Kashmir Article 370: PM Modi realises dream that BJP saw for many years

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By biting the Article 370 bullet Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a place for himself in the BJP and RSS pantheon which has no parallel. Already bjp and RSS cadres are calling his move the “August kranti” – a feat that would push him past the greats like late Atal Bihari Vajpayee or L K Advani without diminishing their contribution. If the saffron organizations had key pet agendas – Ram mandir at Ayodhya, uniform civil code and Article 370 In the history of the saffron organizations he is now the first leader to have delivered a top ideological promise the BJP and the sangh have been making for decades to keep their die hard supporters engaged

The BJP and its ideological mentor’s folklores have started changing indicated by the tweet posted by Ram Madhav BJP general secretary drafted from the rss in which he said “What a glorious day. Finally the martyrdom of thousands starting with Dr. Shyam Prasad Mukherjee for complete integration of J&K into Indian Union is being honoured and the seven decade old demand of the entire nation being realised in front of our eyes; in our lifetime. Ever imagined?”

BJP sources say that the prime minister’s address to the nation on August 7 will showcase his vision for the state. Interestingly two address to the nation in August is a rare happening

After J&K’s merger into Indian Union was passed, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee the founder of Jan Sangh that became bjp had coined the slogan, “Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur do Nishan nahi chalenge [There cannot be two Constitutions, two Prime Ministers and two flags in one nation]”.

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, travelled across the country and entered J&K on 11 May, 1953, without any permit mandated by the state laws.

Mukherjee was arrested there by the J&K Police and later died in the custody on 23 June, 1953. Mukherjee’s move ended the permit system for entry into J&K.

New paeans will soon grow narrating how the founder of the BJP dreamt of Jammu and Kashmir without article 370 and how Modi made the dream come true.

With this move Modi has altered the terms of engagement with the rss. Over the last 5 years many in the sangh parivar have given him a “not so satisfactory” report card when it came to executing what the parivar wanted. Now his govt will get a bigger breathing space when it comes to bread and butter issues.

With demonetization in mod1.0 and Article 370 dismantled in Modi 2.0 the prime minister has emerged as the prime disruptor of status quo. His political rivals and critics are terming his move today an invitation to disaster and his supporters cheer it as a masterstroke infusing a sense of “Triumphalism”. A senior BJP leader said,” the prime minister has demonstrated how a majority mandate can be used for pushing an agenda after reading the pulse of the polity and his political rivals especially the Congress can learn a lesson. “

The move consolidates PM Modi’s position as the favourite of strident hindutva backers and the most dominant political leader in the country. That’s critical as it happens at a time when the congress is in deep disarray and its leader Rahul Gandhi distancing himself from the responsibilities of the party

When the J&K Reorganisation bill was passed in Rajya Sabha today there were 125 votes in favour and 61 against. The bjp and its allies have 105 odd members in the upper house. So perfect was the execution plan of the bjp floor managers that the bill got the support of AIADMK, YSRCP, TRS, BJD, TDP, AAP and BSP.

While the PDP was marshalled out TMC and JDU a BJP ally helped by walking out to diminish the votes against the bill. The Congress, left parties, RJD, Muslim league , Kerala Congress and MDMK were outnumbered.

This political Maneuvering and positioning by political parties stamps the significance of Narendra Modi and his capability to plan and execute.

The plan was drawn over time and executed to the minutest detail. Sources in the pmo say that right since mid 2018 careful thought went into how to avoid legal pitfalls and preempt political obstructions from political parties both national and in Kashmir. Over the last several months operations by security agencies carried out a virtual cleansing exercise in the Valley against terrorists. Through a multi pronged approach terror backers and separatists were harnessed. Income tax and enforcement agencies were pushed to chase those who had the funds to bankroll unrest. A consistent diplomatic effort was sustained across the globe against Pakistan to keep the troublesome neighbour on the western front on the back foot.

The Opposition led by the Congress and the political parties dominated by three families in Kashmir got no time or space to obstruct or fan passions in the valley. On the political chessboard the govt was many steps ahead of rivals.

The road ahead

The move may have bold written all over it. But road ahead is anything but smooth. With Monday’s presidential notification, Jammu and Kashmir has been made a Union Territory with a legislative Assembly (same as Delhi)
The state has lost Ladakh which is now a separate Union Territory without a legislature (same as Chandigarh).

BJP feels this will help the nda govt plan a separate future for Ladakh which is at the doorstep of China.

Since article 370 has been rendered toothless the center now has lesser obstruction in shaping the future of newly re-mapped Jammu and Kashmir. Ex Finance Minister Arun Jaitley posted on Twitter, “A historical wrong has been undone today. Article 35A came through the back door without following the procedure under Article 368 of the Constitution of India. It had to go.

With laws that exempted Jammu and Kashmir from the Constitution of India and , curtailed parliament’s legislative hold over the state the center’s role will multiply in crafting an end to troubles that plagued the northern most Indian state

But the calm in the valley is not going to be lasting. The security and communication clampdown hides the boiling anger. The opposition may be defeated buy is not going to vanish. Terming the Modi government’s move ex state CM Farooq Abdullah said it was a total “betrayal of trust” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Government of India’s unilateral and shocking decisions are a total betrayal of the trust that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had reposed in India when the state acceded to it in 1947. The decisions will have far-reaching and dangerous consequences.”

Worse it was easier to declare two divergent regions Jammu and Kashmir put together as a union territory. Its going to be very difficult to administer it. In the case of Delhi the center has been part guilty of choking the space for the Kejriwal govt. But Jammu and Kashmir are not Delhi. The center has an opportunity to rectify the defects and create a road to recovery. Terror and separatist sentiments will be constant obstruction. Failure can dent the feeling of triumph the govt and the BJP enjoys today.