August 7, 2019
Anna Murray
The disputed Kashmir region, with a total area of some 222,200 square km (about 85,800 square miles), has aroused years of conflicts between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise Azad Kashmir with Baltistan and Gilgit in the North. The southern and southeastern portions constitute the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. China has controlled the northeastern territory of Ladakh since 1962. India and Pakistan recognized the “line of control” in 1972 as a border which divided Kashmir.
The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has held special status since 1954 under Article 370 of Constitution of India which was given its own constitution, a flag, and autonomy over all matters except for foreign affairs and defense. An additional provision, Article 35A, has granted special rights and privileges, such as jobs or scholarships, to those permanent residents and prohibited non-residents purchasing real estate in the territory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had opposed Article 370 for a long time and pledged in its 2019 election manifesto to abolish it. After winning the April-May general elections, Prime Minister Modi announced on August 5 he was revoking Article 370 that the state of Jammu and Kashmir would be split into two union territories and Ladakh, the remote mountainous region, would be separated into a standalone union territory. The bill, passed by a digital vote with 370 members in favor and 70 against it, by the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, the Lok Sabha, on August 6, will change Jammu and Kashmir's administrative status from a state to a union territory. The upper house of India's parliament, the Rajya Sabha, also passed the bill on August 5. It will validate into law after signed by President Ram Nath Kovind.
There were reported about 700,000 troops deployed in Kashmir. In addition, a curfew was imposed as well as television and radio, internet links, and phone services including mobile coverage in the territory were all suspended on August 6. While prominent political leaders, two former chief ministers, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, and Sajjad Lone, the chairman of the People’s Conference party, have been detained under house arrest.
The move to scrap Kashmir's special status and turn it into union territories has been prompted uproar from India’s opposition parties. Critics feared the move could bring demographic change in India's only Muslim majority state and the lockdown indicated the BJP would use armed forces to suppress civil unrest and insurgency in the region. But, the BJP argued that such changes would bring prosperity to Jammu and Kashmir.
On August 6, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan made appeals to the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice, also known as World Court, and called for international intervention over Kashmir. Pakistan army also vowed to protect and firmly stand by people in Kashmir.
Photo:Webshot.