NEW DELHI (Daily Point) — The Indian Supreme Court (SC) affirmed that Article 370, which granted special status to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), was a temporary provision and declared the occupied territory an integral part of the country, as reported by NDTV on Monday.
In August 2019, the government led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unilaterally revoked the special status of the occupied valley, deploying tens of thousands of troops to quell protests against the move.
Afterward, a series of petitions contested the abrogation of Article 370, and a five-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, heard the case for 16 days, reserving its verdict on September 5.
The bench, led by the Indian CJI, announced the verdict, stating that the occupied territory became an integral part of India, as evident from Article 1 and 370 of the constitution.
Furthermore, the top court upheld the Indian government’s decision to revoke the disputed region’s semi-autonomous status, asserting that the IIOJK “does not have internal sovereignty.”
The Indian Supreme Court also directed the country’s election commission to conduct elections in IIOJK by September 2024.
The repeal of Article 370 granted individuals from the rest of India the right to acquire property in the disputed territory and settle there permanently, a move viewed by Kashmiris as an effort to alter the demographics of the Muslim-majority region with Hindu settlers.
Pakistan strongly condemns action
Pakistan strongly condemned the action, pledging to “exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps” taken by India. India has stationed over half a million soldiers in the Himalayan disputed territory for decades.
The suspension of IIOJK’s semi-autonomous status enabled Indians from other regions to purchase land and pursue government jobs, a policy criticized as “settler colonialism.”
Critics argue that authorities have curtailed media freedoms and public protests, significantly limiting civil liberties. Modi’s government defended the decision in court, asserting that it brought “peace, progress, and prosperity” to the restive territory.
Former IIOJK chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, under house arrest ahead of the Supreme Court’s verdict, urged the people not to lose hope, emphasizing that the fight for honor and dignity would persist.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader Omar Abdullah expressed disappointment but not disheartenment, stating that the struggle would continue, prepared for the long haul.
Indian PM Modi hailed the Supreme Court verdict as “historic,” asserting that it constitutionally upholds the decision made by the Indian Parliament in 2019. He described it as a “resounding declaration of hope, progress, and unity” for the people in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
