The Northern Frontier: The Complexities of Kashmir

Kashmir is a region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent. The following map depicts the location of Kashmir with respect to China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other regions.

On August 5th, 2019, Article 370 of the Indian constitution was abolished. The article stated that the Indian Parliament needs the Jammu & Kashmir government's approval for applying laws in the state — except in cases of defense, foreign affairs, finance, and communications.

Since the abolition of the constitutional provision, the entire state of Kashmir has been on a communication blockade. This entails all communications to and from Kashmir being highly monitored and scrutinized, and a block on the internet. But that is not all, Kashmir has also been subjected to a squadron of more than 90,000 military personnel barricading roads and imposing curfews. The rights of the people of Kashmir have been highly compromised. In the eyes of left-leaning media, the blockade is a way of immobilizing the indigenous Kashmiris, shutting off their voices and demands from the entire world. In the eyes of rightist media, it is the meticulous protection of a region, quarantining it until rebellion against the abolition is dealt with. For the better of the country, more importantly, the economy of India.

Supporters of the Indian government’s abolition of Article 370 of the Indian constitution have shown unexhaustive enthusiasm for the decision. The Kashmiri government had more autonomy over state laws than any other Indian state. Unlike other major Indian States, only Kashmiri residents were allowed to own land in Kashmir. This restricted foreign and local companies from operating businesses in Kashmir and also allowed the State government to have absolute control over the real estate market in the state.

With the abolition of Article 370, Kashmir is no longer a state, but a union territory under the direct control of the government of India. This means that a rather dormant state will now have the appeal of a territory specially meant for economic growth by the central government. Kashmir has never enjoyed a sprawl of foreign hotels and restaurants like other cities similar to its picturesque grandeur. The tourism industry will see growth in the coming years in the North Indian frontier with simplified, direct land ownership for Indian and International hospitality companies. Article 35A restricted jobs in government offices to natural residents of the state of Kashmir. Now, jobs are open for people from across India, providing Kashmir a stronger potential labor force and a competitive job market. 

Kashmir had previously been ridden with anti-government organizations, Jihadists, who protested in an illegal fashion to overthrow Indian intervention in Kashmiri law. Resistance fighters were often funded by the Pakistani government who hoped to capture a major part of Muslim dominated Kashmir. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his conservative BJP party, who are strong opposers of Pakistani infiltration, saw the abolition of Article 370 as the perfect opportunity to regulate Kashmir and gain a dominating position over Pakistan on the territory.

The current BJP government and Prime minister have had a controversial but highly eventful past 6 years in office. Major policy decisions like demonetization of high-value currency notes and the GST (General Sales Tax) of India have been economically complex decisions, but have influenced Indian businesses and societies in profound ways. The opening up of the Kashmiri economy is the latest and one of the most erratic of moves with potentially groundbreaking benefits in the future, but there is a flip side to this.

Kashmir has not been in a stable state since the Indian independence movement. Princely states of the subcontinent were given the decision of joining India or Pakistan at the time of partition of the two countries. Kashmir had a problematic condition during the time with weak leadership not conforming completely to any of the two countries. Thus, both India and Pakistan view Kashmir as a rightful state of their own.

Since 1947, India and Pakistan have been involved in 3 major wars over the Kashmiri region. The socio-economic conditions in modern-day Kashmir also parallel its political state. Although jihadists are seen as anarchists by the Indian armed forces, many Kashmiris consider them rebels trying to fight for the right to autonomy Kashmiris have always been stripped of. And while they might use illegal ways of protest, they are fighting for the rights of the people of Kashmir. The brutality of the Indian Armed Forces in Kashmir cannot be underscores. Take the case of 16-year-old Asrar Khan who was shot by pellet gun shrapnels on his way back from school. Innocent Kashmiri Muslims are often confused for militants and contained using tear gas and pellet guns. Kashmiris also argue that the economic benefits promised to them are highly inflated. The quantum effect of immediate capture of Kashmir has created unrest in the subcontinent between the nations of India and Pakistan.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed his fears of a potential ‘massacre’ and ‘nuclear war’ originating from the region. Many Indian academics also argue that the economic benefits promised to them are highly inflated. While foreign investment will enter the north Indian state, local businesses and populations have been shaken by the government takeover. If the subjugation of the Kashmiri population continues at the same pace, the region, union territory or not, might be in a perpetual state of unrest.

The economic benefits of Kashmir becoming a Union territory are still halted by the condition of the people of Kashmir. The position of the Indian Government is complex to say the least. The nation is torn between the morality of the decision and the potential of Kashmir becoming accessible to millions. The issue is easily linearized by left-leaning and right-leaning media groups to propagate their agendas. The fate of the people of Kashmir, the government of India, and a very globalized world are at risk. 

Edited by Daryl Chan and Naomi Santiago.