On August 5, 2019, the Narendra Modi government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and statehood, separating it into two Union Territories. This article aims at discussing the situation then and what it is now.
Introduction
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the May 2019 elections with a greater part to return Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a later term. The Modi government continues with the practice of harassing innocent people. The Government denied upholding the Supreme Court mandate to investigate the matter. The people of the Northeast State have to face a lot of problems, including that of an identity crisis. For the people of Kashmir, the past year has been worse as compared to a military rule in the 1990s. The psychological torture is an add-on to the physical violence which seems new to them.
Before this, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights delivered the latest update on its 2018 report raising genuine concern about maltreatment by state security powers in both Indian and Pakistani states of Kashmir and said neither one of the countries had found a way to address worries that the previous report raised. The Indian government dismissed the report by referring to it as a false report.
Hence, the BJP, with a great deal of political exertion, has changed Kashmir into a “Muslim issue” of India. The scenario was the same, when the Kashmiri Pandits had to escape in 1989, regardless of there being evident common suggestions and the ensuing responses on both sides since.
Categorisation as a Muslim Issue
The strict religious expression is a major cause of Kashmiri Nationalism. But, it has never occupied a significant position in the legislative issues. By naming it as a Muslim issue, the ethnicity of the Kashmiris is long lost.
Despite various independent suggestions, including the advice from United Nations experts, the Government was reluctant to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which safeguards the soldiers from prosecution for serious violation of human rights. The law is in force in Kashmir and some parts of the Northeast.
Religious belief: Ought not to be the motive
In the beginning, the Kashmir issue was all about individuals, but now it is a matter of religious belief. The changes in the domicile rule and confinement seem to be pertinent. The goal is to transform a larger segment into a political minority. This will guarantee the distance from delegate power.
This is occurring in Kashmir when the “Muslim issue” in the rest of India is considering it to be a putrefying immediate result of the certain procedure of “othering” of the Indian Muslims. Notwithstanding the immediate attacks on Muslims (among different strict minorities), the “othering” additionally reflects the political unison of Hindus. This is being done with an open dismissal for the Constitution of India, making ready for a republican democracy to turn into a majoritarian vote-based system.
The unimportance of established parties and politics in J & K
Since one year till now, there has been an absolute political vacuum in the standard political scenario in Kashmir. Not only is there an absence of any political movement, but also there is zero visibility of the leaders and pioneers in the open space. This is a one of a kind circumstance that didn’t exist after the PDP-BJP government collapsed in June 2018. During this time, the parties operated at a good pace. The political operation remained suspended for a long time but soon, things began to get back to place. The people of the locality began showing interest in events that happened after revocation. The political parties started discussing the pros and cons of Article 370 and the withdrawal of Article 35A.
Kashmir faces challenging times
As far as the political space is concerned, Kashmir faces a challenging time. As far as the political space, it is a difficult time in Kashmir. In the political vacuum, one stays in darkness about the genuine situation on the ground. The main thing that is getting enlisted is the expanding nearness of the militants. In any case, how much space has extended, one doesn’t have a clue.
One doesn’t have the idea about the importance of the silence that has been there since August 2019. Without political parties and leaders, it is unlikely we can know it. Yet, there is no proper way to bring back that politics.
The answer to the fundamental politics does not lie in establishing ‘new politics’. The whole political process has to be organic and it has to evolve from within the system. Naming a party, Apni Party would go into vain because the system of political agendas is deep-rooted into history. Restoring basic politics is a very big challenge to fill up the political vacuum.
Conclusion
Now, India has become a place of persecuting the minorities; the Muslim minorities. Be it the National Register of Citizens, the Citizens (Amendment) Act, or the silence of the state on public uproars and attacks., the main state where Muslims are in a dominant part, Kashmir, has ceased to exist.
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