J&K at 7: Article 370 gone, statehood still elusive

Seven years have passed since the Narendra Modi government revoked Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and four days later, the state's status was downgraded to a Union Territory. The government described the measures as temporary, aimed at ensuring peace and economic development. However, critics say the region has seen continued violence, a decline in economic indicators, and a perceived erosion of democratic and constitutional norms.

On August 5, 2019, Article 370 was abrogated through an executive order followed by parliamentary approval. On August 9, the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories: J&K and Ladakh. The actions were accompanied by a stringent lockdown, with thousands of troops deployed, over 5,000 political leaders and workers detained, and a communications blockade imposed. The lockdown was implemented under emergency provisions, though no formal emergency was declared.

According to the government, the measures were necessary to tackle militancy and bring development to the region. In the years since, however, security incidents have not ceased. Terrorist attacks have occurred, including in Pahalgam in April last year and at the Red Fort in Delhi in November. Violence has also spread to areas like Poonch-Rajouri and adjoining districts, which were previously relatively calm.

Economically, the region's per capita income ratio to the national average fell from 79.9% in 2013-14 to 76.6%, according to the J&K Economic Survey 2025-2026. Unemployment stands at nearly double the national average, with graduate unemployment at 23.9%.

The killing of a tourist and a local in Pahalgam led to widespread peace marches and candlelight vigils in Kashmir, with residents rejecting violence. The Union Home Ministry, however, responded with an intensified security approach. This year's Amarnath yatra was described as the most heavily militarised in history. Residents face frequent curfews, and J&K has recorded the highest number of internet shutdowns in the country since 2019. The stringent Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) are often invoked, and mass summons for questioning have become common.

The manner in which the changes were carried out has drawn legal criticism. Article 370 was stripped through an executive order issued by the Governor, who later said he was following orders from the Union Home Minister. The removal of statehood was done through legislative action in Parliament, without consulting J&K's political representatives. This was the first time since Delhi in 1956 that a state had been reduced to a Union Territory.

Critics argue that these actions violate the basic structure of the Constitution and India's democratic principles. Some have called the revocation the second major assault on democracy, the first being what they describe as state-sanctioned attacks on minority communities. The argument that harsh measures are justified in a conflict-prone region is seen by critics as morally and practically misguided, with parallels drawn to India's own colonial history.

Supporters of the decision maintain that the special status was a temporary provision, and its removal was necessary to ensure equal rights and accelerate development. The government has pointed to investments in infrastructure and welfare schemes as evidence of progress, though specific outcomes remain debated.

The demand for statehood restoration has been a recurring theme. In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the revocation but directed the government to hold elections and advised it to restore statehood at the earliest. Elections to the J&K Assembly were held in 2024, but statehood has not yet been returned. Political parties in the region, as well as several civil society groups, continue to press for its restoration.

As the seventh anniversary of these decisions is observed, the debate over J&K's future remains unresolved, balancing security concerns, constitutional questions, and the aspirations of the people of the region.