India Supreme Court Upholds Stripping of Kashmir Special Status
The Facts
India's Supreme Court has ruled that a 2019 law revoking Article 370 — which stripped the state of Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status — is constitutional, meaning New Delhi can bring the region under the direct control of the federal government. Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revoked the law, Jammu and Kashmir were given special rights not afforded to other Indian states.
The five-member court, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, ruled unanimously that the law passed in 1947 following India's independence from the UK was only meant to be temporary during wartime. India went to war with Pakistan shortly after its independence, and Pakistan has claimed the region as its own ever since.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is yet another attack on Muslim rights and the region's autonomy by Prime Minister Modi's government. Jammu and Kashmir had already been stripped of the right to decide laws on defense, finance, foreign affairs, and communications for seven decades, and now progress has been rolled back even more. This defeat must be harnessed into political action.
Narrative B
As the court stated, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was always temporary, and the region's temporary status continued for far too long. A country operating under two flags and two constitutions is destined to become weak and vulnerable, which is why the region has been undermined by Pakistani-led meddling and terrorism for years. Under the protection of New Delhi, both Hindus and Muslims alike will see a boon to the local economy.
