Abstract
In August 2019, the Indian government revoked the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), protected by Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution. The special provisions had been in place since October 1947, when its ruler acceded to India through a conditional Instrument of Accession. Although there has been significant media coverage of the abrogation and subsequent military siege in Kashmir, there remains scant awareness regarding the significance of the articles for Kashmiris. This chapter provides a historical account of how the articles came into existence and discusses why they were so highly contested. It allows the reader to appreciate better the implications of the abrogation of J&K’s special provisions and why such political fallout has come in its wake.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aaron, S. 2019. “The Siege in Kashmir is Damaging India’s Image Abroad.” The Wire, November 1. Accessed November 2, 2019, https://thewire.in/politics/the-siege-in-kashmir-is-damaging-indias-image-abroad.
Abdullah, S. M. 1993. Flames of Chinar: An Autobiography. Translated by Khushwant Singh. New Delhi: Viking.
Agarwala, J. S. 2015. “Article 370 of the Constitution—A Genesis.” Economic and Political Weekly 50, no. 16 (April 18): 25–27.
Agarwal, K. 2019. “In Leh, Celebrations Give Way to Concerns Over Land and Job Protections.” The Wire, August 28. Accessed January 6, 2020, https://thewire.in/rights/kashmir-article-370-leh-ladakh-land-job-reservation.
Akbar, M. J. 2002. Kashmir Behind the Vale. New Delhi: Roli Books.
Akmal, M. 2019. “Job Policy for 1.5 Lakh Qualified Youth on Anvil.” Greater Kashmir, October 20.
Al Jazeera. 2019. “India revokes Kashmir’s Special Status.” September 4. Accessed January 17, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/india-revokes-kashmir-special-status-190904143838166.html.
Anand, A. S. 1998, The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir: Its Development and Comments. 3rd ed. Delhi: Universal Law Publishers.
Anand, A. S. 2016. The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir: Its Development and Comments. 8th ed. Delhi: Universal Law Publishers.
Bashir, A. 2019. “Kashmir Uncertainty Completes 100 Days.” Greater Kashmir, November 13.
Bazaz, P. N. 2009. The History of Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir. Srinagar: Gulshan Books. First published in 1954 by Kashmir Publishing Company (New Delhi).
BBC News. 2019. “Article 370: Kashmiris Express Anger at Loss of Special Status.” August 7. Accessed January 16, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49261322.
van Beek, M. 2004. “Dangerous Liaisons: Hindu Nationalism and Buddhist Radicalism in Ladakh.” In Religious Radicalism and Security in South Asia, edited by Satu P. Kimaye, Robert G. Wirsing, and Mohan Malik, 193–219. Honolulu: Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies.
Behera, N. C. 2006. Demystifying Kashmir. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
Bhalla, A. 2019. “No Space to Hold Detainees, Private Properties Turn Holding Centres in Kashmir.” India Today, August 16. Accessed January 17, 2020, https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kashmir-detained-political-leaders-terrorists-valley-1581468-2019-08-16.
Drabu, H. 2019. “Article 35 A: Myth and Reality.” Greater Kashmir, April 3.
Duschinski, H. and S. N. Ghosh. 2017. “Constituting the Occupation: Preventive Detention and Permanent Emergency in Kashmir.” The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law 49, no. 3: 314–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/07329113.2017.1347850.
Financial Express. 2019. “If Article 370 Was So Important, Why Was It Kept Temporary for 70 Years’: PM Modi’s Stinging Attack on Congress in I-Day Speech.” August 15. Accessed January 16, 2020, https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/pm-modi-independence-day-speech-slams-congress-over-article-370-jammu-and-kashmir-red-fort-latest-news/1676294.
Ganai, N. 2019. “Everything Is ‘Normal’ in the Wonderland That Is Kashmir.” Outlook, October 1. Accessed May 8, 2020, https://www.outlookindia.com/blog/story/india-news-everything-is-normal-in-the-wonderland-that-is-kashmir/4134.
Government of Jammu and Kashmir. 2000. Report of the State Autonomy Committee. Srinagar/Jammu: General Administration Department.
Government of Jammu and Kashmir. 2003. The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar: Department of Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
Greater Kashmir. 2019. “Took 70 Years to Remove What Was Temporary: PM Modi.” August 24.
Greater Kashmir. 2020. “Review Curbs on Internet: SC Directs J&K Govt.” January 11.
Greater Kashmir Desk. 2019. “Rajya Sabha Approves Revoking Art 370, Splitting State into Two UTs.” Greater Kashmir, August 6.
India Today Desk. 2019. “Article 370 Only Temporary Provision, Not Permanent: Amit Shah.” India Today, June 28. Accessed January 12, 2020, https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/amit-shah-article-370-jammu-kashmir-lok-sabha-president-rule-1558046-2019-06-28.
Jah, P. S. 2019. “Why Revoking Special Status Is the Final Betrayal of Kashmir.” The Wire, August 10, Accessed January 17, 2020. https://thewire.in/politics/kashmir-special-status-revocation-final-betrayal.
Jain, A. 2019. “Amit Shah Says Situation In Kashmir Is Normal. Is It Though?” November 10. Accessed January 17, 2020, https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/amit-shah-says-situation-in-kashmir-is-normal-is-it-though_in_5def4cbae4b00563b856cd44.
Jain, M. P. 2003. Indian Constitutional Law. 4th ed. New Delhi: LexisNexis.
Jaitley, A. 2019. “The Rule of Law and the State of Jammu and Kashmir.” Facebook, March 28. Accessed May 11, 2020, https://www.facebook.com/notes/arun-jaitley/the-rule-of-law-and-the-state-of-jammu-kashmir/985486068306608/.
Jamwal, S. 2011. Jammu and Kashmir: Autocracy to Democracy. Jammu: Sakshan Books International.
