A Sneak Peek inti The Whole Year

On August 5, 2020, the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and an end to the shameful, discriminatory and undemocratic policies pursued by an entrenched elite for seven decades.

A Surya Prakash (former chairman PrasarBharati) states the changes that brought about change in the past 12 months; it is evident that the Union government has pulled out all the stops to ensure that everyone living in the two Union Territories would get a sense of the egalitarian principles that are firmly embedded in India’s Constitution. The first time after the seven decades, the Indian Constitution and all the 890 Central laws are fully applicable to J&K.

August 5, last year has redefined everything for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which enshrined the relationship between J&K state and the Union of India. More 170 Central laws to J&K including progressive legislation such as The Scheduled Caste and The Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1954, the National Commission for Minorities Act, and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and many laws for better integration, equal rights and privileges to people of J&K, equal opportunities, land rights, returning of Kashmiri Pandits and economic growth had been made applicable.

● Is J&K Truly Integrated?

After the removal of Article 370, not truly the Union Territory has integrated. Looking at figures will let you know that the condition now has been worse than it was before the revocation of Article. More than 10 lakh students lost their education last year, due to the partial lockdown imposed after the removal of Article 370. No access to 4g internet in J&K had made it difficult for students to attend an online lecture, and with 2g network, it seems to be not possible for them.

In December 2019 The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kashmir stated a report that from August 5, 2019, to December 2019 there has been a difference of 15,000 crores in the economy of Kashmir, due to the lockdown imposed in the state after the removal of Article, 370. During the period between August and December, there has been a loss of around 5 lakh jobs in Kashmir. According to the data of Tourism Sector, there has been an 86% reduction in the tourism of Kashmir and a big hit of 9,000 crores with more than 74,000 job losses in the entire state under the lockdown conditions.

● Do the citizens there truly enjoy equal rights as the entire nation?

 Impact of Lockdown on Human Rights” was released compiled by a civil rights group including, The Forum of Human Rights and some prominent people like Former Indian Supreme Court Judges and Former Indian Foreign Secretary. The report states that the J&K economy by July 2020 would roughly face a loss of around 40,000 crores since the revocation of Article 370. J&K is facing one of its worst-ever unemployment crises, and the promise is yet not completed by Satya Pal Malik, former Governor of J&K after a year of declaring 50,000 jobs in the J&K administration that would be given in three months.

● Has the removal of Article 370 brought a change in development?

The removal of Article 370 is considered to be the masterstroke of the government, but the implementation had impacted the overall social and economic development of the state. The internet shutdown hit in tourism, education problems, state of joblessness, lockdown impact, fatalities drop, and the local threat had adversely contributed to the growth and development of J&K. It is expected that the conditions of citizens would improve after the removal of Article and adding new laws to give equal rights to the public of J&K. But, due to partial lockdown across the state led to ruin the expected conditions of the citizens, there is a need of rethinking on J&K as the state has suffered massive losses before and after Covid-19 pandemic.