On 11th December, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India delivered a historic judgment on the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35(A). Through its judgment, the Court has upheld the sovereignty and integrity of India, something that is cherished by every Indian.

The Supreme Court rightly observed that the decision taken on 5th August 2019 was made to enhance constitutional integration and not disintegration.

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The Court has also recognized the fact that Article 370 was not permanent in nature. I have had the opportunity of being connected with the Jammu and Kashmir Andolan from a very early part of my life. I belong to an ideological framework where Jammu and Kashmir was not merely a political issue. But, it was about addressing the aspirations of society.

Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee held an important portfolio in the Nehru Cabinet and could have remained in government for a long time.

Yet, he quit the Cabinet over the Kashmir issue and preferred the tough road ahead, even if it meant paying with his life. His efforts and sacrifice led to crores of Indians becoming emotionally attached to the Kashmir issue. Years later, Atal Ji, at a public meeting in Srinagar gave the powerful message of ‘Insaniyat’, ‘Jamhooriyat’ and ‘Kashmiriyat’, which has also always been a source of great inspiration. It was always my firm belief that what had happened in Jammu and Kashmir was a great betrayal- to our nation and the people living there. It was also my strong desire to do whatever I could to remove this blot, this injustice done to the people.

I have always wanted to work to alleviate the suffering of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

In very basic words- Articles 370 and 35 (A) were like major obstacles. It seemed like an unbreakable wall and the sufferers were the poor and downtrodden. Articles 370 and 35(A) ensured that the people of Jammu and Kashmir never got the rights and development that the rest of their fellow Indians got. Due to these Articles, a distance was created between people belonging to the same nation.

Due to this distance, many people from our nation who wanted to work to solve the problems of Jammu and Kashmir were unable to do so even if they clearly felt the pain of the people there.

Thus, while serving the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we gave primacy to three pillars- understanding of the citizens’ concerns, building trust through supportive actions, and prioritising development, development and more development.

The historical day of 5th August is etched in the hearts and minds of every Indian. Our Parliament passed the historic decision to abrogate Article 370. Since then, much has changed in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The judicial court verdict came in December 2023 but seeing the wave of development across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, the people’s court has given a resounding thumbs up to the Parliament’s decision to abolish Articles 370 and 35(A) for four years now. At a political level, the last 4 years have been marked with a renewed faith in grassroots democracy. The women, tribals, SC, ST and marginalised sections of society were not getting their due. At the same time, the aspirations of Ladakh were totally ignored. 5th August 2019 changed all that.

All Central laws now apply without fear or favour Representation has also become more widespread- a three-tier Panchayati Raj System is in place, BDC elections have been held, and refugee communities who were all but forgotten have begun to enjoy the fruits of development. In its verdict on 11th December, the Supreme Court has strengthened the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ – it has reminded us that what defines us is the bonds of unity and a shared commitment to good governance. Today, every child born in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is born with a clean canvas, where he or she can paint a future full of vibrant aspirations.

Today, the dreams of the people are no longer prisoners of the past but are possibilities of the future. After all, Development, democracy and dignity have replaced disillusionment, disappointment and despondency.