In Valley's Shadow

Why all Jammuites aren’t celebrating life without Article 370

- Jeevan Prakash Sharma

As the end of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status has been mostly seen in terms of the region’s integration with the rest of India, most discussions on the subject have focused on its impact on the insurgency-hit, Muslim-majority Valley. It is rarely mentioned that Hindu-majority Jammu lost its special status too. A year after the abrogation of Article 370, many in Jammu feel they are destined to be a victim of the Centre’s approach to “either appease or punish” Kashmiris. “Jammu is like a doormat for Delhi-based leaders. On their way to Kashmir, they break the journey here, make promises and forget them the moment they leave for their destination,” says Pandit R.C. Sharma, a local peace activist, largely summing up the sentiment in Jammu.