New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mentioned the importance of August 5 stating that it will be remembered in history. "August 5 will be remembered in history. Two years ago on this day, Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir," the prime minister said and attributed it to bringing unprecedented peace and progress to the region. The prime minister also said that on August 5 last year, the first step was taken towards the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Today, construction of a grand Ram Temple is underway, he mentioned.
Centre had abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories in August 2019. "A historic day. Two years ago, on this day, the first big step towards a #NewJammuKashmir was taken. Since then, there has been unprecedented peace & progress in the region. Head to Your Voice section of Volunteer module on NaMo App for informative content, graphics and more!" tweeted the official account of Narendra Modi's personal website.
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A historic day. Two years ago, on this day, the first big step towards a #NewJammuKashmir was taken.
— narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) August 5, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Since then, there has been unprecedented peace & progress in the region.
Head to Your Voice section of Volunteer module on NaMo App for informative content, graphics & more!
">A historic day. Two years ago, on this day, the first big step towards a #NewJammuKashmir was taken.
— narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) August 5, 2021
Since then, there has been unprecedented peace & progress in the region.
Head to Your Voice section of Volunteer module on NaMo App for informative content, graphics & more!A historic day. Two years ago, on this day, the first big step towards a #NewJammuKashmir was taken.
— narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) August 5, 2021
Since then, there has been unprecedented peace & progress in the region.
Head to Your Voice section of Volunteer module on NaMo App for informative content, graphics & more!
Though hailed as a historic step by the central government, the decision did not go well with the leaders in Jammu & Kashmir. Most of the political leaders including three former chief ministers were kept in detention under the Public Safety Act in the following months. After almost six months and more, the leaders were released from their detention gradually. The region remained under prolonged curfew and internet blackout as the 4G network was suspended.
Read: Govt actions of August 5, 2019 only complicated J&K dispute further: Hurriyat
Upon their release from detention, leaders of state parties formed the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Oct. 20, 2020. Parties like Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, CPI (Marxist), Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference, Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement, and Jammu and People's Conference were part of the declaration. However, Jammu and People's Conference pulled out of the alliance over differences.
PAGD unanimously resolved to work to protect and defend the identity, autonomy, and special status of Jammu and Kashmir. It declared the abrogation of article 370 and 35A as unconstitutional and bifurcation of the state into union territories as aggression against the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. In an interesting turn of events, PAGD won a handsome share of seats in the DDC elections in December 2020. Out of 278 seats, PAGD won 110 seats in the elections.
In the following developments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met an all-party delegation of 14 leaders of eight political parties in Jammu and Kashmir. Though nothing solid could emerge from the meeting like when the statehood will be restored or when the assembly elections could be held. The parties urged the center to complete the delimitation process. The Delimitation Commission visited Jammu and Kashmir from July 6 to July 9 to gather ground-level information related to redrawing of constituencies there.
Two years after the abrogation of Article 370, the center had assured the people of the then state of the development in the region, however, neither the delimitation exercise has been completed nor the elections are being held. Hurriyat Conference on its part said that the government's "unilateral" and "arbitrary" decision to withdraw J&K's special status only further complicated the "dispute" in the erstwhile state.
Read: Two years after abrogation of Art 370, Kashmiris long for better future
