Indian Secularism and the Erosion of Article 370

Abstract

The erosion of article 370 since mid-1950s by diminishing the special status of J&K questioned the claim of New Delhi that secularism remained a cardinal principle of the Indian state. According to 42nd amendment of the Indian constitution enacted in 1976, India was declared as a secular state. The Indian state has no official religion and recognizes all religions. Yet, the phenomenon of Indian secularism is often contested and tested either when there are communal riots or when the Indian state is held responsible for promoting Hindu nationalism particularly during the BJP regimes. This paper will examine in detail the nature of article 370 of the Indian constitution; its gradual erosion and its implications on Jammu & Kashmir. That how a sense of alienation and deprivation deepened and the sustained use of force by the Indian state to quell popular surge against the excesses of security forces transformed the Valley of Kashmir from a heaven on earth to a large-scale prison camp manned by hundreds of thousands of Indian military and border security forces. Furthermore, the paper will also analyze consistent assertion by the Modi regime that article, 370 needs to be undone and the special status given to J&K be abolished so as to fully integrate that disputed territory under the Indian Union.