Jammu and Kashmir: The Journey of an Iconic State to Economic Emancipation

The integration of Jammu and Kashmir as part of the union territory was a pragmatic move to consolidate India’s position politically.

It has ended the separatist movements, as the bold move by the centre has restored confidence in the people. The people in the state have eschewed separatism and chosen peace as a way forward to prosperity. The centre has taken steps to ensure that the state receives its due share of resources.

In addition, the local population has access to all the Indian nation's benefits. This has helped show the people of the state that the centre is willing to help them thrive. It has also helped show them that a peaceful, united India is the better alternative to separatism.

A major economic boom followed the revolutionary step, which the state's citizens welcomed.

Home Minister Amit Shah, on August 5, 2019, moved a resolution in the Rajya Sabha seeking to introduce a bill revoking all provisions of Article 370. This was approved by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Along with this resolution, the Home Minister also introduced bills to bifurcate the state into Ladakh as a union territory without a legislature and Jammu and Kashmir as a union territory with an assembly.

Since independence, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed a special status in the Indian constitution under Article 370 for nearly seventy years before it was abrogated. This brought it under central government control as a union territory.

Article 370 is a temporary provision included in the constitution aimed at granting autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as separate entities. It remains within the Indian government's purview.

This provision was put in place to ensure Jammu and Kashmir's statehood was preserved and to protect Kashmiri interests. It also grants the state certain privileges, such as the right to have its own constitution and flag and make its laws.

No government dared touch Article 370, thinking the state would become part of Pakistan. This special status provided the state with some autonomy and protected it from full integration into India. In addition to having its own constitution, a separate flag, and the freedom to make laws on certain matters, including the right to citizenship and taxation laws,

This allowed the state to self-govern its affairs and have representation in the Indian Parliament. 

Nevertheless, in 2014, when Narendra Modi assumed office in the higher echelons of the government as the Prime Minister, he moved to take the state under the direct control of the union government, a prudent step that put the state of Jammu and Kashmir on a firm footing and gave hope to the people and the next generation about a progressive state in every aspect of governance.

Modi's move has allowed the union government to provide more resources and policy attention to the state. This has resulted in increased economic growth and improved social services and infrastructure facilities. Additionally, his move has enabled the government to better tackle corruption and ensure law and order in the region.

This has provided a more secure environment for Jammu and Kashmir residents. The move has also enabled the government to reduce political tensions and bring stability to the region. This has led to a more peaceful environment and a better quality of life for Jammu and Kashmir residents.

After the abrogation of Article 370, the separatist movement backed by Pakistan lost its face and became irrelevant. The constitutional move helped Jammu and Kashmir become fully integrated into India. The centre started pumping in funds for infrastructure projects, most of which are completed or nearing completion.

Business is booming in Jammu and Kashmir, with a ready market for Kashmiri silk carpets in the West. The constitutional move helped streamline Jammu and Kashmir's governance, making it easier for the central government to allocate funds for infrastructure projects. Improved infrastructure has made businesses easier to operate. In addition, the influx of tourists to the region has increased the demand for Kashmiri goods, such as silk carpets, on overseas markets.

Besides, women's empowerment in Jammu and Kashmir was a significant political move aimed at gender equality. This may be considered essential for a vibrant democracy.

Women in Jammu and Kashmir have fought for their citizenship rights for at least forty-eight years. This is once they get married to a person outside Jammu and Kashmir. This is due to the discriminatory Jammu and Kashmir Citizenship Act. This bars women from passing on their state citizenship to their children, even if their husband is from the same state.

This law has devastated women's rights in the region and is a major obstacle to their fight for equality. It has also created a sense of insecurity among women in the region, as they are not sure if their children will inherit their state citizenship or not. This has led to women in the region feeling trapped in marriages and unable to access the same rights as their male counterparts.

The 1954 law, which was imposed and incorporated into the constitution by then President Rajendra Prasad at the instance of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, banned women from entering into marriage outside the state to claim citizenship or other family inheritances.

However, this constitutional provision was partially halted in 2002 following a lawsuit. The original law was that women of Jammu and Kashmir who married outsiders lost all their rights and could not transfer property to their children. However, this did not apply to men, which created inequality before the law.

Men could marry foreign women, even Pakistani women, without losing their rights. After the lawsuit, the cumbersome law was amended so that both men and women now have the same rights and access to all privileges. This is regardless of whether they are married to someone from Jammu and Kashmir or outside. This created equality before the law and eliminated inequality in rights and privileges.

Nevertheless, the Modi administration ended discrimination in August 2019, placing women on par with men. It was one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's multiple steps to ensure justice and fair play. The step gave women a boost along with the dignity they craved. The abrogation of Article 370 also brought Jammu and Kashmir under Union territory.

The Narendra Modi government’s swift move to scrap the temporary provision in the Indian Constitution (Article 370) removed all impediments to the state's development with additional vigour. The economy started booming with the handicraft industry, which is unique to the state and attracts attention from the outside world, especially the West.

Following the 2019 transformation, the Panchayat Raj system, which was only on paper, became a reality. It was only after the abrogation of Article 370 that the Panchayat system began to work on the ground.

Panchayats were elected councils in ancient India with administrative and judicial authority. The Panchayati Raj is a three-tiered administrative framework in India that focuses on rural development. It is a system of local self-government used to build districts, zones, and villages, bringing revolutionary changes to village-level administration.

The Constitution of India, in Article 40, enjoined: "The state shall organize village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government."

Panchayat Raj institutions have become an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir's governance. As a result, the Panchayat representatives act as voices for the people.

After the governance system was established, the centre started channelling necessary funds for various schemes for the benefit of the people. Village panchayats can receive up to one crore rupees for development work in the area. The centre's back-to-village program became very popular among the people. Officers visiting the panchayats helped the village heads execute the work identified by the local populace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government moved swiftly to establish connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir and India. This occurred as the central government abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

The Chenab Railway Bridge is described as an engineering feat by the railway engineers who built it across the Kashmir Valley. It is the highest railway bridge in the world, nearly 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower. In addition, there is a four-lane highway connecting the state with the rest of the country.

Youth empowerment in the Jammu and Kashmir state has made giant strides, with youth displaying their talents in the educational and sports spheres. It's clear Jammu and Kashmir are on the right track and will soon become an iconic state of the country.