Friday (August 5) will mark the third anniversary of the revocation of Articles 370 and 35 (A) that gave the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir special status for close to seven decades, 66 to be precise.To a large section of Indian society the decision to withdraw both ‘controversial’ articles of the Indian Constitution was seen as an opportunity to introduce freshness in the way politics is conducted in J&K. No doubt, there was a section of society that expressed apprehension over the way in which things would turn out back in 2019.
Three years on, we can say with some degree of certainty that there is more stability, peace and a spirit of cohabitation and cooperation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir, something that was starkly missing in the decades before 2019.Today, we can be satisfied and proud of the fact that J&K, and Ladakh is now more integrated with other states and Union Territories (UTs) than it was in the recent past. We now see greater citizen-administration coordination and participation, with the UT government consistent and constant in its endeavour to mitigate the socio-economic problems of the common man.Democracy as we understand it in terms of freedom of expression is being given a chance to flourish in the UT, though there are times still, when for the sake of internal security, firm steps are taken to maintain law and order, particularly in the case of J&K, a strategically important border region.
In the last three years, we have had panchayat polls and we have successfully undertaken an election-related delimitation exercise. Both events highlight the present central government’s commitment to grassroots and participative democracy, which in turn has given development initiatives a much needed boost. Peace and meeting the aspirations of various sections of society, especially those living on the periphery, has to be seen as a major leap forward. The withdrawal of both articles has also ensured steady economic growth. Action is being taken against corruption in key departments and financial bodies in the UT and we see welcome reports of funding for public good. Spending on physical and social infrastructure is now the norm, as opposed to the decadence and neglect of the past. There is at the same time an understanding that considerable work still needs to be done to meet the performance mark-ups set by Niti Aayog. A planning and development cell has just been created to take different sectors of the UT economy to the next level of progress. Regular reviews between the Centre and the UT administration since the abrogation of 370 and 35-A suggests that the road ahead is one of hope, optimism and greater aspiration.
Friday (August 5) will mark the third anniversary of the revocation of Articles 370 and 35 (A) that gave the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir special status for close to seven decades, 66 to be precise.To a large section of Indian society the decision to withdraw both ‘controversial’ articles of the Indian Constitution was seen as an opportunity to introduce freshness in the way politics is conducted in J&K. No doubt, there was a section of society that expressed apprehension over the way in which things would turn out back in 2019.
Three years on, we can say with some degree of certainty that there is more stability, peace and a spirit of cohabitation and cooperation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir, something that was starkly missing in the decades before 2019.Today, we can be satisfied and proud of the fact that J&K, and Ladakh is now more integrated with other states and Union Territories (UTs) than it was in the recent past. We now see greater citizen-administration coordination and participation, with the UT government consistent and constant in its endeavour to mitigate the socio-economic problems of the common man.Democracy as we understand it in terms of freedom of expression is being given a chance to flourish in the UT, though there are times still, when for the sake of internal security, firm steps are taken to maintain law and order, particularly in the case of J&K, a strategically important border region.
In the last three years, we have had panchayat polls and we have successfully undertaken an election-related delimitation exercise. Both events highlight the present central government’s commitment to grassroots and participative democracy, which in turn has given development initiatives a much needed boost. Peace and meeting the aspirations of various sections of society, especially those living on the periphery, has to be seen as a major leap forward. The withdrawal of both articles has also ensured steady economic growth. Action is being taken against corruption in key departments and financial bodies in the UT and we see welcome reports of funding for public good. Spending on physical and social infrastructure is now the norm, as opposed to the decadence and neglect of the past. There is at the same time an understanding that considerable work still needs to be done to meet the performance mark-ups set by Niti Aayog. A planning and development cell has just been created to take different sectors of the UT economy to the next level of progress. Regular reviews between the Centre and the UT administration since the abrogation of 370 and 35-A suggests that the road ahead is one of hope, optimism and greater aspiration.
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