmir and try to build goodwill with them – not with those advocating violence or who act at the behest of Pakistan – but the ordinary men and women of the Valley. They have suffered hugely with disruption in education of children, loss of business, restrictions of all kinds and drying up of its main source of income – hotel and tourism industry. High time normalcy is restored.

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Similarly it would be advisable that sentiments of minority community are respected and no attempt is made by the members and supporters of BJP and the RSS to insult or humiliate the community even as they participate in jubilations to mark their ‘victory’.