1 Year of Article 370 & 35 A revocation: Its double whammy for Locals due to COVID 19, economy crippled, education on halt!
Why 5th August is a Historic Day in Indian Politics? Understanding what all has changed in J& K in last one year
August 5 has become one of the most important dates in Indian politics. The two main agendas of BJP got fulfilled on this date. Revoking of article 370 in 2019 and construction of Ram Mandir this year. Finally, the moment arrived today (Ram Mandir) which was awaited by many. The pictures are all over the internet. Notably, last year, the BJP government had revoked Article 370 & 35A from Jammu and Kashmir. Today, the historic decision has clocked one year. We will try to understand what all has changed in this one year.
Jammu and Kashmir used to enjoy special status under article 370 and 35A. After the revocation this article, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was taken away. To mark the first anniversary of revocation of Article 370, two-day curfew has been imposed to prevent any terrorist attack. Section 144 has been imposed to prevent some terrorists marking it as a Black Day. Apart from it, curfew has been also imposed due to the pandemic situation.
The question is what all has changed in this one year?
Well, it was one of the most path-breaking decisions in the history of India. It was related to Azaadi and the bold move by the government was welcomed all across the nation. After the revocation, people were looking for more employment opportunities, development, quality of life, relative freedom, especially young people. Today, we will take a look at how young people in Kashmir see themselves after one year. It is a double whammy for people in Kashmir. Lockdown due to COVID 19 has made the situation worst. Here are a few things that you need to know that happened after scrapping of Article 370
Read more: Fact Check: Was there no Shubh Muhurat for Bhoomi Pujan, we decided to verify the claim?
1. Internet shutdown
The internet shutdown between August 4, 2019, and March 2020 was the longest in any democracy. When the shutdown ended, only 2G internet was restored.
2. Tourism almost came to an end
Notably, around 8-10 per cent of J&K GDP is made of tourism and it was in shambles after August 5, 2019. The state has recorded 46 shutdowns in year 2020 and COVID has made the situation more alarming. With no jobs and school facilities, the young generation’s future has become unpredictable.
3. According to Kashmir Chamber of Commerce, in the 120 days after August 5, 2019, the 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley suffered a loss of 17,878.19 crore.
4. According to South Asia Terrorism portal, the lockdown and Army presence led to a decrease in terrorism activity.
We all also spoke to some of the locals and here is what they have to say:
“It has been a year since the abrogation of article 370, since then, Kashmir has been kept under lockdown, we can’t see any developments. Our economy has collapsed, thousands of crores were lost, education is totally disturbed, in a year were only 15-20 days of schooling for students. I don’t see any development in Kashmir. What I feel is betrayal”, a local said.
Source – Umer Ahmad
Lockdown and COVID 19 has just made it even more difficult. The tourism sector was already suffering from a lot of losses, and COVID situation brought everything on a halt. According to the latest update, the state will be under lockdown till August 8 to curb COVID 19 infections.
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