It may appear to be a new chapter that has just begun for Jammu and Kashmir, as the State turns a page in its history, but in reality it is a whole new volume. On October 31, 2019, the State of Jammu and Kashmir ceased to exist and in its place came two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It was history being made as for the first time a State has been bifurcated into two Union Territories. There have been separate States carved out of existing ones, and Union Terriroties upgraded to States, but this – a State being divided into Union terriroties – is a first. This brings down the number of States in the country to 28 from 29 and increases the Union Territories to nine from seven.
For the Bharatiya Janata Party, it was an electoral promise made that it would end the special status that had been granted to Jammu and Kashmir, by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution. The Bill to achieve this was introduced and passed in Parliament the same day, on August 5. Bifurcation of the State, however, came as a surprise, with the opposition demanding adequate time to debate the bill.
What Article 370, that now remains abolished, did, was accord to Jammu and Kashmir a special status by way of which it could have its own Constitution and disallow non-Kashmiris from buying land and property in the State. Those provisions are no longer applicable. But are the Kashmiris happy with the changes? There have been several restrictions in place in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5 but, the spontaneous shutdown in Srinagar on the day that it was divided and downgraded into two union territories can be viewed as the unsatisfaction of the people in the decision of the Centre. Shop shutters were down, movement on the streets was sparse, and schools, though open, have low attendance. This does indicate that the Union government will have an uphill task in bringing around the people to accept the decision to make their State a Union Territory.
While the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature, the same as Goa had when it was a Union Territory, Ladakh will be a Union Territory without a legislature, directly governed by a Lt Governor. But, until the time elections are held in J&K and a government formed, the Union Territory will be governed by the Lt Governor. This also brings the police force in both new UTs directly under the Union Home Ministry. The reorganisation also has an effect on Goa, as both new UTs will come in the AGMUT cadre classification for IAS and IPS officers, which means that such officers will be transferrable to Goa from J&K and Ladakh and also Goan officers from the cadre, will be eligible to be transferred to the new UTs.
These have been sweeping changes for the region, but are the people of the two new Union territories ready for it all? Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have to look to the future, and what they want. Jammu and Kashmir especially is likely to draw much investment, which of course will depend on there being peace in the region. The hope now is that this move will bring that peace that the valley, which is one of the world’s most militarised regions, has not experienced for the past decades. Since August, when the Reorganisation Bill was passed, the military forces in Kashmir have been increased and several restrictions in communications had been imposed. It is only when the region returns to complete normalcy that investment will pick up. It is then that the efficacy of the move can be truly judged.
