The entire nation’s eyes are now on the most sensitive state of Jammu and Kashmir. This started after tweets from former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, went viral causing the entire media to stir out headlines.
The tweets stated about they being kept under house arrest. According to sources, the house arrest took place at midnight. It is believed that apart from Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, other prominent state leaders like Farooq Abdullah, Sajjad Ghani Lone, Usman Majid, and MY Tarigami too have been put under house arrest in Srinagar.
I believe I’m being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight & the process has already started for other mainstream leaders. No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I’ll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store. Allah save us 🙏🏼
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 4, 2019
How ironic that elected representatives like us who fought for peace are under house arrest. The world watches as people & their voices are being muzzled in J&K. The same Kashmir that chose a secular democratic India is facing oppression of unimaginable magnitude. Wake up India
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 4, 2019
This was then followed by the state authorities imposing Section 144 of the CrPC which put restrictions on the movement of people in Kashmir. The sources stated that the cellular and internet services too were shut down completely in several parts of the valley. The imposition of the section also prohibits people from organising rallies, assembling in groups, and conducting public meetings. All the educational institutions too will remain shut for today. On the other hand, the Amarnath yatra pilgrims and tourists were asked to return from the valley immediately by the state advisory on Friday.
Soon after the sun rose today on 5th August 2019, Amit Shah, the nation’s home minister held a meeting at the prime minister, Narendra Modi’s residence along with other Union Cabinet Ministers. After this, he proceeded to the Rajya Sabha where he announced the revoking of Article 370 and 35A that provides special status to the state, from the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
This move of the NDA government though opposed by the Congress and JDU received support from the other NDA government non-supporting parties like AIADMK, SP, BSP, and YSRCP. Further, a bill bifurcating both Jammu and Kashmir and converting them into union territories along with making Ladakh a union territory too was introduced by Amit Shah and also passed in the upper house, soon after the session commenced at 11 am.
As cited as per the sources, while talking about this bill, Amit Shah explained that the Union Territory of Ladakh will not have a legislature like Chandigarh but the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Delhi and Puducherry. This indicates that the central government will have direct control over Jammu and Kashmir.
After this move of the government, the security in the state has been increased by appointing 90,000 troops in the valley from 35,000, making Kashmir the most heavily armed, destination on Earth. The government has asked all the states and union territories of the nation to put security forces on high alert.
The leaders of Congress and Kashmir’s PDP (People’s Democratic Party) were worried about Kashmir’s political situation for a long time. The event that unfolded in the past three days confirmed their suspicion of the NDA government having plans of revoking and scrapping Article 370. Congress has called this day a black day in the history of the Indian constitution.
This decision, however, seems to have been welcomed wholeheartedly by the Kashmiri pandits who were seen rejoicing for the same on the streets of Delhi.
This move of the government has without any doubt attracted the attention of Pakistan too which has condemned this decision. The decision came via Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
The most important takeaways from these events will be as follows:
- Article 370 has been revoked in Jammu and Kashmir. Henceforth, Jammu and Kashmir will not receive a special status.
- A bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha earlier this morning mentioning the separation of Jammu and Kashmir and converting them into two separate union territories.
- Ladakh too to become a union territory
- Jammu and Kashmir to be directly governed and controlled by the central government.
A three-day-long turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir finally ended up being the most unpredictable and surprising day in Indian history.
