Kashmir lawmakers pass crucial resolution seeking restoration of autonomy

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir

The newly elected government in Indian-administered Kashmir passed a resolution Wednesday asking India to restore the disputed region’s special autonomous status in the Indian Constitution that was scrapped in 2019.

More than 50 members of the 90-member legislative assembly, including some opposition members, supported the resolution moved by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary.

The 29 members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which scrapped Article 370 and Article 35A that granted the region its own constitution, flag and bicameral legislature besides special residency laws, opposed the resolution. The members of Congress, which had a pre-poll seat sharing arrangement with the region’s ruling National Conference, stayed silent during the voice vote on the resolution.

“The Legislative Assembly reaffirms the importance of the special status and constitutional guarantees, which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expresses concern over the unilateral removal,” the resolution said.

It called on the government of India to “initiate a dialogue with elected representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for restoration of the special status, constitutional guarantees and to work out constitutional mechanisms for restoring these provisions.”

“The Assembly emphasizes that any process for restoration must safeguard both national unity and the legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” it added.

Sajad Lone, an opposition member, who supported the resolution, told reporters: “I am very happy today. In our first assembly session, it was certified today that whatever was done on Sept. 5, 2019 was wrong morally, ethically and constitutionally. It will be remembered in history how people rejected it and declared their verdict.”

BJP members created an uproar over the resolution, calling the ruling National Conference “a mischievous party since 1947.”

They said the resolution carried no weight as the parliament had scrapped the special status, which was “history now.”

They shouted “5 August Zindabad!” (5 August lives!) and “Jai Shri Ram!” (hail Ram, a Hindu deity) that has become a rallying cry for militant Hindus in India.

This was the second resolution seeking restoration of the special status. On the first day of the assembly, Waheed Parra, a member of the People’s Democratic Party, moved a similar resolution, but it was turned down on the grounds that it was not passed in consultation with the ruling party and was “introduced for the cameras and carries no real significance.”

The region was ruled directly by New Delhi through a governor when the autonomous status was scrapped and no elected government was taken on board. A massive crackdown that saw the mobilization of tens of thousands of troops, communication blackout, arrest or detention of pro-India and pro-freedom politicians --- including the current chief minister and his two-time chief minister father -- media gag and other measures preceded and followed the decision on Aug.5, 2019.

The ruling National Conference and opposition People’s Democratic Party had made the restoration of autonomy their major poll plank.