Hyderabad: As the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state under the Indian Constitution, completes five years on Monday, the local unit of the BJP is celebrating the anniversary as the 'Ekatma Mahatsav' while the opposition calls the event a 'Black Day' which 'disempowered' the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Let us have a look at the major events that unfolded in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir after the BJP led Central government abrogated the Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and downgraded the state into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh through the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act.
House Arrest Of Political Leaders Ends: The Jammu and Kashmir administration ended house arrest of almost all political leaders from Jammu.Almost all leaders from the National Conference (NC), Congress and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) in Jammu have been freed from their detention. They were placed under preventive detention since August 5, 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370.
On March 13, 2020, the first politician to be released from detention was NC chief Farooq Abdullah, followed by his son and ex-CM Omar Abdullah and finally in October 2020, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on October 13, 2020
Overall Improvement In Security Situation: Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a statement in Parliament in January, 2024 , stating that the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a 66 percent decline in terrorist incidents and an 81 percent killings since the abrogation of Article 370.In June 2024 during the Parliamentary proceedings ,the Home Ministry — quoting comparative data — revealed that “strategies and actions” had led to a decline in terror incidents in J&K. In 2018, 91 security personnel were killed while 30 were killed in 2023. Till July 21 this year, 14 have been killed.
Jammu Emerges As The New Terror Epicenter: After the abrogation of Article 370, terrorism shifted its base from Kashmir valley to Jammu. Terrorists executed numerous attacks on security forces in the Rajouri and Poonch sectors. According to a report in The Hindu, in the past three years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the killing of 119 security forces personnel, and over 40% of these killings were reported from the Jammu division. From 2021, at least 51 security personnel have been killed in various incidents initiated by terrorists in Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, and Udhampur districts .As many as 29 incidents of terrorist-related violence have been reported in the Jammu region of J&K since early 2021, with militants targeting security forces and civilians.
Amendments To Land Laws Of Jammu and Kashmir: On October 26 , 2020, the centre notified new land laws for the region, ending the exclusive rights of locals over the land granted under now abrogated Article 370. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced several amendments to land laws for the Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir (J&K), including the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act of 1970 , which till now entitled only permanent residents to purchase or sell property in the former State, and the J&K Land Revenue Act, 1996. In 2023 April , the Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, informed Rajya Sabha that as many as 185 people from outside Jammu and Kashmir had bought land in the Union Territory in the last three years.
Tourism Boom: As per the Tourism Department of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory experienced a huge influx of tourists in 2023 with over 21.1 million tourists flocking to the region that year, impacting the economy of the region positively. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said, "The tourism sector has recorded an annual average growth rate of 15.13 per cent during the last three years". The contribution of Tourism in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has increased from 7.84 per cent in FY 2019-20 to 8.47 per cent in Financial Year 2022-23," he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Hosts Major Events: In 2023, the Kashmir valley played host to prestigious international events, including the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting and the Miss Universe press conference. An inaugural Formula-4 (F4) car racing event took place in Srinagar on March 17, 2024. The T20 Legends League, marked a return of international cricket after 35 years.
Cinema Makes Comeback In Kashmir: Among the initiatives of government to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, the LG Manoj Sinha led administration unveiled the Jammu and Kashmir Film Policy- 2021, which gave fillip to the film shooting as more than 50 movies were shot in 2023 in Jammu and Kashmir. After the abolition of Article 370, cinema halls opened for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021 after 30 years. A multiplex was built in Srinagar in 2022 followed by four new theaters opened in Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla and Handwara.
Economy: Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a statement in the Parliament during the discussion on Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, on the progress made on the economy front of Jammu and Kashmir. Shah said that before the abrogation of Article 370, GSDP was Rs 1 lakh crore, which has doubled in just 5 years to Rs 2,27,927 (As on Dec 2023). In February 2024, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that the reforms done in the last four to five years have resulted in the growth of J&K’s GDP from Rs 1.6 lakh crore in 2018-19 to Rs 2.64 lakh crore in 2021-22.
Attracting Investments: Official figures from the fiscal year 2019-20 till November 2023 indicate the UT of J&K realised a total investment of Rs 5319 crore over the last five years.
In 2023 news reports claimed that encouraged and assured by the safe environment in Jammu and Kashmir, investment projects worth nearly Rs 25 thousand crore are under execution in the union territory (UT) while proposals to the tune of over Rs 80 thousand crore were under process.
