Modi, in his first term, shook up everyone by going for the demonetization of high denomination notes. But after that he went with the tide. There were many, including me, who felt he missed out on taking important political decision on Jammu & Kashmir, Ram Madhir, freeing Hindu Temples from Governmental Control or revamping the Education System.
But, in his second term, he has bit the bullet on J&K with a master stroke. This was on the cards the moment Amit Shah became the Home Minister.
It has always been that Modi proposes, Amit Shah disposes. Their friendship goes back a long way. Add to this the brilliant Ajit Duval, and considerable goodwill in the form of a resounding election victory, and we have the blue print for taking tough political decisions.
Bifurcation of J&K and abrogation of Article 370 ( technically not abrogation, but in effect Article 370 is redundant, as is Article 35A) was a master stroke. The signs were there, much before the massive troop movement in J&K. BJP worked overtime to get close to majority by getting first 4 TDP MPs to switch over, then got a few MPs of opposition to resign their position as MP, with a promise to elect them back on BJP Tickets. Congress, the main opposition party, and the stumbling block in the Rajya Sabha to many well meaning Laws from being passed, is currently headless.
And then BJP struck and how.
J&K politicians were caught napping. They thought Government wont do anything till Amarnath Yathra was over.
But Duval created a threat scenario, moved troops, cancelled the Yathra, evacuated tourists and yathris from the Valley, implemented Sec 144, put Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti etc on house arrest, and then the legal ingenuity of BJP took over.
Instead of taking the Parliamentary route, which would have meant the need for Constitutional Amendment to be passed with 2/3rd majority, BJP used the provisions of Article 370 itself to have it amended through a Presidential Declaration, which doesnt require a Constitutional Amendment
It was a Masterstroke!
And Modi, allowed Amit Shah to take the limelight, and how. Amit Shah had a field day in the Rajya Sabha today (It is noteworthy that the announcement and voting were made in Rajya Sabha first, where BJP do not yet have a majority, and not Lok Sabha) and got the Bill passed hands down.
While every one was talking about trifurcation of J&K, which would have left Kashmir alone, BJP did some out of the thinking, gave UT status to Ladakh, and created another UT combining Jammu and Kashmir, albeit with an Assembly, but with limited powers. Law and order remains with Centre, and all bills have to get the Central nod before being implemented. With delimitation likely to add another 7 seats to J&K, and most of it coming from Jammu Region, it is likely that the new UT will have a Hindu CM. That will be the icing on the cake.
And the special status that made Kashmiris think they are some special people is gone forever, and the doors are open for any Indian to buy land in Kashmir now, as it should be. This could see industrialist opening new factories there leading to overall development.
Congress was reduced to a sorry state of being alone with Kashmir Parties, as all the opposition parties stood by BJP. Only JDU objected. Even AAP was forced to support, as otherwise it would have been suicidal for them with Delhi Elections looming large.
And it is the beginning of the end of the two dynasties in J&K, who are corrupt to the boot. Less said about the Hurriyat the better. They are all on the run or behind the bars for money laundering and terrorist funding. And our Brilliant Army has almost neutralized the Pakistan sponsored terrorists.
Kashmir Parties and Congress always held that Kashmir will burn if Article 370 or 35 A is abrogated. Well 12 hours have passed and nothing has happened. Nothing will. Bullies are Cowards!
History has been made today. And we all lived to see this.
Nehruvian blunder which cost us billions and thousands of lives, and atrocities on Kashmiri Pundits over the years, loss of our Jawans, has been corrected.
Now let us build that temple in Ayodhya!
