The Supreme Court will today deliver its verdict on restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019. The court will decide on petitions including those by Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin.
A bench of Justices N V Ramana, R Subhash Reddy and B R Gavai had reserved its judgment in the matter on November 27, 2019. The petitioners said that the restrictions had thrown life out of gear in the region and affected all sections of people, including farmers and daily wagers. They also questioned the curbs on internet and mobile communication and said this had a crippling effect on the lives of people.
However, the Centre had justified the restrictions citing national security and said that these were temporary measures in view of the prevailing situation in the region which was facing the brunt of cross-border terror. The Centre had argued that not a single person was killed after the August 5 decision due to the steps taken by the government. The government claimed that for many years, terrorists had been entering from across the border and civilians were being held captive by local militants and separatist organisations.
However, many Kashmiris have been detained under the draconian Public Safety Act, including former chief minister of the state Farooq Abdullah.
According to a report released by Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in December, the government’s clampdown on Kashmir has left the union territory’s economy at a loss of Rs 17,878 crore in four months of restrictions and communication shut down in the valley following abrogation of Article 370 and creation of two union territories out of Jammu and Kashmir.
The unprecedented communication block in the Valley with no availability of the internet has affected the population severely. “In today’s times, the basic need of any business is access to the internet. We have conveyed it to the administration that the businesses will suffer in Kashmir and the economy will weaken. This will have huge consequences in the longer run,” Sheikh Ashiq, president of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.