00:00 The much-awaited verdict has been finally delivered by the Supreme Court of India.
00:14 Recently the court ruled on the abrogation of Article 370, affirming its legality and
00:19 dismissing any grounds to question the executive powers of the Centre.
00:23 The bench composed of Chief Justice D.Y.
00:25 Chandrachur and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaur, Sanjeev Khanna, B.R.Gawai and Suryakant concluded
00:30 this after a 16-day hearing.
00:32 This decision solidifies permanence of the Centre's choice back in 2019 on this matter.
00:37 One may question, what exactly was Article 370?
00:41 In very simple terms, a temporary provision.
00:44 A temporary provision in the Indian Constitution that granted special status to the former
00:49 state of Jammu and Kashmir.
00:50 This unique provision allowed the region to have its own constitution, a distinct flag,
00:55 and a limited interference from the Indian government.
00:57 Under Article 370, laws apart from those concerning defence, foreign affairs, finance and communication
01:03 required approval from the state government for application in Jammu and Kashmir.
01:08 Citizens of Jammu and Kashmir were subjected to different laws regarding citizenship, property
01:12 ownership and fundamental rights, preventing individuals from other states to purchase
01:16 land in the region.
01:17 Additionally, the central government could not declare any emergency due to initial unrest
01:21 in the state without the state government's agreement.
01:23 Drafted in 1947 by Sheikh Abdullah, Article 370 was adopted in 1949 after discussions
01:29 with the Indian Constituent Assembly.
01:31 However, in 2019, the Narendra Modi-led BJP government abolished Article 370, leading
01:36 to the division of Jammu and Kashmir into union territories of Ladakh and J&K.
01:41 Critics argued against the abrogation, stating that the term Jammu and Kashmir Constituent
01:44 Assembly had ended in 1957, granting the 370 as a permanent status.
01:49 They highlighted concerns about impacting the region's autonomy and demographic composition.
01:53 However, whatever was happening in the valley was becoming a big concern for the central
01:57 government in New Delhi due to Article 370.
02:00 Countless terror attacks were happening and the Hurriyat leaders were pressing secession,
02:04 prompting the government in 2019 to finally abrogate the special provisions nauseating
02:08 the state.
02:09 On 5th August 2019, the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated
02:14 both Article 370 and Article 35A.
02:16 The centre defended the abrogation, asserting that there was no constitutional discrepancy
02:20 in nullifying a provision providing special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
02:24 It argued that the law hindered the region's development and mentioned reduced militant
02:27 activities and security casualties post-abrogation.
02:30 But the opposition didn't accept the decision.
02:33 Countless pleas were filed in the Supreme Court and as a result, the apex court heard
02:37 arguments from various legal representatives, including Attorney-General Venkat Ramani,
02:41 Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocates for and against the centre's decision.
02:46 The constitutional validity of the abrogation, challenges to the reorganisation act and the
02:50 imposition of the governor's and president's rule in the region were subject of debate.
02:54 But now it is almost certain that Supreme Court is in favour of not touching the matter
02:58 anymore.
02:59 However, it has declared that the centre must restore the assembly legislature as soon as
03:14 possible and restore the elections by September 2024.
03:18 [Music]
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