The Centre’s crackdown on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir has come to be severely critiqued by the Amnesty International.
The Centre’s decision to move down Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that was responsible for guaranteeing the state of Jammu and Kashmir special status, has come under global limelight and generated widespread reactions from political leaders and international media.
The Centre released a statement late on Monday- this was also the time when the union minister tabled and managed to secure the votes required to pass the proposals.
Amnesty International also expressed its concerns over the way in which such an important decision was undertaken. The body alleged that the Centre was trying to ‘alienate the people of the state’ by curtailing all their civil liberties and bringing about a total communication blackout.
It also raised concerns over the total denial of the perspectives and opinions of the inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir in this matter.
The statement issued by Amnesty International states how the crucial role played by Article 370 was historic and that it guaranteed special autonomy to the (erstwhile) state. It also noted that it was an important constitutional force needed to retain a healthy democratic balance between India and ‘Jammu and Kashmir.’
Another important concern that Amnesty International expressed in this regard was that the breakup of the state into union territories will only allow the government to encroach upon the region more severely.
As of now, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir does remain tense amid intense political turmoil and a series of shifts in control over its polity.
The detention and arrest of important Opposition leaders in the erstwhile state such as Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference have only intensified the tense climate of the state.
