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India moves to revoke Kashmir autonomy amid clampdown on local authorities India moves to revoke Kashmir autonomy amid spike of tensions around disputed region
(about 1 hour later)
New Delhi has declared it is revoking a decades-old constitutional provision that granted special powers to the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir. The announcement comes amid a security clampdown in the region. New Delhi has declared it is revoking a decades-old constitutional provision that granted special powers to the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir. The move comes amid ongoing flare-ups between India and Pakistan over the region.
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), as the part of the disputed Kashmir administrated by India is officially called, was granted special privileges under the Indian constitution in the 1950s. It was allowed to have its own state constitution, legislative and executive power over most of its affairs, and enjoyed greater autonomy than regular states of India. Only locals were allowed to own property in the region or hold offices in its government. The majority-Muslim region that became part of India in the times of decolonization, and has been a point of dispute between India and Pakistan ever since, has enjoyed broad autonomy under the Indian constitution. It is the only Indian state that was allowed to have its own constitution.
Starting Monday, this will no longer be the case, the federal government in New Delhi announced. A resolution to revoke Kashmir’s special status was introduced on Monday by Home Minister Amit Shah and later enshrined in a decree signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, the ceremonial head of India. All laws passed by the Indian parliament, except for those regarding defense, communications, and foreign policy, had to first be ratified by the local legislature before coming into force in Kashmir. Apart from that, only local residents could purchase land or property in the state or hold office there.
New Delhi’s plan also involves splitting the region into two separate union territories, J&K and Ladakh. The latter will not have a legislature of its own, unlike J&K. The Ladakh area is the eastern mountainous and sparsely populated part of Indian-administrated Kashmir, which has a shorter border with Pakistani-controlled land, in contrast to J&K which is dominated by valleys. This will no longer be the case starting Monday, New Delhi has announced. A resolution to revoke Kashmir’s special status was introduced on Monday by Home Minister Amit Shah and enshrined in a decree signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, the ceremonial head of India.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced intentions to abolish Article 370, which granted Kashmir its special status, in 2014 during a general election campaign. But at that time, the promise was resisted by local J&K authorities. The reform plan also involves splitting the region into two union territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The latter will not have a legislature of its own, unlike the former. The Ladakh area is the eastern mountainous and sparsely populated part of the Indian-administrated part of Kashmir, which has a shorter border with Pakistani-controlled territory.
The declaration comes amid a security clampdown in the region, which includes deployment of additional troops in key areas, a blackout of internet and phone services, a ban on public gatherings in the main city of Srinagar, and other measures. Some regional leaders, including Omar Abdullah, a former chief minister of the state, were placed under house arrest. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for Kashmir’s autonomy to be revoked as early as 2014. At that time, the move was resisted by the local Kashmiri authorities. Since last year, the region has been ruled directly by India’s federal government, sparking concerns that its autonomy might be abolished.
The special status of J&K stemmed from its demographic composition. It’s the only part under Indian administration where Muslims constitute a majority, so the privileges and protections given to it alleviated fears of forced assimilation. Since last year, the region has been ruled directly by India’s federal government, so there have been concerns that Kashmir’s autonomy would be scrapped for quite some time. India’s latest move comes amid a spike of tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over the disputed region. Last week, India said it thwarted an “infiltration” attempt by Pakistani militants in Kashmir. The region also witnessed several instances of cross-border shelling in recent days. On Sunday, the two nations’ forces exchanged gunfire in a border skirmish in Kashmir’s remote Poonch district.
The latest tensions in J&K were sparked on Friday when local Indian officials announced they had intelligence about an imminent attack by Pakistani-backed militant groups. The claim provoked panic among Hindu pilgrims and workers, who fled the region in the thousands. Pakistan rejected India’s accusations. India also deployed a total of 35,000 soldiers to Kashmir over two weeks, in addition to the forces already stationed in the region, and tightened security. The restrictions involved a ban on public gatherings in the main city of Srinagar, and as well as a blackout of internet and phone services.
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