On August 5 2019, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked and the government of India justified the decision in the parliament that that Article was the “root cause” of terror in the Valley and hindered the economic and social development of the region.
Since then according to the observers there have been a number of positive changes in Jammu and Kashmir.
After the abrogation of Article 370, the government has invested heavily in infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
This has led to the construction of new roads, bridges, improvement of existing infrastructure, such as the power grid and the water supply system.
The abrogation of Article 370 has led to increased investment in Jammu and Kashmir driven by the expectation that the region will become more prosperous and stable as a result of the changes.
The government has also invested in education and healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. This has led to an increase in the number of schools and hospitals in the region.
The abrogation of Article 370 has also led to an increase in tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. This is because the region is now more accessible to people from other parts of India and the world.
It is also important to note that the impact of the abrogation of Article 370 is still being debated. Majority of the people argue that it has led to economic development and investment in Jammu and Kashmir. Others, mainly a few regional parties and leaders, argue that it has led to an increase in violence and instability in the region.
The abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was announced on 5 August 2019. The anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 is on 5 August each year.
The BJP leaders said that the Union Territory has been witnessing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a progressive and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir being translated on ground zero with a sense of commitment.
“The BJP has made possible what everybody perceived impossible years ago and emerged as a harbinger of change in the Union Territory.
Each sector and every segment is enjoying the dividends of peace, heralded by government in the past over four years by dispensing responsive administration and isolating inimical elements in the separatist amalgam as also those within the so-called mainstream, in the true spirit of Modi’s cherished agenda of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’”, BJP’s senior leader Devender Rana said.
Devender Rana said the biggest take of the Article 370 repeal has been political empowerment of every region and sub-region besides real empowerment of the people like West Pakistan Refugees, Valmikies, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections of the society, who were deprived in the wake of non-implementation of a number of central laws.
They had been deliberately kept out of the system to enjoy political hegemony by exploiting regional and religious sentiments as per their political convenience, he added.
He referred to the overall situation across the Union Territory with special reference to the Kashmir Valley, saying that even the worst critics of the BJP are acknowledging the huge turnaround in terms of peace and normalcy.
While stone pelting and shutdown culture is now the history of the past, tourism and economic activity is scaling new heights.Last year witnessed record number of tourist arrivals which is expected to cross two crore mark this year.
“Seeing is believing”, he said, adding that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are now witness to the unprecedented development, infrastructural upgradation, massive investment interventions and implementation of various welfare measures to the last person in the society.
The security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir has also changed significantly since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. There has been a significant decrease in terrorist-related incidents in the region, and the overall security situation has improved.
According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of terrorist-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in the last four years decreased significantly.
The improved security situation has allowed for the resumption of normal life in Jammu and Kashmir.
The government has taken a number of steps to improve the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. These include: Increased deployment of security forces, increased intelligence gathering, improved coordination between security forces Development of new counter-terrorism strategies.
All kinds of terror-related violence witnessing steep decline giving people a strong relief on all fronts.
“There has been a notable decrease in various security-related incidents including grenade attacks, IED blasts, and civilian casualties in J&K. The decrease reflects a positive impact on public safety with a reduced threat from these incidents,” the report said.
Additionally, it added, stand-off fire and hit and run cases, weapon snatching, encounters and incidents of arson have also seen significant decreases.
The security scenario report analyzed the impact of Article 370 abrogation on the security situation of Jammu and Kashmir. It examined 17 security indicators related to various incidents and provided comparative analysis between pre-and-post-370 periods. The findings revealed a decrease in most indicators showing an improvement in the overall security landscape.
“There has been a decrease in civilian and security forces fatalities and injuries highlighting enhanced security measures and reduced risk for both civilians and jawans,” the report said and revealed decrease in terror recruitment and increase in arrest of terrorists, their associates and suspects which made a positive impact in disrupting the terrorist ecosystem.
Overall, it said, the security scenario post Article 370 abrogation demonstrates notable progress in ensuring public safety, mitigating security threats and maintaining stability in the Union Territory.
Stone pelting incidents which used to create major law and order problems in the Kashmir Valley prior to abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir recorded massive decline. The decrease signifies improved public order and a more peaceful environment, the report said.
Similarly, the hartal/bandh calls were also down, which too was a massive decrease indicating improved socio-political stability and reduced impact on daily activities due to strikes or shutdowns, it added.
“Encounters and counter-terrorism operations also witnessed massive decreases.
Decline suggests a positive impact on the region’s security with fewer instances of confrontations between security forces and militants,” the report said.
According to the report, the number of security personnel attaining martyrdom in Jammu and Kashmir also decreased significantly while the number of injuries to police/security personnel also came down.
Terror recruitment which was also a major headache for security agencies too has gone down.
Incidents of kidnappings also reduced while instances of arson went down , the report said.
Article 370 marked a significant shift in the region’s political landscape, with potential implications for the socio-political future of Jammu and Kashmir and its relations with the rest of India,” the report said.
“After the revocation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into two union territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. This led to the extension of the Indian legal and constitutional framework uniformly across these regions. For the police, it means a more unified jurisdiction and seamless coordination with law enforcement agencies from other parts of the country,” the report said.
To bolster economic growth and development, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has signed huge MoUs for investments.
Earlier, some constraints discouraged industrialists and large organisations from investing in Jammu and Kashmir. But after the abolition of Article 370, all the obstacles that came into the path of development were removed as the government placed its focus on providing an impetus to business and the economy. The J&K Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation has been set up to provide financial support to various projects that were commissioned years ago but were yet to be completed.
In adherence with PM Modi’s infrastructure development vision, several new projects were approved and bottlenecks that marred the completion of existing projects were removed.
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