Written by: Jithin J
Edited by: Abhinay Krishna & Priyanka Katheria
(Total read time : 3 minutes)
WHY IT CAME INTO EXISTENCE?
1947, the Brits were finally leaving India but the country had to be divided into Hindus and Muslims. Once the partitioning of India and Pakistan was done after getting independence from the Britishers; Jammu and Kashmir became a major topic as Mountbatten persuaded Nehru to take the issue of Jammu and Kashmir to the UN.
The geopolitics of the states were so crucial that both the nations; "India" and "Pakistan" wanted to include Jammu and Kashmir in their territory.
Moreover, the majority population of Jammu and Kashmir was Muslim, led by a Hindu; Maharaja Hari Singh. Even though he had no intention of joining either country he looked for support from India when Pakistan began attacking Jammu & Kashmir.
Eventually, after some time Jammu & Kashmir was officially declared as a part of India.
Still, India's authority was limited to defense, foreign policy, and communications; the rest was under state authority. It was Article 370 which provided J & K this special status.
WHAT WERE THE PROVISIONS UNDER ARTICLE 370?
Although Jammu & Kashmir was now a part of the Indian nation, it still had its flag different from the one for the whole country.
Despite being Indian and the state being a part of India, non-residents of J&K weren't permitted to buy land and reside in the state. State government employment was not offered to non-residents of J&K. The people of J&K had dual citizenship, they were citizens of India and J&K as well.
It is understandable from the statements that these things can make J and K less integrated with India. Though being a part of India, these special statuses made J&K an included exclusively special state.
NECESSITY BEHIND THE REMOVAL
What Article 370 did was a kind of discrimination that the people of India faced.
If the state was a part of India, then the non-residents of the state should be able to buy land, but this was not the case. The non-residents were not allowed to access the same rights that the residents of Jammu and Kashmir had.
Such incorporations resulted in raising doubts among the citizens about whether the state belonged to India or not.
Another major thing that impacted keeping J&K during Article 370 was the economic growth of the nation. J&K contributed the least to the Indian GDP and is among India's least developed states. Compared to other Indian states, they had their own set of rules. This was a primary factor for removing Article 370.
AFTER EFFECTS OF ARTICLE 370'S NULLIFICATION
After Article 370 was declared null and void, all Indian citizens including J & K residents followed the same set of rules and regulations outlined in the Indian constitution. People started buying land and giant companies began investing in the state which led to the increase of economic growth and land prices.
According to official figures, the GSDP has doubled to over Rs 2.25 lakh crore, which was Rs 1 lakh crore before the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
After the elimination of Article 370, terrorism decreased in Kashmir, resulting in a positive atmosphere and significant growth.
The economy of Jammu and Kashmir has grown faster than the national average in recent years, according to a report released earlier this year.
World-class national highways, expressways, tunnels, bridges, flyovers, and ring roads are being built, while Jammu and Kashmir's rail link is expected to be connected to the national network by 2023.
Jammu and Kashmir have received Rs 84,544 crore investment proposals based on official reports.
Airports are also being renovated.
Various top educational institutions are being opened and people can get government jobs in the state.
These developments have led to an increase in employment opportunities, providing an overall economic boost for the nation.
Having one flag and equal rights for the entire nation will always make the citizens feel integrated and make them believe that they all belong to the same country India.