Indian Kashmir No Longer a State as Autonomy Formally Ends

(Bloomberg) -- India's restive region of Jammu and Kashmir formally ceased to be a state Thursday and stood divided into two federally-controlled territories, close to three months after the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended seven decades of autonomy for the area.

The two union territories will be known as Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, according to a notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The move means that the central government in New Delhi now has wider control over the area and local police fall under the control of the home ministry.

This is first time that India has downgraded a state to a federally-controlled region.

Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state, lost its special status in August after a surprise announcement by Home Minister Amit Shah. Since then the administration has restricted movement of people, cut telephone lines, curbed internet connectivity and arrested local political leaders. The move has also raised tensions with neighbor and rival Pakistan. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in its entirety by both.

While fixed line and some mobile phone services have now been allowed, the internet remains cut off and restrictions on movement of people continue. The government however says that life in Kashmir is almost back to normal.

READ: In Kashmir All Is Silent, But It's Far From Peaceful

Meanwhile, a group of largely right-wing members of the European Parliament ended a two-day guided visit to the troubled area Wednesday amid criticism from opposition lawmakers and human rights activists.

Blocking Opposition

The meeting was criticized by India's opposition Parliamentarians who have not been allowed to visit Kashmir since Aug. 5. The Indian foreign ministry initially said that it had no role in the visit but on Thursday said it had helped arrange the European legislators' meetings as part of a private visit formally organized by a non-government organization. Foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar didn't give any other details about the organization.

The European Union parliament has said the members didn't represent the EU while on the trip. Kumar told reporters that his ministry had facilitated the legislators' meetings in keeping with the country's foreign policy and national interest and the visit to Kashmir was to help the Europeans understand the threat terrorism posed to India. The government will consider similar requests depending on “intent, context and the situation on the ground,” Kumar said.

Rahul Gandhi, prominent leader of the main opposition Indian National Congress Party, criticized the visit because the Modi government has shut out parties opposed to it from visiting the state.

The Congress party called the visit of the European parliamentarians the “biggest diplomatic blunder” in India's history.

“The Modi government has deliberately internationalized the Kashmir issue, violating our time-tested policy of Kashmir being an internal matter of India,” said Randeep Singh Surjewala, a spokesman of the Congress party.

--With assistance from Archana Chaudhary.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bibhudatta Pradhan in New Delhi at bpradhan@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Muneeza Naqvi, Abhay Singh

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.