Politics of Jammu and Kashmir - An Overview :

Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a union territory. Until 2019, it was the name of a state administered by India. Jammu, in the south, borders the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, the union territory of Ladakh, and the nation of Pakistan. The Kashmir Valley, in the northwest, borders Ladakh and the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are administered by Pakistan but claimed by India. Ladakh was formerly a part of the Jammu and Kashmir state and became a union territory on 31 October 2019.

Like the union territory of Puducherry, Indian administered parts of Jammu & Kashmir have a multi-party democratic system of governance. The primary political parties include the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC), the Indian National Congress (Congress), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Historically Kashmiri Muslims have preferred greater autonomy and sovereignty for the region and have even proposed an independent Kashmir. However a minority of the non-Muslims who live in the region like to see the state fully integrated into India. Most of Kashmiri Muslims also have inclination towards Pakistan since a small part of Kashmir is under Pakistan Control. There has also been a number of separatist movements, both political and militant, mostly led by hardline Muslim leaders. However, in recent years a growing number of Kashmiri Muslims have been leaning towards remaining in India for economic and cultural reasons.

Jammu and Kashmir was the only Indian state that had its own flag. The state flag of Jammu and Kashmir consisted of the native plough on a red background which is a symbol of labour. The three stripes represented the three administrative divisions of the state, namely Jammu, Valley of Kashmir, and Ladakh. However, as Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which granted Jammu and Kashmir autonomy, was abrogated in August 2019, the flag has lost its official status.

Furthermore, a 2008 report by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees determined that State of Jammu and Kashmir is one and only 'Partly free' state in India.

Human rights abuses in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir state are an ongoing issue. The abuses range from mass killings, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual abuse to political repression and suppression of freedom of speech. The Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Personnel (BSF) and various separatist militant groups have been accused and held accountable for committing severe human rights abuses against Kashmiri civilians.

In August 2019, the Government of India introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha and moved resolution to scrap the Article 370 from the Constitution of India and bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Jammu & Kashmir with a legislation like Delhi, and Ladakh with a legislation like Chandigarh.