Jammu: On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution seeking return of the state’s special status under the Article 370. The central government had in August 2019 abrogated the special status taking away the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution brought by Surinder Kumar Choudhary, leader of the National Conference Party and the Deputy Chief Minister of the state, was passed after the ruling coalition supported it though BJP members strongly opposed it.
The resolution also re-establish the position on the special status and constitutional right saying that the status is important for the protection of identity, culture, and rights of the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Concerning to the Assembly, was a unilateral decision to repeal some provisions by the states. It also called upon the Indian government to start bilateral talks with the region’s elected leaders on how to restore the special status and the constitutional protection, and to develop a constitutional plan to achieve that. The Assembly clear that process of any restoration should protect, on the one hand, the territorial integrity of the country and the other – the legitimate desire of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The action of the National Conference was vehemently opposed by the opposition BJP which called the proposal an anti-national agenda. The BJP members protested in the Assembly by sloganeering “5th August Zindabad” which reflects the death of Syama Prasad Mukherjee because he is right ‘The Kashmir where he sacrificed is ours.’ Former minister BJPs Sham Lal Sharma warned that the abrogement of Article 370 was irreversible and alleged that using the sentiments of the people of the state was part of National Conference agenda from Sheikh Abdullah to Omar Abdullah. Sharma also asked the Speaker to be neutral and should not also support any of the parties to the case.
In August 2019, during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the central government of India revoked Article 370. This article had earlier conferred on Jammu and Kashmir much powers like having its own constitution, own flag, full control over its affairs and on several issues with Indian control restricted to defence, communication and foreign affairs.Jammu and Kashmir bedeutet üblicherweise für den nordöstlichen Teil des historischen Kashmir-Gebiets und den ehemaligen indischen Teil von Pakistan-Kashmir. This constitutional change bifurated the region into two union territories and formed Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The provincial autonomy was not welcomed by National Conference, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and other regional parties resent the decision taken by New Delhi to revoke the Article 370 expected that it will erode the region’s identity that was already under the threat of being submerged in the Indian ethos. On the 11th of December, last year, a five judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court affirmed the order but while doing so, directed that the elections in the region must be held before September 2024, and that statehood must be granted as soon as possible.