On August 5, 2019, the Indian government revoked Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution. This decision ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The move was taken without any consultation with the local people or their representatives. India claimed it was necessary for development and peace in the region. However, the ground reality is very different. Kashmiris have faced political disempowerment since the revocation. Their identity and rights have been systematically eroded. Thousands of people, including politicians and activists, were detained. Severe restrictions were imposed on free speech and movement. The region experienced unprecedented internet blackouts. Promises of development have not materialized. Instead, there is economic hardship and growing alienation. This paper explores how the move impacted the lives of ordinary Kashmiris.
The abrogation of Article 370 was not merely a legal or administrative change; it was a direct assault on the unique historical and constitutional arrangement that had defined Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s status after the Partition of 1947. Article 370 had granted the state considerable autonomy in its constitution, flag, and decision-making rights in most matters, excluding foreign affairs, defense, and communications. Article 35A had protected the demographic composition of the region by restricting property rights to permanent residents of the region. The unilateral removal of these provisions dismantled the legal safeguards that defined the Kashmiri identity, leading to a profound sense of betrayal and alienation among the people.
Since August 5, Kashmir has witnessed relentless human rights violations. Thousands, including minors, were detained under harsh laws like the Public Safety Act. Reports of torture and illegal detentions continue, despite restricted media access. Curfews, lockdowns, and constant surveillance dominate daily life. Dissent is crushed, with journalists and activists facing harassment or jail. Political leaders, including former chief ministers, were placed under arrest. A complete communication blackout silenced Kashmiris for months. This was not integration but a militarized seizure of power. The move stripped Kashmiris of political agency and deepened their marginalization under the shadow of repression and fear.
The most dangerous outcome of the revocation lies in the deliberate attempt to engineer an identity crisis among Kashmiris. With the protections of Article 35A gone, the region was suddenly open to demographic change through settlement policies. Land laws were amended to allow non-locals to purchase property in IIoJK, raising serious concerns about a settler-colonial project. This fear is not unfounded, especially in a region with a history of contested sovereignty. The imposition of these changes without public debate or democratic participation is seen by many Kashmiris as an attempt to dilute their ethnic, religious, and cultural identity.
In tandem with demographic anxiety is the question of land grab. The Indian government, under the pretext of development and security, has taken over vast tracts of land for building military installations, industrial zones, and smart cities. Forest lands have been cleared, and the traditional rights of the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities over pastures have been revoked. Locals are witnessing their landscapes and livelihoods being altered or destroyed without compensation or consultation. What is being promoted as modernization is forced transformation and dispossession, another form of erasure of Kashmiri agency.
What makes the situation worse is the narrative constructed by the Indian state to justify its actions. The government claims that the revocation of Article 370 has led to increased development, improved governance, and peace. However, when confronted with data and grassroots realities. Unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir is among the highest in the country. The private sector has collapsed, tourism has plummeted, and investments remain elusive. Small businesses continue to suffer due to prolonged curfews and internet shutdowns, and thousands of youth remain jobless. The promise of economic upliftment has proved to be an illusion, as the region sinks further into economic distress.
Ironically, the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy and justice have played a complicit role. The judiciary has failed to offer relief to those challenging the legality of the abrogation. Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, without consulting the people of the state or their representatives. The newly drawn electoral boundaries through delimitation appear skewed to benefit one community over another, raising fears of political disenfranchisement. Far from empowerment, what the people of IIoJK have experienced is systematic disempowerment through legal, administrative, and psychological means.
Despite claims of normalcy, the reality on the ground reflects a deepening sense of fear and anger. The Indian state has invested heavily in optics, organizing G20 meetings, hosting events, and promoting tourism, but these efforts cannot conceal the iron-fisted control and suppression faced by the local population. The everyday reality for Kashmiris remains bleak: young people are detained for social media posts, schools and universities are under surveillance, and civil liberties are routinely curtailed. Far from being a celebration of peace, August 5 marks the institutionalization of repression and an ongoing denial of political and human rights.
This repressive environment has also had profound psychological effects. The uncertainty and trauma of continuous lockdowns, arrests, and disappearances have led to a rise in mental health issues among youth. Generations of Kashmiris have now grown up in conflict, and instead of seeing a brighter, freer future, they are confronted with a narrative of forced assimilation and invisibilization.
The events of August 5, 2019, reshaped Kashmir’s history through force, not dialogue. Stripping autonomy and imposing new structures has deepened political alienation. Promises of development have failed to address the denial of rights. Kashmiris now face repression, economic hardship, and identity suppression. This date marks not progress, but betrayal and suffering. It symbolizes the erosion of dignity and democratic rights. The struggle for justice remains alive despite fear and restrictions. Real peace demands respect for rights and political will for justice. The world must hear Kashmiris, not official narratives, and push for accountability and meaningful political resolution.
The writer is a student of Peace and Conflict Studies at the National Defence University, Islamabad, and an intern at the Kashmir Institute of International Relations.
By: Nida Awais
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