New Delhi:
Congress leader Salman Khurshid said during a diplomatic visit to Indonesia that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 2019 ended the long-standing problem of separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in “prosperity” in the region.
Speaking to members of Indonesian think tanks and academia as part of an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, Mr Khurshid said, “Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave the impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end.”
Article 370 of the Constitution accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir until it was revoked by the BJP-led government in August 2019.
Mr Khurshid, who is accompanying a multiparty delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, also noted that the post-abrogation environment in Jammu and Kashmir has yielded progress, citing a 65 per cent voter turnout in subsequent elections and the formation of an elected government in the Union Territory.
“Subsequently, there was an election with 65 per cent participation. There’s an elected government in Kashmir today, and therefore, for people to want to undo everything that has the prosperity that has come to Kashmir. It would not be advisable,” he added.
Mr Khurshid’s comments mark a departure from his earlier stance on Article 370 which he had described as not a barrier but a bond that linked India to Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Article paved the way for J&K to remain within India. The state was not just the land or its people. It was an idea, within the idea of India,” Mr Khurshid had said in 2019.
The delegation currently visiting Southeast Asia comprises representatives across political lines, including BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, and Hemang Joshi, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M)’s John Brittas, and former Indian Ambassador Mohan Kumar. The group is tasked with briefing stakeholders in Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore on India’s foreign policy posture, especially under the framework of Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory action that targeted terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Congress’ Evolving Stance on Article 370
The Congress party’s position on Article 370 has evolved over the past six years.
At the time of the abrogation in August 2019, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) strongly opposed the move. The party accused the BJP government of bypassing democratic norms and the spirit of federalism. Senior leaders argued that Article 370 could not be altered unilaterally.
On August 4, 2019, just a day before the government’s action, Congress joined other J&K-based parties, including the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in a joint declaration at Farooq Abdullah’s residence on Srinagar’s Gupkar Road. The parties pledged to defend Article 370 and maintain J&K’s special status.
Later, the Congress participated in talks around the formation of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an umbrella coalition aimed at restoring Articles 370 and 35A. However, by November 2020, the Congress distanced itself from the alliance, following political attacks from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who dubbed it the “Gupkar Gang” and accused it of siding with forces that allegedly sought international intervention in Kashmir.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the central government’s decision to revoke Article 370. While the Congress accepted the judgment from a legal standpoint, it maintained a critical tone regarding the manner of implementation.
