SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stated that Article 370 of the Constitution, which previously granted special status to the region, was not responsible for the lack of development, and its abrogation has not resulted in significant economic transformation.
The Chenab Times has learned that Abdullah articulated these views at The Hindu Huddle, asserting that decades of violence and instability, rather than the former special constitutional status, were the primary drivers of developmental and economic challenges in Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah, a leader of the National Conference, elaborated that the region endured economic repercussions due to nearly three decades of militancy. This period of unrest, he explained, deterred potential investors and businesses from operating within Jammu and Kashmir.
He emphasized that the perception of the region as an unsafe destination for tourism and business was the principal factor hindering economic growth, not the provisions of Article 370. “People will not invest money in a part of the country that they deem to be unsafe,” he remarked, adding that the feeling of insecurity, rather than constitutional status, was detrimental.
The former Chief Minister also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for utilizing Article 370 as a political instrument. He pointed out that similar constitutional protections continue to exist in other parts of India without facing comparable scrutiny.
Abdullah cited examples such as restrictions on land ownership and entry permits in Lakshadweep and certain areas of the Northeast, noting that these provisions rarely attract the same level of criticism. “The only thing that was talked about was Jammu and Kashmir and the fact that you couldn’t buy land there. That was the stick used to beat us with,” he stated.
Regarding the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah reiterated that it remained the foremost priority of his government. However, he expressed a lack of clarity concerning the specific conditions or benchmarks that need to be met for its eventual return. “My target is to achieve statehood, yet I have no idea what goals I have to achieve to reach that point,” he admitted.
Abdullah further suggested that governance would see improvements once Jammu and Kashmir regains its statehood. He argued that the powers and scope of an elected government are considerably limited under the current Union Territory framework. “It is better to be a state than a Union Territory. That is what we are trying to correct,” he concluded, underscoring the desire for a return to statehood.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
