NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Article 370 sowed the seeds of separatism in the minds of the youth of Kashmir and the Narendra Modi government not only ended terrorism in the valley but also the ecosystem of terrorism.
Shah said Article 370 and Article 35A, both of which were abrogated on August 5, 2019, were the key hurdles in the way of full integration of Kashmir into India.
Referring to Kashmir’s relations with the rest of India, the home minister said India is the only country in the world which is geo-cultural and whose boundaries are formed by its culture. India can be understood only from the Indian perspective and not from the geo-political perspective, he said here while releasing a book ‘Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages’.
From the Silk Route to Central Asia and from Shankaracharya temple to Hemis monastery; and from trade to spirituality, strong foundations of both are present in and of Kashmir’s culture, he said.
Shah said Article 370 gave the false impression that Kashmir’s integration with India was temporary.
“Many people often ask me what is the relation between Article 370 and militancy. They don’t know that Article 370 sowed the seeds of separatism in the minds of the youth of the valley.
“There are Muslim populations in many other parts of the country. Why are those areas not affected by militancy?” he said.
The home minister said some people say Kashmir is close to the border with Pakistan and hence, the problem came.
“But Gujarat is also close to the border with Pakistan. Rajasthan is also close to the Pakistan border. Why militancy has not grown there?” he asked.
Shah said Article 370 gave the false impression that Kashmir’s integration with India is temporary and that sowed the seeds of separatism which later turned into militancy.
Unfortunately, over 40,000 people lost their lives due to militancy in Kashmir, he said.
“The Modi government not only ended militancy in Kashmir but also the ecosystem of militancy,” he said.
The home minister said Kashmir’s development was delayed by decades and for years, there was bloodshed in Kashmir and the country had to watch it in silence.
“After the abolition of Article 370, there has been 70 per cent reduction in incidents of militancy in Kashmir and it has proved that Article 370 fuelled the fire of militancy. In 2018, there were 2,100 incidents of stone pelting in Kashmir but in 2024, not a single incident of stone pelting took place,” he said.