Improvement In Education Infrastrcuture: The number of Government Degree/Engineering Colleges has increased from 96 to 147. Jammu and Kashmir became the first state to have IIT, IIM and 2 AIIMS. Medical colleges have been increased from four to seven even as 15 new nursing colleges have been establised. The medical seats have been added by 800 after the abolition of Article 370.
Supreme Court Upholds Article 370 Abrogation: In a major psychological victory to the PM Modi led BJP government on the abrogation of Article 370, the Modi government got a shot in the arm when on December 11, 2023 a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud upheld the abrogation of Article 370 as “constitutionally valid” in its verdict on a clutch of petitions challenging the abrogation filed by the National Conference (NC), Peoples Conference, CPI(M), the local High Court Bar Association and former bureaucrat-turned politician Shah Faesal.
The Supreme court, while ruling on the constitutionality of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, ordered the ECI to conduct assembly polls in J&K by September 30, 2024.
Mega Infrastructure Projects
Indian Railways achieved a historic milestone with the successful trial run of an eight-coach Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train on the famed Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, in Jammu and Kashmir.
A part of the Rs 35,000 crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project, the Chenab Bridge, costing around Rs 14,000 crore, aims to enhance connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir’s challenging terrain. The bridge was Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024.
In February, 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated key railway projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir. These include a 48.1 kilometres (kms) portion of the new rail line under Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL). The Banihal - Khari - Sumber - Sangaldan section costed Rs 15,863 crore and includes the country's longest railway tunnel spanning 12.77 kms.
Record Turnout In Lok Sabha Election 2024: The 2024 Indian general election was held in Jammu and Kashmir in 5 phases from 19 April to 20 May 2024 to elect 5 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 was the first major election held in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370.
Five seats of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) witnessed a record 58.46 per cent voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls 2024, the Election Commission of India said. This is the highest poll participation in erstwhile state in the last 35 years as per the poll panel.
Rise Of New Political Parties: According to Sunday Guardian, from 2019 to 2022, 10 new political parties in Jammu and Kashmir registered themselves with the Election Commission of India to participate in the elections in the state. This list includes National Awami United Party, Aman aur Shanti Tehreek-e-Jammu and Kashmir, National Democratic Party, Voice of Labour Party, Haq Insaaf Party, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, among others. IAS officer Dr Shah Faesal's the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement was floated by former in 2019. He later withdrew from politics in 2020.
The Fall Of Gupkar Alliance: The People's Alliance Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) or Gupkar Alliance was formed in October 2020 as an amalgamation of seven major political parties in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The PAGD, which sought the restoration of Article 370 (the special status of the erstwhile state), had claimed that it would fight using constitutional, legal, and political means to reverse the Modi government's decision. But just before the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the PAGD collapsed as the two major parties within the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc — the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) — decided to contest polls independently.
Delimitation Panel Notifies New Jammu And Kashmir Assembly Constituencies: In May 2022, The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission notified the new boundaries, names and number of Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, paving the way for the first-ever Assembly elections in the Union Territory that was carved out of the erstwhile State of J&K in 2019.
The new Assembly would have 90 seats, 47 in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu, which was an increase from the earlier 83, with six of the additional seats being in Jammu and one in Kashmir. The commission said in its statement that for the first time in J&K, nine seats had been reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Six of the ST reserved seats were in Jammu region and three in the Kashmir Valley. Seven seats had been reserved for Scheduled Castes.
'Providing Social Justice': In February 2024, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was passed by the Parliament, to include ‘Pahari Ethnic Group, Paddari Tribe, Koli and Gadda Brahmin’ communities in the list of STs of UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Parliament on February 9, 2024 cleared the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to provide reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the local bodies of the Union Territory (panchayats and municipalities) as well as to bring local bodies' laws in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution.
Agitation For Ladakh Statehood: Ladakh experienced multiple shutdowns, marked by frequent street protests and demonstrations over the past five years after the region was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir as a separate UT, leading to concerns among locals about loss of identity, resources and bureaucratic overreach.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 21-day-long hunger strike in March 2024, in support of the demand for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
- Read more: Security Beefed Up In Jammu And Kashmir On 5th Anniversary Of Article 370 Abrogation
- Five Years After Article 370 Abrogation, Around 90 Employees Dismissed By LG Manoj Sinha-led J&K Administration
- Article 370 Abrogation Anniversary: PDP's Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti, NC's Tanvir Sadiq Placed Under 'House Arrest'
