Post-Article 370’s revocation, Kashmir observes first Independence Day amid curfew
Live MintJammu and Kashmir, shorn of its special status, spent Independence Day under a tight security blanket on Thursday amid a communications blackout, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and governor Satya Pal Malik reached out to Kashmiris. With Kashmir reeling from a complete clampdown following the scrapping of its special status under Article 370 and the state’s bifurcation, both Modi and Malik tried to placate the Kashmiri public, following episodes of backlash. Hailing the new order as “One Nation, One Constitution,” Modi said that within 70 days of the National Democratic Alliance coming to power, the two Houses of Parliament had voted with two-thirds majority to remove Articles 370 and 35A. This is historical and will open new doors of development and help various communities promote their languages and cultures in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” Malik said, adding that the move had removed roadblocks to economic development and prosperity.