The Indian government on Monday announced the revocation of Kashmir's constitutional autonomy, an explosive decision for the region, which is rife with a separatist insurgency and claimed by Pakistan.
The Hindu nationalist authorities passed a presidential decree abolishing a special status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which was guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. The announcement was made in Parliament by Interior Minister Amit Shah, in the middle of a deafening tumult from the ranks of the opposition.
The presidential decree "comes into force immediately, and immediately replaces" the constitutional articles on Jammu and Kashmir, in particular article 370, according to a text circulated by the government. Article 370 of the Indian Constitution conferred a special status on Jammu and Kashmir and allowed the central government of New Delhi to legislate only on defense, foreign affairs and communications in the region, the rest under the legislature local.
A promise of Narendra Modi's campaign
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also presented to Parliament a bill to divide Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh, its eastern part of Buddhist majority, will be separated. The remaining Jammu and Kashmir, which will include the predominantly Hindu Plains of Jammu in the south and the predominantly Muslim Srinagar Valley in the north, will lose the status of Federated State, to be demoted to the status of 'Union". This means that the region will be under the direct administration of New Delhi and will have almost no autonomy.
The revocation of Kashmir's autonomy was an old campaign promise of the Hindu nationalists of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was triumphantly re-elected in the spring for a second term.
"The darkest day of Indian democracy"
Gatherings were banned and communications completely cut off Monday in the Srinagar Valley, where only the military and paramilitary deployed in large numbers could be on the streets.
"Today marks the darkest day of Indian democracy," tweeted Jammu-and-Kashmir's former chief executive Mehbooba Mufti. "The unilateral decision of the Indian government to abolish article 370 is illegal and unconstitutional will make India an occupying force in Jammu and Kashmir," she said on the social network, under house arrest since last night. "This will have catastrophic consequences for the sub-continent." The intentions of the Government of India are clear: they want the territory of Jammu and Kashmir by terrorizing its people, "she said.