Good morning to everyone in this room. We’re all gathered here today to talk about a significant issue that has received a lot of attention recently as a result of the adjustments the government has made i.e. Article 370.
All kings were given the freedom to dwell anywhere they chose in 1947, as the British were leaving India. With the exception of the province of J&K, the unification was accomplished because of VallabhBhai Patel’s efforts.
It wanted to keep its independence and did not want to unite. Hari Singh, the ruler of Kashmir at the time, asked India for assistance when Pakistan tried to take Kashmir by force in 1947. Then Kashmir joined India, although they were given a special status under Articles 370 and 35A to maintain its unique status.
According to the Article, residents of J&K were entitled to both J&K and Indian citizenship. Elections were held every six years, and they had their own flag. In the state, disparaging the Indian Flag was not a crime, and the Supreme Court’s guidelines did not apply.
The RTI act and any other minority-related reservations were not applicable in the state. A Kashmiri woman who marries a non-Kashmiri would forfeit her citizenship; but, if she marries a Pakistani, the guy would also get Kashmiri nationality. As a result, the Article protected and provided for some crucial governmental privileges.
On August 5th, 2019, the government declared that Articles 370 and 35A would be repealed. As a result, the state was split into the J&K (with a legislature) and Ladakh regions (without any legislature).
