Irony in Modi's promise of development in Kashmir

The revocation of Kashmir’s special status by the nationalist government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — which placed the Muslim-majority region under New Delhi’s control — is deemed as a tragic irony.

Modi claimed Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which had guaranteed autonomy to the India-controlled part of Kashmir, was what held back development in the region.

“There must be investment and job opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir. Article 35A, 370 have been standing in the way of development. No one goes there to invest,” Modi said in a recent interview to a TV channel.

New Delhi’s move has fueled tensions in the disputed Himalayan region.

Many students are still boycotting classes, shopkeepers are not opening up shops, and public and private sector employees are not turning up for work due to the uncertainty caused by this change.

Press TV's Economic Divide program has analyzed the development and interviewed experts to examine the impacts of New Delhi’s controversial move on Kashmir’s economic situation.

Sanjay Kumar Singh, an expert of Constitutional Law, believes the arbitrary revocation of Kashmir’s special status was an illegal move by India.

PressTV-India's divisive Kashmir move

The country’s new nationalist government has amended the constitution to bring the Muslim majority region under New Delhi’s control.

He asked whether it was legal to grant a nation special status in the Constitution and then revoke that right, arbitrarily. “This is a very fundamental question which I think the courts will answer in the negative,” he said.

Experts believe that the development will not only have no economic gain for the people of the region, but also destroy its beautiful and unique environment.

Kashmiri activist Rafiq Kathwari also says the move aims to pave the way for India to exploit Kashmir and make its businessmen richer.

“When Modi was addressing the nation on TV about Kashmir and about this promise of development that will now happen, and about millions of dollars which will pour in, the irony is the people, for whom this supposed development is going to happen, did not listen to Modi. They had no means to listen to Modi. The means of communication had been snapped" due to the crackdown, Kathwari said.  

Kathwari said that Modi was addressing his own base of supporters, telling them to go plunder Kashmir’s resources and take advantage of its people.

New Delhi had promised special status to Kashmir when the region was partitioned between India and Pakistan seven decades ago.

However, Modi and his nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have long opposed Kashmir’s autonomy.

After gaining a larger mandate from his Hindu power base in elections earlier this year, Modi’s government wasted no time in implementing their manifesto of creating a Hindu-first nation, where Muslim opposition and dissent has no say and will be silenced.

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