Monday, August 5, 2019

India: Scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir


Due to heavy rains in my city, we were asked to work from home today. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was able to witness a history in the making. Today, Government of India scrapped Article 370 which gave special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and prevented Indians from other parts of the country to settle down there. It was a major hindrance in integration of people from the state with other parts of the country and was fueling separation calls by fringe elements funded from across the border. With article 370 gone, people from the state will be able to enjoy greater benefits and facilities and Indians from rest of the country will also be able to move freely in the state which is called “Switzerland of India” because of its natural beauty. 

I congratulate our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the government for such a bold and clear decision. 

Whole India is celebrating this decision and even people of Jammu and Kashmir are celebrating. As this article tells, “People danced to drumbeats and distributed sweets as they hailed the Centre’s move as a “bold”, “historic” and “monumental” decision towards the delivery of justice to the region.”


Following article describes how article 370's scrapping would impact the state.


Today, I can say that I have seen only two real "Men of Steel" during my own lifetime. One is MS Dhoni in Cricket; he made bold men out of panicking boys. Second is Amit Shah in politics; he has made history today and stands amongst the giants.

Now that the historical blunder done by our first PM JL Nehru and his party has been corrected, as citizens let us also act responsibly. People from Jammu and Kashmir are now people like us. Let us help them and support national integration. Also be careful in not making insensitive jokes on Social Media which fuels confusion and distrust between people.

I congratulate every patriot Indian on this great historical day! 

Following is a small poem in Hindi written by Dr. Brijesh Tripathi, a poet and doctor I follow on social media:


Along with scrapping of article 370, the state has been divided into two union territories which is again a good decision because given the sensitive geography of the state and cross-border terrorism and influences by Pakistan and China, it makes sense that it is directly controlled by central government for some time in the future.

- Rahul Tiwary

No comments: