Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is a 'temporary provision' which

grants special autonomous status to Jammu & Kashmir. According to

this article, except for defence, foreign affairs, finance and
communications, Parliament needs the state government's concurrence
for applying all other laws. Thus the state's residents live under a
separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of
property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians. As a
result of this provision, Indian citizens from other states cannot purchase
land or property in Jammu & Kashmir.
Whenever I think of article 370 two things come to my mind.
First, the special status tag to Jammu and Kashmir has allowed the state to get crore
in aid from the Centre. In 2009-10, J&K received Rs 13,252 crore as grants from the
central government, which constitutes nearly 60 per cent of the state's total
expenditure. In all, J&K has received grants amounting to Rs 94,409 crore between
1989-90 and 2009-10. However, countless news reports in the run up to the recent
elections have shown that basic utilities of water and electricity, as well as services
like education and healthcare, continue to plague major constituencies of Anantnag,
Baramulla and Jammu. So where has the money gone? Has the cover of Article 370
kept the Kashmiri parties well fed for decades from Central funds?
The second point is that - with the Article's provision that only residents of the state
can buy property, a few business houses have formed an economic monopoly in the
state. No major corporation or small or medium firm has the authority to
independently set up shop there, constricting the influx of private enterprise and
investments.
The state is rife with unemployment especially amongst the youth, with successive
governments failing to develop different job sectors. This socialist style hold of the
government enabled by Article 370, has had a socialist effect on society, impeding
growth while the rest of India enjoys the fruits of the global market. So are the
Kashmiri parties afraid of losing this very monopoly? Are they so afraid of losing their
patrons that they are screeching 'communal' and 'separatist' notions in their
opposition to even a debate on Article 370?
. The people of Jammu have for decades yearned for the growth story of other
states. Even though the Jammu region has consistently voted for the BJP hoping
that a change of guard will deliver prosperity, a greater vote share in Kashmir has
kept them under the thumbs of the Kashmiri parties for years.
Be it citizens of Kashmir, Jammu or Ladakh, everyone yearns for and deserves
better. Neither the Kashmiri parties nor Article 370 has been able to give them the
society they deserve.Article 370 has kept the people angry and frustrated allowing
the Kashmiri parties to easily perpetuate the Kashmir vs India narrative.
Kashmiri voters now seem to realise that the status quo has not helped them. All the
BJP government has is an opinion, and this time the Kashmiri people have their ears
wide open. That seems to have spooked the Kashmiri parties.