On 5th anniversary, PM calls abrogation of Article 370 a 'watershed moment'

On the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, PM Narendra Modi on Monday recalled the legislation passed by Parliament on Aug 5, 2019, as a "watershed moment in the country's history", which, he said, heralded a new era of progress and prosperity in J&K and Ladakh regions. The PM assured people of J&K and Ladakh that his govt would keep working for them and fulfil their aspirations in the coming times. "Today, we mark five years since the Parliament of India decided to abrogate Articles 370 and 35(A), a watershed moment in our nation's history," Modi said in a post on X. "It meant the Constitution of India was implemented in these places in letter and spirit, in line with the vision of the great men and women who made the Constitution." With abrogation (of Article 370) came security, dignity and opportunity for women, youth, backwards, tribal and marginalised communities who were deprived of the fruits of development, PM Narendra Modi said. “It ensured that corruption, which plagued J&K for decades, has been kept at bay,” he added. Home minister Amit Shah, who anchored passage of the legislation, termed abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A as a transformative decision, ushering in a new era of empowerment for marginalised sections and strengthened grassroots democracy in J&K and Ladakh. “The region’s youth have driven socio-economic growth and cultural revival, making Modi govt’s efforts to foster peace and comprehensive development a grand success. We thank Modi for this landmark decision & reaffirm our dedication to advancing the region’s aspirations and transformative progress,” he said. Meanwhile, in the foreword of a book on the legislation, ‘370: Undoing the Unjust, A New Future for J&K’, the PM said, “There was complete clarity in my mind that taking the public in J&K into confidence was absolutely essential for execution of the decision.” “We wanted the decision, whenever it would be taken, to happen with concurrence of the people rather than imposition,” he said.