Center defends abrogation of Article 370, cites ‘unprecedented era of peace and progress’ in J&K

New Delhi: Defending the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, the Center told the Supreme Court on Monday that the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an ‘unprecedented’ era of peace, progress and prosperity with no street violence perpetrated by terrorists. Separatist networks are becoming “a thing of the past”. Referring to the “particular security situation” in the region, the Center said incidents of organized stone-pelting linked to militancy-separatist agenda, which were up to 1,767 in 2018, have come down to zero in 2023 and casualties to security personnel in 2018 A decline of 65.9 percent in 2022 compared to .

The Centre’s affidavit will be considered on Tuesday by a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which will hear a batch of petitions challenging the decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Gonna do it. On August 5, 2019, The Center decided to take away the special status from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate it into two Union Territories.

Several petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, which bifurcated JK into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, were taken up for hearing by a constitution bench in 2019. was sent to

cre trending stories

The Center argued that the “historic constitutional move” being challenged has brought unprecedented development, progress, security and stability in the region, which was often missing during the old Article 370 regime.

The affidavit states that this has been possible because of the Union of India’s policy of ensuring peace, prosperity and progress in the region. ”It is submitted that the hosting of the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar in the month of May 2023 was a landmark event in the history of valley tourism and the country proudly displayed to the world its firm commitment that separatist This area can be converted into an area where international dignitaries can also be invited and global events can be organized.”

The Center said that after historic changes, the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have undergone “reformative, positive and progressive changes” in the entire administration, including developmental activities, public administration and security matters, in the last four years, which has a positive impact on every sector. has had an impact.” resident irrespective of caste, creed or religion.

It added that the bandh and stone-pelting (simultaneously), organized, funded and forced by separatist-terrorist networks, had tremendous negative impact on the economy and the society as a whole.

“It is submitted that the defining feature of the security situation in the area, which has a direct bearing on the daily lives of ordinary citizens, is ‘street violence’ which was a systematic and regular phenomenon. Street violence created and orchestrated by terrorists and separatist networks is now a thing of the past.

In its 20-page affidavit, the Center said incidents of organized stone pelting linked to terrorism-separatist agenda, which were up to 1,767 in the year 2018, are to come down to zero in the year 2023.

It said that as a result of the ‘bandh’ and stone-pelting, schools, colleges and universities, trade, industries and businesses were closed on a regular basis, leading to a huge loss of income, especially for the poor and those working in the unorganized sectors. ,

In the year 2018, there were 52 incidents of organized ‘Bandh/Hartal’, which has become zero in the year 2023. In addition, the resolute anti-terrorist operations have resulted in the destruction of the terrorist eco-system, which has reduced terrorist recruitment from 199 in the year 2018 to 12 in the year 2023.

The Center said work on transit accommodation for the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley is in advanced stage and is expected to be completed in the next year.

Highlighting several schemes launched by the Center for the development of the entire region, the government said life has returned to normal in the region after more than three decades of turmoil.

”It is submitted that the schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other public institutions are working efficiently during the last three years without any strike or disturbance of any kind. The earlier practice of daily strikes, hartals, stone-pelting and bandhs are now things of the past,” it said.

Emphasizing that certain sections of society, including displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and children of women married outside Jammu and Kashmir, were denied their fundamental rights prior to the judgment of August 5, 2019, the Government said that all the residents of the region are enjoying all the rights that are available to the citizens in other parts of the country.

It states that with the constitutional changes and enactments of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, seats have been reserved for persons belonging to the Scheduled Tribes, as a result of which they have been given reservation in the Legislature similar to the reservation available to such community. In the Legislative Assemblies of other States/Union Territories of the country.

”It is submitted that with the improved security scenario, the Union Territory has witnessed the highest ever number of tourists. 1.88 crore tourists visited J&K only from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, which is contributing significantly to the growth of the economy and has a direct impact on the income of the common man,” the Center highlighted .