It is now two years since Article 370, which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir was abolished, and the state bifurcated into two union territories (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This change has facilitated socio-economic development in the new UTs by empowering people, removing unjust laws, bringing in equity and fairness to those discriminated against for ages.
by Ayub Hussain
The decision of the Indian Parliament in 2019, to remove the temporary provisions of the Indian Constitution contained in Article 370 and 35 A, applying to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has become a game-changer in the quest for the development of the people of Kashmir, Laddakh and Jammu regions. The move is part of a longer and larger process of nation-building and national integration, with the objective to improve the life of each individual, each family, and society as a whole.
For more than 30 years, the territory has had to face the brunt of cross-border Islamic terrorism. To prevent terror attacks, a number of precautionary measures were taken by the Government agencies to ensure public safety and maintain order. The situation has now returned to normal. Telephone services have been restored; Students took part in various recent exams without any hassle; Tourism footfall has increased, and prepaid mobile services have also been restored. In early January, diplomats of 15 countries, including the United States, visited the territory to see first-hand the efforts that have been made by the government to normalize the situation. With recourse to the Right to Information, the people of J&K are, for the first time, able to monitor for themselves, the development activities in their territory.
The most obvious benefit of scrapping Article 370 is that it evokes the feeling of one nation through single citizenship. In J&K, as in the rest of the country, the Fundamental Rights under our Constitution- for the first time- are now applicable. These include one of the most crucial basic rights, the Right to Education.
One of the benefits of the removal of Article 370 is that the rulings of the Indian Supreme Court now become applicable in J&K. This provides an immediate respite for the LGBTQ community of J&K. Even after the Supreme Court had decriminalized homosexuality in the rest of India, the gay community in Kashmir had continued to face legal and social stigma. Now, they can enjoy the same freedoms that are available to the rest of the Indians.
Perhaps the most transformative impact of the removal of these provisions is being felt by the farmers and landowners of Kashmir. The earlier restrictions on the transfer and sale of land had stifled development and investment. The value of land, often the only asset held by the poor people, had remained stagnant and there was no opportunity for landowners to commercialize this resource. The move will benefit Kashmiris as land rates will now increase.
With the anachronistic regulations removed, the true potential for bringing in investments to the territory, especially in fields of healthcare, education, and tourism can now be realized. The change allows for greater access to more employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to the people of J&K as avenues for setting up more industries and infrastructure open. Other benefits include relief for people who lost their inheritance due to their choice of marrying a person from outside the J&K.
These measures will see the realization of the tourism potential of J&K as an investment in tourist infrastructure and hotels start to flow in creating more local jobs. With increased investments in hospitality infrastructure, there will also be a rebound in a niche, but high value, tourist activities where Kashmir had enjoyed a comparative advantage- namely film production, adventure sports, and religious tourism, which also directly benefit the rural economy.
Unlike the rest of the country, healthcare infrastructure in the territory has remained limited, largely on account of a lack of private investment in the sector. J&K today has no large private hospitals and patients have had to travel to Delhi and Mumbai for treatment. The easing of restrictions on land use means that private investment can go into the healthcare sector in J&K, creating quality healthcare infrastructure and while also generating local jobs and positioning J&K as a hub for medical tourism.
The increased availability of resources will also benefit the expansion of higher and professional education in the territory. In the last 20 years, there has been a rapid growth of privately run institutions providing professional education all across India. J&K however did not get even a single private university, forcing talented youth of the territory to seek educational opportunities in other parts of India. Now, with the ability to use their land resources to their best advantage, Kashmir, with its talented youth and salubrious climate, can hope to host an increasing number of educational institutions, providing opportunities not only for its own youth but becoming an educational and training hub for the entire country.
The resentment against these progressive steps, of course, has come from quarters that had a vested interest in keeping J&K backward to perpetuate their own control over the economic resources there and from those who have exported terror and regressive ideas to J&K.
Kashmir is an integral part of India and external threats to Kashmir have been and will continue to be met with prompt and befitting action by India. As friends and strategic partners, India and Canada have immense interest in not only their growing bilateral relations but also in each other’s success as united and strong nations. Global terrorism knows no boundaries and poses a threat to all civilized societies. India has always stood for a united and strong Canada, a feeling which people of India believe, is mutual.