On December 1, 2013, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (then Gujarat chief minister) created a stir when he called for a debate on Article 370 of the Indian constitution – a law that grants a special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. He was addressing a public meeting in Jammu and surprised everyone with the ostensible departure from his party’s known stance of its outright abrogation. The debate is on, though not at an official level. What is significant is the fact that Article 370 has dominated the campaign for the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir that started on November 25.
Both Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh stressed on not raking up Article 370 and asking their cadre to concentrate on issues of governance and development. But in practice, both of them – as well as others who are camping or campaigning in the state – have already made it an issue. In reaction to what BJP is doing, two main regional parties – the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – have taken the issue head on, swearing that they would not allow it to happen. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a direct attack on BJP on November 24. In an interview with the Press Trust of India, he said: “Article 370 will sink BJP’s boat in J&K.” A day earlier, the PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed told an election rally in Bandipore that his party would do everything to protect Article 370.
It is interesting that by saying that this issue should not be raked up in the elections, the BJP leadership has achieved part of its goal by making it the sole discussion point in the elections. The way the political parties have shifted their focus to Article 370 and engaged themselves with BJP and what they call its “divisive agenda”, it seems that PM Modi has succeeded in doing what he said on December 1. Space in newspaper editorials and columns is also being devoted to this subject, which makes it clear that the discussion is on. It is a different issue that Modi had sought the debate on the lines whether this article had helped the Jammu and Kashmir state to grow. But the debate that is on, is centered around the state’s special status and not its development.
Article 370 is so heavy on the minds of regional parties that they even forgot to come out with their manifesto ahead of the first phase of elections. Only Congress managed to do it, and that too just two days before the first phase. The issue has occupied the larger space in the election discourse. Both NC and PDP are finding it easy to touch the raw nerve and stonewall the BJP’s much-ambitious plan of reaching the magic number of 44 in the elections. Both are aware that when it comes to politics, whether people would vote or boycott, the special identity of their state is very close to the hearts of the people. Even those who believe that it is an empty shell and the only solution is in “Azadi”, or freedom, from India, have the feeling that if this article is abolished, it will be a psychological defeat for the people of Kashmir.
However, in the case of BJP itself, it seems to be a calculated move to be “soft” on Article 370, though the party’s position vis a vis this “core issue” has remained wavering for over a decade. What its position was in the early 1990’s is not its position today. In January 1992, then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi along with Narendra Modi braved to reach Lal Chowk, the city centre of Srinagar, to hoist the tricolour. This was only to assert that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and they vowed to continue the struggle to get the article scrapped. The abrogation of this article was once among the three core slogans of the party – “Ayodhaya, Uniform Civil Code and Article 370” – but it went off the radar slowly. In the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, the abrogation of the law almost came as a threat from BJP. But in 1999 it was not focused on. Similarly, in 2004, the then BJP President Vankiah Nadu, while realizing the “Vision Document”, maintained that this law was necessary. But BJP’s state unit, with more support in Jammu division, has always advocated the complete integration of the state with India. But interestingly, in the 2008 assembly elections, when it released the manifesto, this issue was missing. Though it benefited from the Amarnath land row, it stressed on the alleged discrimination against the Jammu region. Senior BJP leader Ashok Khujuria was then asked why Article 370 was missing in the manifesto. He shot back saying “It is immaterial whether there is a mention of Article 370’s abolition or not. It is an agenda in our hearts.”
This time too, it is not known whether the party would forcefully include the issue in the poll manifesto that was not released when these lines were written. However, one thing is clear, that the BJP is treading on a cautious path keeping in view its ambitious plan of achieving the 44+ mission. The party’s strategy is well designed. Even if it is not in a position to get a significant number of seats from the valley, the euphoria it has created has a much larger impact than the parties who are in a winning position. Its tacit alliance with at least two parties in North Kashmir and the entry of some prominent and educated faces from the valley has emboldened the party. Making its presence felt in the valley is perhaps the biggest dividend it can count in the recent past. Whether people at large like it or not, the BJP is on the scene and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed election rally in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district symbolizes that presence.
It is not clear whether there can be a serious debate on Article 370, but it is clear that PM Modi has forced the NC and the PDP to ground their agendas of autonomy and self rule and embraced Sajad Lone who had talked about something bigger called “achievable nationhood”. He engaged them in this debate so they forget their political bibles.
In order to win the maximum number of seats and occupy a larger political space in the state, the party has cleverly gone low on the contentious issue of Article 370, thus trying to earn goodwill or at least not to annoy the people. How the BJP proceeds when it comes to power is a different issue. With power in Delhi, this combination could prove deadly in the months and years to come. As of now, the BJP has achieved its goal of making Article 370 an election issue.
