In the past few days, an acrimonious debate has resumed on the issues of the merits and demerits of abrogation of Article 370 and whether J&K deserves statehood or not. As the issue of the statehood has been put forth by the National Conference Government of Omar Abdullah before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, it is imperative that issues of the people should not be lost in the debates, which can have damaging effect on society, and handover advantage to the inimical forces outside.
Several members of the Legislative Assembly have raised question marks over the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and BJP members, as it was expected, have reacted very sharply to the critics of the decision. Such a message emanating from the Legislative Assembly at the time when it is about to deliberate on the first-ever budget of the elected government in the past seven years, spoils the atmosphere.
Let it be conceded and understood in clearest terms that there is no way which can lead to the restoration of Article 370. The abrogation adopted by Parliament had the backing of the whole of the country The Supreme Court had put a stamp on its legal validity. And, apart from that an unprecedented majority in the country has given it thumbs up. There, at the moment, or the decades later, nothing is going to happen to reverse August 5, 2019 decision of abolition of Article 370. This thought is too imaginary to be given any consideration.
NEWS ANALYSIS
The revival of debate on Article 370 is uncalled for. It is part of history the pages of which will not be read again. The world is moving and so should J&K. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have put every effort to put J&K on path of progress by making it a land of opportunities for future, which can be assessed in two ways. The peace that has dawned on this land after decades of turmoil that brought only disaster. This peace is a magnet for investment, which will create opportunities of new world visiting J&K. Second, the youth of the UT will get to know the technological and scientific advances of the world from very close quarters. That will prepare them to avail opportunities to shape their future outside J&K. That is what the whole underlined idea of integration was. That has been given wings with the removal of Article 370 from the constitution where it sat for 70 years.
At this point in time, when the budget session is on, the members from treasury and opposition benches must realize that the people from all their constituencies had been waiting for the elected MLAs to highlight their issues, what their constituency needs and how that can be fulfilled .The highlighting of the issues is important and at the same time it is important that how these people-centric issues are weaved into a politically positive narrative. That will demonstrate how serious and smart is the leadership in placing newer and positive things in the public domain, where they shed the impression, and that is needed too, that they talk about their past and conflict only. Time to come out of the mindset of conflict
J&K needs an image makeover. It needs positive narrative and real-time discussion on real issues so that the people in the central government can understand things better. The Centre can respond with more positive measures. It is not necessary that J&K should be known only by its history of acrimonious d-old debates. That dig the gold in the old narratives would land J&K nowhere. Those seeking to do that would be doing a great injustice to their people, who elected them to air their grievances and day-to-day issues. How would a debate on the Article 370 benefit tourism sector or economy or bring infrastructural development. That will not result in adding new schools, hospitals and other institutions. Then, we are back to square one. Help avoid that.
BJP too would have to restraint itself from overreaction. The party should have its agenda. Since it has got all its seats from Jammu region, it must have a roadmap for the people of this region, which has always been victim of the political games. No longer. They also do not want to go back to square one.
