Aug 5: Dismantling of Kashmir’s special status fuels struggle          Author – Sardar Abdul Khaliq Wasi

The writer shows a truth we’ve long known but the world chooses to overlook that Kashmir was never meant to be under Indian occupation. From the 1947 Accession Resolution to the brutal annexation of Junagadh and Hyderabad, the betrayal of Muslim-majority states was methodical and merciless. But what India did on August 5, 2019, by revoking Articles 370 and 35A, was a calculated blow, not just to Kashmir’s autonomy, but to its very soul. It dismantled governance, muted voices of resistance, and replaced political agency with a puppet administration. And while Kashmiris were locked inside their homes, stripped of internet, dignity, and freedom, the rest of the world, obsessed with trade and diplomacy looked the other way. It’s hard not to feel like international morality is for sale.

What hit me hardest was the deliberate erasure of Kashmiri identity. It wasn’t only constitutional tinkering, but also cultural suffocation. Language, festivals, history these all pushed aside while outsiders were handed residency, jobs, and land in a settler-colonial scheme. The economic collapse following the clampdown added salt to the wounds such as apples rotted, tourism died, artisans starved. Yet, despite the oppression, the spirit of resistance roars on. Pakistan’s firm stance on Youm-e-Istehsal, international advocacy, and unwavering moral support for Kashmiris is more than just rhetoric. This article doesn’t just narrate injustice, it calls out the hypocrisy of silence and demands the world to stop turning a blind eye to occupation wrapped in constitutional jargon.

Overview:

This article critically examines India’s revocation of Articles 370 and 35A, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, and the ongoing political, cultural, and economic oppression that followed. It highlights India’s use of legal manipulation and brute force to suppress Kashmiri identity and freedom, the demographic re-engineering of the region, and the global community’s failure to act. The article also emphasizes Pakistan’s consistent diplomatic efforts and moral stance in support of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

NOTES:

The article highlights the illegal and forceful revocation of Articles 370 and 35A by India on August 5, 2019, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status, leading to a full-scale military lockdown and communication blackout. It underlines how this move was not just political but aimed at altering the demography and identity of Kashmir through settler-colonial tactics like new domicile laws, land allotments, and job reservations for outsiders. The article also emphasizes the cultural suffocation faced by Kashmiris as their language, festivals, and local governance are being systematically erased. Economically, the region has suffered a severe Downturn especially in its key sectors like tourism, apples, and handicrafts. The human rights violations, ranging from mass arrests to suppression of dissent, are presented as part of a larger agenda to silence Kashmiris. Despite this, the spirit of resistance persists, supported by Pakistan’s firm diplomatic efforts and observance of Youm-e-Istehsal, which keeps global attention alive, even as most of the international community remains complicit through silence.

CSS Syllabus Relevance:

• Pakistan Affairs: Kashmir dispute, partition history, foreign policy.
• Current Affairs: Human rights, regional conflicts, India’s domestic policies
• International Relations: UN resolutions, international law, diplomacy
• Essay Paper: Kashmir issue, subjugation of minorities, silence of the global order

Notes for Beginners:

This article explains how India changed the special laws that once gave Kashmir some control over its own affairs. These laws were removed in 2019 without asking the people of Kashmir. Since then, people in the region have lost their elected government, and outsiders have been allowed to buy land and get jobs there which locals see as unfair. Kashmir’s economy known for tourism, apples, and handicrafts has suffered badly. Schools now teach less about Kashmiri culture and more about other languages. Many people were arrested, the internet was shut down, and military forces increased. Pakistan has strongly opposed these changes and continues to raise the issue in global forums. This is not just about laws, but also it’s about a whole population feeling silenced and pushed aside.

Facts and Figures:

• Articles 370 and 35A were revoked on August 5, 2019
• Jammu and Kashmir’s status changed from state to union territories
• Economic losses: Tourism, apples, and handicrafts sectors declined
• Massive military lockdown, curfews, and communication blackouts imposed
• New domicile laws allowed non-Kashmiris to settle in the region
• Multiple international human rights reports condemned the repression

To sum up, this article reveals the anatomy of a silent occupation where tanks are louder than ballots and heritage is bulldozed by bureaucracy. What happened on August 5 wasn’t just a legal move, it was an identity crisis imposed on a people who never consented to be ruled this way. If the world truly stands for justice then Kashmir must be more than just a paragraph in diplomatic statements.

Difficult Words and Meanings:

1. Accession – The formal joining of a state to a larger entity

Syn: Admission | Ant: Secession

2. Autonomy – The right to self-governance or independence

Syn: Sovereignty | Ant: Dependence

3. Revocation – The official cancellation of a law or agreement

Syn: Repeal | Ant: Enactment

4. Demographic – Related to the structure of a population

Syn: Population-based | Ant: Individual

5. Subjugation – The act of bringing someone under control by force

Syn: Oppression | Ant: Liberation