The election to the 90 seats of the Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which concluded on October 1 has left behind a series of landmarks. It was the first election after Parliament abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which accorded a special status on Jammu and Kashmir, then stripped it of the status of a state and divided it into two Union territories. These disconcerting events notwithstanding, this was perhaps the first Assembly election in recent history where no party or group called for a boycott. While all the political parties that have traditionally participated in the elections were very much a part of the contest, even those that take a confrontationist attitude towards New Delhi’s approach to the UT also ran. This is real good news for the troubled border region.
As for the Election Commission of India, it was indeed a satisfactory exercise. The EC was under orders of the Supreme Court to hold the elections by September 30 this year; and it almost hit the target. Overall, 63.45 per cent of a total electorate of 39 lakh people exercised their franchise, which showed a sharp improvement over the 57.89 per cent recorded in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The EC noted with contentment that it had to order repoll in not one booth in the state, which reflects the preparations the authorities had taken that were matched by the popular mood prevailing in the Union Territory. That is a sterling record when placed against the reports of increased terrorist activity there in recent times. Altogether, the peaceful conduct and the large participation go to prove that the people have their faith in the democratic institutions and processes intact.
Now that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have done their part, it is for the Union government to do its own. The restoration of statehood is the legitimate right of the people of the erstwhile state and it should countenance no further obstacle. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again pronounced the government’s willingness to do the same, so there is little justification for delaying it now. The Indian State which once accorded a special status on a people did humiliate them by depriving them of the bare minimum and the government must revoke at the earliest this democratically unsustainable decision.
Time and again, the dispensation in New Delhi has claimed that Article 370 was the reason why terrorism got a foothold in Jammu and Kashmir. The events that took place after the abrogation of the Article proved that the Union government’s position is ahistorical and undemocratic besides the fact that it goes against the spirit of federalism. It is not the job of the State to watch over its people like a Big Brother but to help them confidently decide their fates. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have once again reposed their faith in the Constitution and its tools; it’s time the Indian state reciprocated this trust.
