The Cost of Nehru’s Ego: Articles 370 & 35A created a large number of problems. The citizens of India were ruthlessly relegated to the status of “non-residents” in Jammu & Kashmir, where a system systematically eroded the rights of non-residents, despite being Indian citizens, denying them the ability to own property, pursue government employment, or access government scholarships or assistance in the state. Even those who chose to still reside there were stripped of their fundamental right to vote.

Article 35A further intensified the plight of the indigenous Hindu Kashmiri Pandit population, already victims of ethnic cleansing. Stripped of their permanent residency, this community lost their properties, also solidifying a drastic demographic shift that significantly diminished the Hindu population in the state to a mere fraction.

Women in the state were handed state subject certificates, valid only until marriage. Those who dared to marry outside the state were cruelly deprived of their property rights and inheritance from their parents. Legal safeguards against domestic violence were conspicuously absent. Muslim Kashmiri women were denied the protections afforded by Indian law against triple talaq.

Child marriage, the Right to Education, and protections for scheduled tribe communities were neglected, perpetuating a cycle of generational subjugation. Even the descendants of sweepers were condemned to a life of sweeping, regardless of their educational achievements. The Valley was deliberately shielded from the beneficial provisions of laws such as Wealth Tax, Gift Tax, and the Urban Land Ceiling Act. To compound the severity of the situation, many of India’s anti-corruption laws were rendered inapplicable in Kashmir, magnifying the profound and far-reaching negative consequences of this discriminatory legal framework to an even graver extent.

Article 370 did not benefit the Kashmiri people; instead, it served as a golden ticket for the ruling political elite. Politicians shamelessly wielded the bogey of Article 370 to sow the seeds of separatism, ensuring their own political longevity. This provision not only institutionalized but also constitutionally legitimized separatism, effectively creating a psychological divide between Kashmir and the rest of India. Article 370, besides being a blueprint for national disintegration, set a nefarious example for other elements, like the Khalistanis, to come up with similar demands. It is a stark reminder of how political expediency can take precedence over the welfare of the people, leaving a trail of devastation and communal strife in its wake.

Ambedkar and Sardar Patel had cautioned Nehru about the repercussions of introducing Article 370. In response to the drafting of Article 370, Patel wrote to Gopalaswami Ayyangar regarding Sheikh Abdullah, stating, “he (Sheikh Abdullah) owes a duty to India or to the Indian Government, or even on a personal basis, to you and the Prime Minister who have gone all out to accommodate him. In these circumstances, any question of my approval does not arise; if you feel it is the right thing to do, you can go ahead with….” However, Nehru absolved himself of all responsibilities when things started going wrong. Astonishingly, and indicative of Nehru prioritizing himself and his ego above all else, after Patel’s death, Nehru falsely informed the Parliament in 1952 that Patel was in favor of Article 370. Even Nehru’s chosen associate, Gopalaswami, expressed anger, remarking, “It is an ill-return to Sardar for the magnanimity he had shown in accepting Panditji’s point of view against his better judgment.” 

Overcoming the Shadows of Article 370: Nehru’s blunders haunted India for the next seven decades, with over 70,000 lives lost to jihadi terrorism — a toll that can be traced back to Nehru’s Himalayan blunders and the cost of his ego.

Across seven decades and generations, the weight of one man’s blunders cast a long shadow of missed opportunities. However, on 5 August 2019, history took a momentous turn. In a departure from the past, “India First” became the guiding principle for the New India envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi untangled the web of blunders that had burdened India since 1947. Article 370 was dismantled, weaving Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh seamlessly into the fabric of India, promising a future where they would never be torn apart again.