The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has upheld the Narendra Modi government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35 A, effectively eliminating a tool used by the West and OIC countries to exert pressure on India regarding the Kashmir issue. Additionally, the government’s strategic move to divide the former state into two Union Territories has also been validated by the Apex court.
After 75 years of Independence, with the Kashmir issue now resolved, the West will have to shift their focus to the so-called Khalistan issue and human rights concerns in predominantly Christian regions of the north-east in order to exert pressure on India. Meanwhile, Left Wing Extremism in central India is on the decline and will soon be eradicated.
For years, critics of India both domestically and internationally have exploited the Kashmir issue to challenge the central government, with pro-Pakistani groups and Indian left liberals advocating various solutions that would hand over the Kashmir Valley to Islamabad. Under the guise of promoting peace in the Indian sub-continent, Western think-tanks have perpetuated this false narrative to impede India’s progress. Communist China has also supported Pakistan by endorsing the Kashmir narrative, aiming to deter India on its northern and western borders. The Pakistani military and civilian leaders have employed overt and covert tactics, including Islamic terrorism, to gain control over the Muslim-majority Valley. Meanwhile, US intelligence-funded Scandinavian NGOs have presented a violent narrative disguised as a hope for peace (Aman ki Aasha) in the sub-continent. Left liberal media has promoted various solutions, such as the “Jhelum or Chenab” formula, in exchange for luxurious foreign trips, parties, and employment opportunities in foreign media organizations. The Kashmir issue had become a thriving conflict resolution industry, but it has now been conclusively resolved by the Supreme Court.
On August 5, 2019, Kashmir was finally removed from the equation and this decision has now been validated by the Supreme Court. As a result, India’s critics will now have to rely on the Khalistan issue to exert pressure on India, in addition to raising concerns about the rights of Christians in certain parts of north-east Bharat. Despite India’s efforts to address the matter bilaterally and raise it at the highest level, countries like the US and Canada have refused to take action against fervent Khalistanis such as G S Pannu. Instead, they have attempted to pressure the Narendra Modi government by accusing them of ordering political assassinations of known terrorists. The Khalistan issue will persist, with Canada-based Khalistanis once again attempting to corner India on December 18, six months after the death of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a gang violence incident in Surrey, British Columbia.
The reality is that rather than succumbing to pressure on the Kashmir issue, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah has put Pakistan on the defensive by announcing Assembly seats for occupied Kashmir in Parliament this month. While India’s ascent was never expected to be uncontested and will face opposition from both friends and foes, it is important to note that Kashmir has been permanently removed from Rawalpindi GHQ’s K-2 mission.