Fait Accompli: Article 370

Dr. P. C. Singh supports Ghulam Nabi Azad’s recent statement over irreversibility of Article 370. Further, he presents the facts, which back this statement.

Ghulam Nabi Azad is probably right. Addressing his first public rally in his home state after leaving the Congress, he said that no party can restore Article 370 of the Indian constitution revoked by the BJP. In fact, it is almost impossible to think of restoration of status of state to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 anymore. Restoration of special status to J&K, as rightly pointed out by Azad, would require a two third majority in Parliament. No party or political conglomerate is likely to attain this in near future, though things remain unpredictable.

Even if some non-BJP political coalition comes to power at the centre, it would not like to take the risk of doing this at the cost of its own survival in the country today. The all-encompassing Hindu phobia is there to stay in the days to come. Only regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir continue to make this demand. Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah keep raising the demand of restoring special status of the state that was given to it after its annexation to India. Even they are well aware of the fact that it is the reality, the fait accompli of Article 370. Special status to J&K is a thing of past. The future generation in the state and outside would merely read about it.

Azad speaks the truth. Those who were against revocation of Article 370 have learned to accept the hard fact of life. They are demanding for status of a state for J&K. There is change in political agenda. Addressing a press conference, P. Chidambram once put forward this demand. This revocation the BJP spokesperson who challenged Congress Party and asked it to make this demand on the floor of the parliament. The Congress leadership also knows the nerve of the people. Unfortunately, it is the real weakness of the Congress. By turning a blind eye towards its stand, it is not only losing its secular credential but also endorsing BJP's agenda.