Kashmir turmoil escalates as J&K leaders fear Article 370, 35A withdrawal

Tensions in Kashmir, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan, had risen since Friday when local Indian officials issued an alert over possible militant attacks by Pakistan-based groups

Current Affairs: The disputed region of Kashmir was thrown into further turmoil in the early hours of Monday as regional leaders said they feared being arrested and Indian officials imposed restrictions in the city of Srinagar and suspended mobile data services in parts of the state.

Tensions in Kashmir, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan, had risen since Friday when local Indian officials issued an alert over possible militant attacks by Pakistan-based groups. Pakistan has rejected those assertions, but thousands of Indian tourists, pilgrims and workers left the region in panic over the weekend. 

“As per the order there shall be no movement of public and all educational institutions shall also remain closed (in the district of Srinagar),” Indian authorities said in an order, saying the restrictions were being imposed starting at midnight.

“There will be a complete bar on holding any kind of public meetings or rallies during the period of operation of this order,” authorities said, adding restrictions would remain in effect until revoked by further orders.

The situation has been aggravated as some regional leaders have expressed fears that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government may try to withdraw decades-old special rights conferred on the state, including an amendment to the Indian constitution that prevents people from outside the state from buying property there…

Read Full Source: Atricle 35A

Jammu & Kashmir special status: Decoding Article 35A and Article 370

While popular notion is that Article 35A and Article 370 give J&K a special state status, the Centre has similar arrangements with several others. We explain the two statutes to demystify the issue

Current Affairs: With speculation rife that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -led central government could abolish or try to amend Article 35A and article 370, which give a special status to Jammu & Kashmir, there is a lot of confusion as to what these two statutes entail. Political parties on either side of the debate have voiced their opinion, with some calling tinkering with Article 35A “like setting powder keg on fire”, while others have supported the idea calling it a move to unify of the country.

What is Article 35A?

This provision of the Constitution allows the Jammu & Kashmir state Assembly to define who is and is not a “permanent resident” of the state. To further break it down, this provision of the Constitution gives the legislators from Jammu & Kashmir the exclusive power to determine as to which people in or outside the state will have special rights and privileges granted by the state….

Can Article 35A be amended or repealed?

The repealing of Article 35A could be a legal uphill task for the central government, experts said. For any changes to be made to the provision, the constituent Assembly of the state has to consent to it. The constituent Assembly of the state, however, ceased to exist in 1957. This, constitutional expert Shubhankar Dam said, made seeking nod from the Assembly impossible….