Barely days after the audacious move to reorganise the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two separate Union Territories and scrapping Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a spirited outreach to the people of Kashmir by assuring them of accelerating development and liberating them from the scourge of terrorism. In a televised address to the nation on April 8, PM Modi justified the bold but contentious decision to scrap Article 370, saying that it will open provide new economic, educational and development opportunities for Indian citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He also reassured people of the state that full statehood will be restored after return of normalcy and underlined that the existing system of political representation through assembly elections will remain intact.
He added that the Assembly polls, held in a transparent manner and with a process that had integrity, will take place soon, and that MLAs and the chief minister will be from among the people of the Union Territory. “You will choose your representative who will emerge from among you. I have full faith that under this new arrangement we will destroy terrorism and free Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr. Modi said.
Mr Modi underscored the abuse of Article 370 and Article 35A by vested interests in the state and by Pakistan. “Article 370 and Article 35A had only given terrorism, separatism, nepotism and massive corruption to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). These articles have been used as a weapon by Pakistan,” he said.
