'Stone-pelting took place in Kashmir 2100 times in 2018', after the abolition of Article 370

Article 370 caused spread of terrorism in Kashmir: What changed in Jammu and Kashmir with the abolition of Article 370? There is a constant discussion in the country about this matter. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated in very clear words on this matter what has changed after the abrogation of Article 370.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Article 370 sowed the seeds of separatism in the minds of the youth of Kashmir and the Narendra Modi government ended not only terrorism but the entire fabric of terrorism in the Valley. Shah said that both Article 370 and Article 35A were abrogated on August 5, 2019. Both these were the major hurdles in the way of complete integration of Kashmir with India, he said. Talking about Kashmir's relationship with the rest of India, the home minister said India is the only country in the world which is geo-cultural and whose boundaries are formed by its culture.

Releasing a book titled 'Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages' here,

Shah said India can only be understood from the Indian perspective and not from a geo-political perspective. He said that from the 'Silk Route' to Central Asia and from the Shankaracharya Temple to the Hemis Monastery; And from trade to spirituality, both have a strong base in the culture of Kashmir. Shah said Article 370 gave a wrong impression that integration of Kashmir with India was temporary. "Many people often ask me what is the connection between Article 370 and terrorism. They don't know that Article 370 sowed seeds of separatism in the minds of the youth of the Valley," he said. The Home Minister said some people say Kashmir is close to Pakistan's border, so there is a problem here.

There has been a 70 per cent reduction

in terror incidents in Kashmir. Shah said Article 370 gave a wrong impression that integration of Kashmir with India was temporary and it sowed seeds of separatism, which later morphed into terrorism. "Unfortunately, more than 40,000 lives have been lost due to militancy in Kashmir. "The Modi government has not only eliminated terrorism but also the infrastructure of terrorism in Kashmir," he said, adding that the development of Kashmir was delayed for decades, there was bloodshed in Kashmir for years and the country had to watch all this silently. "After the abrogation of Article 370, there has been 70 per cent reduction in incidents of terrorism in Kashmir and this has proved that Article 370 gave rise to terrorism.

There was not a single incident of stone-pelting in 2024 In 2018, there were 2,100 incidents of stone-pelting in Kashmir, but in 2024 there was not a single incident of stone-pelting," he said, claiming that even when the Article (in the Constitution) was introduced, people did not want it.

He said that even in the Constituent Assembly, the majority did not want Article 370 to be a part of the Constitution, but it became a part of the Constitution. Fortunately, some visionaries thought it necessary to write it as a temporary provision, Shah said. "But things that are artificial and not natural don't last long. Due to the strong will power of Prime Minister Modi, Article 370 was abolished on August 5, 2019. Modi has worked to end a dark chapter in the history of independent India.

Since then, the process of development in Kashmir has started like any other part of India, he said. He said the local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir were conducted successfully, following which more than 25,000 people were elected as panch, sarpanch or zila parishad members. "Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were conducted peacefully. This year, the highest voter turnout was recorded during the elections," he said. Around 2.11 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir (this year)," he said.

Shah said that in 2024 alone, 324 shootings of films or serials have been done in Kashmir. This was a regular practice in the 1960s and now it has started again, he said. "After 33 years, night shows are being held in cinema halls. He said that after 34 years, a Tazia procession was taken out and a Krishna Janmashtami Yatra was also seen at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. "The book 'Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages' proves Syama Prasad Mookerjee's statement that Jammu and Kashmir is not only a part of India but also an integral part of India's soul," Shah said.

Shah said the book was a historical account of continuity and integration. He said it has broken the myths prevalent in the country and presented history with truth and proof, "which is a great achievement", he said, adding that the time has come to get rid of the history written to please the rulers and now the time has come to write the history of India with facts and evidence. He said that thousands of years old history of every corner of India has enriched the world civilization, but in the period of slavery, a heinous attempt was made to forget it. Shah said that the book proves that culture, languages, scripts, spiritual thoughts, trade and commerce, scattered across the length and breadth of India, had existed in Kashmir for 10,000 years and reached the entire country from there. From Input Language