NEW ERA OF PEACE

Since taking office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made national security, development, and regional integration core tenets of his governance. Nowhere have these priorities been tested more deeply-and more visibly-than in Jammu & Kashmir.

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Once synonymous with unrest, militancy, and separatist narratives, Kashmir today is witnessing a new chapter-one marked by improved peace, increasing investment, and a return to normalcy.

The most defining moment in Modi's Kashmir policy came on August 5, 2019, when the Union Government abrogated Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, ending the region's special status. The move was historic, controversial, and transformational. Supporters argued that Article 370 had long been a barrier to full integration of Jammu & Kashmir with the rest of India, enabling corruption, political dynasties, and fostering an ecosystem of separatism. Its removal was seen as essential to ending the "temporary provision" that had morphed into a permanent roadblock to progress.

The abrogation was accompanied by a period of tight security lockdown and communication restrictions. While this drew criticism internationally and from sections of the Indian polity, the government maintained that these were necessary precautions to prevent violence and safeguard lives during a moment of massive political change.