New Delhi: August 5 is a pretty big day for the Modi government and the country. Five years ago, on that exact date in 2019, they got rid of Article 370, which took away Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and split it into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Now, with the sixth year coming up, there’s a lot of talk in political circles that the government might make another big announcement on the same day.
Word is that Home Minister Amit Shah might say on August 5, 2024, that Jammu and Kashmir is getting its full statehood back. That would be a major political move, keeping a promise the government made a while ago. This idea got even more buzz after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah both met with President Droupadi Murmu on the same day, making people think a big announcement is coming.
Besides this possible big decision, Shah is about to become India’s longest-serving Home Minister. He started the job on May 30, 2019, and by August 4, 2024, he’ll have been in office for 2,258 days, beating the record of L K Advani, who was in the role for 2,256 days between 1998 and 2004.
Why August 5?
Picking August 5 seems to have meaning. Besides getting rid of Article 370 in 2019, they also started building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on that day. The Modi government often uses this date for major moves, so giving Jammu and Kashmir its statehood back on this day would be a strong signal.
The Road to Statehood: A Long-Awaited Demand
People have been asking for Jammu and Kashmir to get its full statehood back ever since Article 370 was removed. Back in 2019, when they were discussing it in Parliament, Shah said the region would get full statehood when the time was right. In 2024, Jammu and Kashmir had its first elections in ten years, and they formed a government led by National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who has been very clear about wanting full statehood back.
Other important local leaders, like PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah, have also been pushing for Jammu and Kashmir to get its statehood back. It’s been a big topic in politics, with the central government saying they’re still planning to restore statehood when the time is right.
What’s Next?
Right now, Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory with limited powers, which was decided by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act that Parliament passed on August 5, 2019. To give it full statehood back, the government will have to introduce a bill in both houses of Parliament to change the existing law. If Parliament approves it and the President agrees, they’ll make an announcement, officially making Jammu and Kashmir a full state again.
The recent meetings between PM Modi and Home Minister Shah with President Murmu are thought to be getting ready for this process.