Assistant Prof. Pyar Singh Thakur
Central government of India made many blustery masterstrokes for transforming India whatever is it is demonetization, is it is goods & service tax (GST), be it is minimum support prices (MSP). Every masterstroke ended with poor results and failed to curb corruption.
The public is craving as they experienced during earlier governments both at Central level and State level. No vantages are being provided as promised by present governments for people’s welfare at different aspects of life.
The same masterstroke of revocation of Article 370 from the Indian Constitution in the context of Jammu and Kashmir is tormenting as there is a huge dichotomy among the masses of Jammu and Kashmir including the masses of Ladakh as well. The masses of both pockets had welcomed the removal of Article 370 as government had promised to social, economic development and integration of these regions like other States of India, and enjoy of all facilities of development.
Now it has exactly been more than one year since the government took this decision of removal of Article 370, which was branded as a “masterstroke” by myriad of people. I would like to do an analysis on what the consequences of this decision are now one year later, and what is the result of this entire masterstroke. You might have noticed in your life that the blind supporters of the government declare all the big decision taken by the government to be a “masterstroke”. But have you noticed that they always brand those decisions as masterstrokes that are instantaneous actions. Nobody talks about what the consequences of the instant actions are or how it is implemented as well. The same happened in demonetization as it was hailed as a masterstroke in the beginning that it would remove corruption and other tall claims were made but two years later it was found that it had pushed the country into economic crisis. Then they stopped talking about it and no one speaks about it as being a masterstroke back in that moment. Nobody talks about it after that. The same seems to be happening with the decision to remove Article 370. One year ago, everyone interpreted it was a masterstroke of the government, and tall claims were made about all that it would do all around development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. But the conditions one year later, the situation are somewhat the same as the demonetization decision. One year ago, when people had supported this decision, it was because the government had claimed that doing this would make the State of JK more integrated into India. The masses living in JK would be granted the same rights and privileges that are enjoyed by the citizens living in the rest of the States of India. The Indian living in JK would be given similar opportunities that are enjoyed by the Indians living in the rest parts of India. Both investment and economic growth would be on the rise in JK. Everyone would be able to buy land or property there in JK, and Kashmiri Pandits would be able to go back to their cities or homes. All these things were promised to the people, and people also supported it. But what are the conditions today? Ever since, this decision has been taken, the State of JK has been in full or partial lockdown. The same Lockdown that was experienced by all people of India too after the breakout of Covid-19 and then stage of unlock Jammu and Kashmir is still under lockdown. But even the internet is shut down there in JK. For some months, the internet was completely shut down, and after some months, the government allowed it but only at the 2G speed. Even today, the 4G internet speed is not available in JK. Think about what implications it has! Most of people are resorting to online classes and online exams owing to this lockdown. But what be the plight of the people living in JK? Because the 2G internet speed barely allows for streaming of videos. Firstly, more than 10lakh students were unable to attend schools and colleges when the State was on lockdown. When the lockdown was removed, Covid-19 broke out and everything was shifted online. The JK students lost at least one year of their education. And then people in the government say that they would be given the same privileges that have been granted to the rest States of India. Under this condition, how the people of other States will reside there in JK, is it going good there in JK? Has the economic development that was promised with the removal of the Article 370, been recognized? In December, 2019, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry took out a report, which stated that due to the lockdown imposed in the State has been a deficit of 15,000 crores on the economy of Kashmir as economy of Kashmir suffered a loss due to this lockdown. In the period between August, 2019 and December, 2019, there have been around 5 lakh job losses in Kashmir. The tourism sector took the biggest hit of 9, 000 crores with more than 74,000 job losses, because nobody would not like to go there for tourism as entire State of JK is still under lockdown. Albeit, it was promised that the people would be able to go buy land there in JK! Did anything of that sort happen? Talking specifically about tourism data, there has been an 86% of reduction in tourism in Kashmir. In July, 2020, a report by the name of ‘The Impact of Lockdown on Human Rights’ was released by a civil rights group- The Forum of Human Rights. This group includes famous people like former Indian Supreme Court’s Judges and former Indian foreign secretaries. This report states that JK’s economy, by July, 2020, which is roughly one year, has faced a loss of around 40,000 crores since the revocation of the Article 370. In both the factors of social and economic development has been a complete failure since the revocation of the Article 370. It was promised that there things would go getter well. But even the status quo could not be maintained. Conditions are worse than what they were before taking this decision of the removal of Article 370. Before taking this decision, government should provide required public conveniences. Had this decision not been taken, the State of the economy of JK would have been better, at least the public of JK e has had access to internet and basic education to the students, at least students would have been going to schools, and the tourism industry would be functional normal. But today, all of these have been completely wrecked. Now some of people would counter me by saying that it is important to restrict the internet in order to prevent the terrorists living in JK from talking to one another. This logic is widely used by many. But in my opinion, this logic is malarkey as militancy is continues there, and our military is fighting as before they fight against militants. Telling the truth, why, first of all, Communication can happen over the 2G network as well and pretty easily to militants. For that, it makes no sense to restrict the 4G speed. The terrorists from Pakistan would still be able to communicate with local militants because the internet there is still up. Third, what is the logic behind restricting the entire internet by giving the excuse that this is being done for security? Going by this logic, the government should also ban cars on the roads. Or else the people would get killed in traffic and car accidents. Then government should put a blanket ban on cars to save the lives of the people. What is that realistically possible to do because we use cars in our day to day lives and to run the economy? Similarly, the internet too is used for these, and it should not be restricted completely. Therefore, this logic doesn’t raise voice of the people that the government should at least first of all start 4G internet so that the children are able to attend schools, and the people can do their work. Or else, this is no less than an injustice and deceit being done with the masses of JK, that government promises them for their economic development, tourism development, education development and social development to integrate them to as normal citizens of India, but it is taking place exact opposite in reality. A similar situation has been witnessed in Ladakh as well. Ladakh, like Jk, was inducted into union territory of India after the scrapping of Article 370. The people in Ladakh were supportive because they had thought that the government of India would put special focus on them, they would be given more rights, privileges and representation when they would become part of union territory. But one year later, the people are not glided because the government has not given what the people were expecting from the government. For example, Jigmat Paljor, the President of the Ladakh Students Welfare Society expressed that he had expected that jobs would generated and more of the local youths would be employed, but nothing of that sort has happened so far. The basic demand of the people in Ladakh is the protection of their jobs, lands, environment and cultures. Or else, it can get degraded very easily. Not a large amount of people can live in the location where Ladakh is based as there is a very e
cological sensitive o special laws are made to protect the environment there in Ladakh. If it is easy to buy land over there for other Indians from the rest of the States, then I would like to put three questions before you. First-Is JK truly better integrated with India now? Second- Do the JK people have the same rights and privileges now as the Indian living in the rest of the States? Third- After the revocation of Article 370, have the people living in JK and Ladakh seen better economic and social development? In comparison with the time before the scrapping of Article 370, think about these questions. Look ahead of the “masterstroke” of the government, the instant action of removal of Article 370. Have we truly achieved what we and people of JK trying to achieve? Have we secured the results that we wanted to? One thing we will add that some masterstroke people would comment and say that the problems of 70 years cannot be solved in one year. To them, we should like to reply- “Think about it”! If you cannot solve the problem, then at least do not make it worse. Decisions that aggravate the existing problems should not be taken. Do not improve the situations, at least let the status quo remain. But things are going from bad to worse in these union territories of India.