The author is a journalist based in Srinagar, and the editor of English daily Rising Kashmir
Both Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh stressed on not raking up Article 370 and asking their cadre to concentrate on issues of governance and development. But in practice, both of them – as well as others who are camping or campaigning in the state – have already made it an issue. In reaction to what BJP is doing, two main regional parties – the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – have taken the issue head on, swearing that they would not allow it to happen. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a direct attack on BJP on November 24. In an interview with the Press Trust of India, he said: “Article 370 will sink BJP’s boat in J&K.” A day earlier, the PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed told an election rally in Bandipore that his party would do everything to protect Article 370.
It is interesting that by saying that this issue should not be raked up in the elections, the BJP leadership has achieved part of its goal by making it the sole discussion point in the elections. The way the political parties have shifted their focus to Article 370 and engaged themselves with BJP and what they call its “divisive agenda”, it seems that PM Modi has succeeded in doing what he said on December 1. Space in newspaper editorials and columns is also being devoted to this subject, which makes it clear that the discussion is on. It is a different issue that Modi had sought the debate on the lines whether this article had helped the Jammu and Kashmir state to grow. But the debate that is on, is centered around the state’s special status and not its development.
If Article 370 is abolished, it will be a psychological defeat for the people of Kashmir
Article 370 is so heavy on the minds of regional parties that they even forgot to come out with their manifesto ahead of the first phase of elections. Only Congress managed to do it, and that too just two days before the first phase. The issue has occupied the larger space in the election discourse. Both NC and PDP are finding it easy to touch the raw nerve and stonewall the BJP’s much-ambitious plan of reaching the magic number of 44 in the elections. Both are aware that when it comes to politics, whether people would vote or boycott, the special identity of their state is very close to the hearts of the people. Even those who believe that it is an empty shell and the only solution is in “Azadi”, or freedom, from India, have the feeling that if this article is abolished, it will be a psychological defeat for the people of Kashmir.
However, in the case of BJP itself, it seems to be a calculated move to be “soft” on Article 370, though the party’s position vis a vis this “core issue” has remained wavering for over a decade. What its position was in the early 1990’s is not its position today. In January 1992, then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi along with Narendra Modi braved to reach Lal Chowk, the city centre of Srinagar, to hoist the tricolour. This was only to assert that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and they vowed to continue the struggle to get the article scrapped. The abrogation of this article was once among the three core slogans of the party – “Ayodhaya, Uniform Civil Code and Article 370” – but it went off the radar slowly. In the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, the abrogation of the law almost came as a threat from BJP. But in 1999 it was not focused on. Similarly, in 2004, the then BJP President Vankiah Nadu, while realizing the “Vision Document”, maintained that this law was necessary. But BJP’s state unit, with more support in Jammu division, has always advocated the complete integration of the state with India. But interestingly, in the 2008 assembly elections, when it released the manifesto, this issue was missing. Though it benefited from the Amarnath land row, it stressed on the alleged discrimination against the Jammu region. Senior BJP leader Ashok Khujuria was then asked why Article 370 was missing in the manifesto. He shot back saying “It is immaterial whether there is a mention of Article 370’s abolition or not. It is an agenda in our hearts.”
This time too, it is not known whether the party would forcefully include the issue in the poll manifesto that was not released when these lines were written. However, one thing is clear, that the BJP is treading on a cautious path keeping in view its ambitious plan of achieving the 44+ mission. The party’s strategy is well designed. Even if it is not in a position to get a significant number of seats from the valley, the euphoria it has created has a much larger impact than the parties who are in a winning position. Its tacit alliance with at least two parties in North Kashmir and the entry of some prominent and educated faces from the valley has emboldened the party. Making its presence felt in the valley is perhaps the biggest dividend it can count in the recent past. Whether people at large like it or not, the BJP is on the scene and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed election rally in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district symbolizes that presence.
It is not clear whether there can be a serious debate on Article 370, but it is clear that PM Modi has forced the NC and the PDP to ground their agendas of autonomy and self rule and embraced Sajad Lone who had talked about something bigger called “achievable nationhood”. He engaged them in this debate so they forget their political bibles.
In order to win the maximum number of seats and occupy a larger political space in the state, the party has cleverly gone low on the contentious issue of Article 370, thus trying to earn goodwill or at least not to annoy the people. How the BJP proceeds when it comes to power is a different issue. With power in Delhi, this combination could prove deadly in the months and years to come. As of now, the BJP has achieved its goal of making Article 370 an election issue.
The author is a journalist based in Srinagar, and the editor of English daily Rising Kashmir