Jones, O. B. 2002. Pakistan: Eye of the Storm. Gurgaon Haryana: Penguin Random House India.
Kessing’s Contemporary Archives. 1947. Vol. VI. London: Longmans.
Khosla, M. 2002. The Indian Constitution. Oxford and London: Oxford University Press.
Koithara, V. 2004. Crafting Peace in Kashmir. New Delhi: Sage.
Korbel, J. 1954. Danger in Kashmir. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Krishnan, V. R., and S. Sen. 2019. “Is J&K Underdeveloped as Stated by Amit Shah?” The Hindu, August 7.
Lakhanpal, P. L. 1965. Essential Documents and Notes on Kashmir Dispute. 2nd ed; rev. ed. New Delhi: Transnational Books.
Machaiah, M. Gautham. 2019. “J&K as Union Territory: L-G Will Be Supreme.” Deccan Herald, August 16, Accessed January 20, 2020, https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/jk-as-union-territory-l-g-will-be-supreme-754647.html.
Madhok, B. 1987. Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh: Problem & Solution. Reliance Publishing House. India.
Maharaja Government’s Notification. 1927. State Subject Definition Notification dated the 20th April, 1927, no. I-L/84 (vice Private Secretary’s Letter No. 2354, dated the 31st January, 1927 to the Revenue Member of Council).
Maharaja Government’s Notification. 1932. Notification dated 27th June, 1932 (14thHar., 1989, Published in Government Gazette dated 24thHar. 1989). No. 13L/1989.
Majid, Z. 2019. “Why Are Kargil People Against Art 370 Abrogation?” Deccan Herald, August 9. Accessed November 13, 2019, https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/why-are-kargil-people-against-art-370-abrogation-753196.html.
Maqbool, U. 2019. “Fiddling with J&K’s Special Status, Trifurcation, Delimitation Will be Aggression Against People.” Greater Kashmir, August 5.
Mustafa, F. 2019. “Explained: What are Articles 370 and 35A?” Indian Express, August 6. Accessed November 17, 2019, https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/understanding-articles-370-35a-jammu-kashmir-indian-constitution-5610996.
Nabi, S. 2019. “’Will Suffer Losses But Won’t Open Shops’: Street Vendors’ Unique Protest in J&K.” The Wire, October 25. Accessed November 13, 2019, https://thewire.in/business/will-suffer-losses-but-wont-open-shops-street-vendors-unique-protest-in-jk.
Noorani, A. G. 2011. Article 370: A Constitutional History of Jammu and Kashmir. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Noorani, A. G. 2013. The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012. 2 vols. New Delhi: Tulika Books.
Noorani, A. G. 2018. “Article 35 A.” The Dawn, August 11. Accessed November 17, 2019, https://www.dawn.com/news/1426344.
Press Trust of India. 2019a. “Ladakh Leaders Urge Centre for Tribal-Area Status to Protect Land, Identity.” The Hindu, August 18. Accessed December 22, 2019, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ladakh-leaders-urge-centre-for-tribal-area-status-to-protect-land-identity/article29125320.ece.
Press Trust of India. 2019b. “Abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A—Centre Justifies Decision in Apex Court.” Greater Kashmir, November 12.
Ratcliffe, R. 2019. “India Set to Withdraw Kashmir’s Special Status and Split It Into Two.” The Guardian, August 5.
Salam, A. 2019. “100 Days of Internet Ban: Scribes Protest.” Greater Kashmir, November 13.
Sethi. R. P. 2005. Commentary of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi: Ashoka Law House.
Sharma, S. N. 2019. “Life After 370: Beyond the Silence of Kashmir Valley.” Economic Times, August 11. Accessed January 17, 2020, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/life-after-370-is-a-silent-crisis-simmering-in-kashmir/articleshow/70622668.cms.
Snedden, C. 2017. Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris. New Delhi: Speaking Tiger.
Teng, M. K., R. K. K. Bhatt, and Santosh Kaul. 1977. Kashmir Constitutional History and Documents. New Delhi: Light & Life Publishers. http://ikashmir.net/historicaldocuments/index.html.
The Dawn. 2019. “India to Formally Divide Held Kashmir Today.” October 31. Accessed May 11, 2020, https://www.dawn.com/news/1513947.
The Wire Staff. 2019a. “Modi Addresses Nation: ‘Jammu and Kashmir Will Now See Economic Development and Integration.” The Wire, August 8. Accessed January 17, 2020. https://thewire.in/government/narendra-modi-address.
The Wire Staff. 2019b. “As Ladakh Separates from J&K, Protests Break Out in Kargil.” The Wire, October 31. Accessed January 17, 2020, https://thewire.in/rights/as-ladakh-separates-from-jk-protests-break-out-in-kargil.
Tillin, L. 2016. “Asymmetric Federalism.” In The Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution, edited by Sujit Choudhry, Madhav Khosla, and Pratap B. Mehta, 540–59. Oxford and London: Oxford University Press.
Times of India. 2013. “Narendra Modi’s Demand for Debate on Article 370 Sparks Political Row.” December 2.
Wani, A. A. 2019. What Happened to Governance in Kashmir? New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Zargar, S. 2020. “Jammu Welcomed the Scrapping of Special Status. Now, Political Resentments Are Brewing.” Scroll.in, January 11. Accessed January 23, 2020, https://scroll.in/article/949192/jammu-welcomed-the-scrapping-of-special-status-now-political-resentments-are-brewing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wani, A.A., Khan, I.A., Yaseen, T. (2021). Article 370 and 35A: Origin, Provisions, and the Politics of Contestation. In: Hussain, S. (eds) Society and Politics of Jammu and Kashmir. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56481-0_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56481-0_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-56480-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-56481-0
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)