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Indian soldiers patrol and carry out checks in the streets of Jammu, Kashmir, on August 5, 2019. Rakesh BAKSHI / AFP

The Indian government put an end to Kashmir's constitutional autonomy on Monday (August 5th). An explosive decision for this region in the grip of a separatist and highly disputed insurgency with Pakistan.

The Hindu nationalist authorities passed a presidential decree abolishing the 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.

Since 1949, Kashmir, which had joined the Indian Union one year after the other states following an Indo-Pakistani war, had a very broad autonomy status, because of its overwhelming Muslim majority.

Articles 370 and 35A

Article 370, incorporated into the Constitution, gave the instruments of this autonomy, in particular by limiting the powers of the central government of New Delhi to the fields of external security and diplomacy.

Another article, Article 35A, made it possible to choose who was Kashmiri from the local authorities, knowing that only Kashmiris could buy land and have public jobs.

This revocation is therefore a real earthquake, especially as it intervenes by a simple presidential decree while it was a constitutional provision.

Regional tensions

In recent days, New Delhi has sent 35,000 more troops. Local leaders were put under house arrest yesterday. Internet and phone were cut. Tourists in Kashmir were asked to evacuate the territory . The pilgrimage of Amarnath has been canceled.

With this announcement, there is a risk of regional blast. Kashmir is a source of permanent tension between India and Pakistan. Part of Kashmir is occupied by Pakistan. There are many attacks in India that are perpetrated by separatist Kashmiri movements with the help of Pakistani services. And Kashmir has been the cause of four wars since 1948 between India and Pakistan.