Here is a brief history of Article 370:
Accession to India: In October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, signed the Instrument of Accession, which allowed Jammu and Kashmir to join the newly independent India. This accession was conditional, and Article 370 was included to safeguard the autonomy of the state.
Special Status: Article 370 allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have its own Constitution, a separate flag, and significant autonomy over all matters except defense, foreign affairs, finance, and communications. It also limited the application of Indian laws in the state.
Evolution Over Time: Over the years, several presidential orders were issued to extend the applicability of various Indian laws to Jammu and Kashmir, eroding some of its special status.
Abrogation: On August 5, 2019, the Indian government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), revoked Article 370, effectively ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The state was reorganized into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.This move was highly controversial and led to a significant political and legal debate in India and internationally. It marked a significant change in the political landscape of the region and had far-reaching implications.
Article 35A was closely related to Article 370 in the Indian Constitution and pertained specifically to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Here's an explanation of both:
Article 370: As mentioned earlier, Article 370 was a temporary provision in the Indian Constitution that granted special autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It allowed the state to have its own Constitution, flag, and considerable autonomy in many matters. This article was intended to be a temporary provision, but it continued to exist for several decades.
Article 35A: Article 35A was introduced through a Presidential Order in 1954, under Article 370. It empowered the Jammu and Kashmir state legislature to define "permanent residents" of the state and grant them special rights and privileges. These privileges included the exclusive right to own property and access government jobs in the state. Article 35A was seen as a way to protect the unique identity and demographics of Jammu and Kashmir.In summary, Article 35A was an important provision that flowed from Article 370 and granted specific privileges to the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. However, like Article 370, Article 35A was also revoked when Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, 2019, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This move led to significant changes in the legal and political framework of the region.