Art 370 sowed seeds of separatism in Kashmir; Modi govt ended terror in J&K: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Article 370 sowed seeds of separatism in the minds of the youth of Kashmir and the Narendra Modi government not only ended terrorism in the valley but also the ecosystem of terrorism.

Shah said Article 370 and Article 35A, both of which were abrogated on August 5, 2019, were the key hurdles in the way of full integration of Kashmir into India.

Referring to Kashmir’s relations with the rest of India, the home minister said India is the only country in the world which is geo-cultural and whose boundaries are formed by its culture. India can be understood only from the Indian perspective and not from the geo-political perspective, he said here while releasing a book ‘Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages’.

From the Silk Route to Central Asia and from Shankaracharya temple to Hemis monastery; and from trade to spirituality, strong foundations of both are present in and of Kashmir’s culture, he said.

Shah said Article 370 gave the false impression that Kashmir’s integration with India was temporary.

“Many people often ask me what is the relation between Article 370 and terrorism. They don’t know that Article 370 sowed the seeds of separatism in the minds of the youth of the valley.

“There are Muslim populations in many other parts of the country. Why are those areas not affected by terrorism?” he said.

The home minister said some people say Kashmir is close to the border with Pakistan and hence, the problem came.

“But Gujarat is also close to the border with Pakistan. Rajasthan is also close to the Pakistan border. Why terrorism has not grown there?” he asked.

Shah said Article 370 gave the false impression that Kashmir’s integration with India is temporary and that sowed the seeds of separatism which later turned into terrorism.

Unfortunately, over 40,000 people lost their lives due to terrorism in Kashmir, he said.

“The Modi government not only ended terrorism in Kashmir but also the ecosystem of terrorism,” he said.

The home minister said Kashmir’s development was delayed by decades and for years, there was bloodshed in Kashmir and the country had to watch it in silence.

“After the abolition of Article 370, there has been 70 per cent reduction in incidents of terrorism in Kashmir and it has proved that Article 370 fuelled the fire of terrorism. In 2018, there were 2,100 incidents of stone pelting in Kashmir but in 2024, not a single incident of stone pelting took place,” he said.

The home minister said people did not want the Article even at the time when it was incorporated (in the Constitution). Even in the Constituent Assembly, the majority did not want Article 370 to be part of the Constitution. However, it became a part of it.

Fortunately, some farsighted people thought writing it as a temporary provision was necessary, he said.

“But the things which are artificial and not natural don’t have long life. Due to the strong will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on August 5, 2019, Article 370 was abolished. Modi has done the work of ending one of the black chapters of the history of the post-independent India,” he said.

Since then, he said, the process of development in Kashmir has started like any other part of India.

The home minister said local bodies elections successfully concluded in Jammu and Kashmir following which more than 25,000 people got elected as panch, sarpanch or district council members.

“There were Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections, which were held peacefully. The highest voting record was registered this year during the polls.

“Industries are also coming. About 2.11 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Shah said in 2024 alone, 324 shootings of films or serials have taken place in Kashmir. This was a regular trend in the 1960s and it has again started now, he added.

He said night shows are happening in theatres after 33 years. Tazia procession was taken out after 34 years and Krishna Janmashtami yatra has also been witnessed in Lal Chowk in Srinagar, he added.

“All these could be seen post-Article 370 abolition — from 2019 to 2024,” he said.

This book, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages, has proved the statement of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee that Jammu and Kashmir is not only a part of India but is also an integral part of the soul of India, he said.

Shah said the book is a historical account of continuity and integration. It has broken the myths prevalent in the country and presented history with truth and evidence, he said.

“This is a great achievement,” he said.

The home minister said it is time to get rid of history written to please the rulers and now is the time to write the history of India with facts and evidence and present it to the world.

He said the thousands of years old history of every corner of India has enriched the world civilisation, but during the period of slavery, despicable efforts were made to forget it.

Shah said the book proves that the culture, languages, scripts, spiritual ideas, art of pilgrimage sites, trade and commerce scattered in every corner of India, were present in Kashmir for 10,000 years and came to the country from there. (PTI)