On August 5, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved a resolution to scrap Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which allowed a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. While some lauded the Modi government for this decision, many others condemned it. Student political organisations were no different.
As expected, the RSS affiliated ABVP welcomed the move and called it a tribute to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Dr BR Ambedkar. "The move will provide reservation benefits to scheduled castes, backward classes and minorities of Jammu and Kashmir, which will give them the opportunity to join the mainstream of society and the long-awaited Ladakh region will be developed as a union territory," says a statement. It also said that this is hopeful for Kashmiri Pandits.
The left-aligned SFI and AISA, at the same time, condemned it. "The principle of autonomy was much abused and hollowed out by the successive governments. Now the secular republic itself is under threat from powers those have captured the state and want to build a unitary Hindu Rashtra. The scrapping of Article 370 is designed to heap more humiliation on the beleaguered Kashmiri populace," reads a statement by SFI JNU.
AISA, whose stand is similar to that of the SFI, organised a protest march at Jantar Mantar. "This move without taking into account the voices of people of Jammu and Kashmir is undemocratic and illegal. We demand an immediate release of all opposition leaders in Kashmir. Restore Article 370 and 35A. Stop meddling with the Indian Constitution," says its statement.
