Was an attack so huge as Pulwama possible without the help of  Regional residents? We have been losing our security force personnels long before Pulwama and it was about time a decision had to be taken.

In the years since Independence, this article was to be removed, but for reasons it wasn’t touched and the sufferings continued until Pulwama happened and we saw a paradigm shift in tackling terrorism .

We must know that because of Article 370

• RTI does not apply in Kashmir
• RTE does not implemented
• CAG does not apply
• Indian Laws are not applicable to women in Kashmir
• Sharia Law is applicable to women in Kashmir.
• Minorities in Kashmir (Hindus & Sikhs) do not get 16% reservation
• Due to section 370 Indians in other states could not buy land in Kashmir, however Kashmiris could buy land anywhere in India.
• Private industries did not establish because they cannot accquire own land. This leads to unemployment of youth, which allowed them to take part in stone pelting and separatist movement.
• Because of Section 370 Pakistanis were getting Indian citizenship for which they only need to marry a girl from Kashmir.

Article 370 acted as fuel for terrorism and our national security was being compromised. 

Kashmir since its legal birth has been raised in an extremely violent atmosphere, be it at the time of partition, post the instrument of accession to disputed elections, to militant insurgency groups on the rise and ofcourse the three wars that took place between India and Pakistan over the course of Kashmir’s distraught political history it continues to cast a heavy shadow on its present.

Failures of Kashmiri leaders in fulfilling basic promises of access to water, electricity and good road transport has pushed away voters and driven them more towards the funerals of youth engaged in militancy fighting for Kashmir which they love. 

Leaders of Hurriyat, PDP, NC do not want Article 370 to go because participatory democracy ill suits their political agendas.

Their communal agenda was also clear, they were turning the state into a state for Muslims only and Article 35A was the instrument used to carry such nefarious act.

Refugees from POJ&K, Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs who were forcibly pushed out of Kashmir Valley , West Pakistan refugees, Balmiki community, women who married men from other states, children born of such offsprings, people of Ladakh all were the sufferers at the hands of Article 35A.

As expected the abrogation of Article 370 & 35A will be opposed by vested interests. It has taken decades to rid the Muslim daughters of India of the evil and ignominy of triple talaaq, whereas Pakistan had enacted such laws decades ago. It is thus time for India to move on and not be held hostage to blackmail and threats from religious power brokers. 

Therefore it was about time to axe Article 370 and Article 35A. There will be disturbances instigated in the Kashmir valley after the recourse taken yesterday, but that cannot and must not deter the state from preserving the right to equality enshrined in the constitution and its total integration. 

06 Aug 19/Tuesday            Written by Afsana