Kashmir Issue and World Media

Kashmir Issue and World Media 

Maha Media 5 August 2019

The Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, that gave special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, has been removed by the Union government through a Presidential order, Union Home Minister informed the Parliament on Monday. Amit Shah moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha which stated that all clauses of Article 370 would no longer be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir. The entire country hailed this ground breaking announcement. 

President Ram Nath Kovind issued Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019 which comes into force "at once", and shall "supersede the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954". "All the provisions of the Constitution" shall apply in relation to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it said.

No doubt, there were indications in the last few days that the Union government might go for this historic move as the Kashmir is under unprecedented security cover with prohibitory orders (Section 144) in place against assembling of people, top leaders are reportedly under house arrest, internet has been snapped and all educational institutions shut. 

However, the world media, especially newspapers from Pakistan and America have highlighted the development of past a few days in Kashmir with biased opinions. While biased and typically characteristic Pakistan media portrayed the present situation in Kashmir as ‘war-like’, the American media urged the President Donald Trump to intervene the matter as soon as possible.

Pakistan’s leading English newspaper “The Nation” put a banner headline on its front page saying, “Ready to crush Indian aggression”. The newspaper took another step by publishing an advertisement on its front page appealing Pak people to pray and support for Kashmiri youths. Another leading English newspaper “The Dawn”, writes” as tensions gripped over Kashmir, US  President Donald Trump may mediate between Pakistan and India considering the seriousness of the issue.

Mr Michael Kugelman, an authority on South Asian affairs at Washington’s Woodrow Wilson Center, noted that the present situation will likely to increase tension between two nuclear-armed nations. The US media also highlighted the Kashmir issue on Sunday, noting that the latest tension between Pakistan and India “come amid the Indian government’s evacuation order for tourists and Hindu pilgrims and a troop build up in its part of the region”. 

A report in Washington Post pointed out that such “measures have sparked fears in Kashmir that BJP-ruled government is planning to scrap an Indian constitutional provision that forbids Indians from outside the region from buying land in Kashmir”.

The New York Times also published this report, noting that in recent days, “India has deployed at least 10,000 troops in Kashmir, with media reports of a further 25,000 ordered to one of the world’s most militarised regions”. Reports in the Post and NYT noted that recent escalations had come amid “offers by President Trump to mediate to resolve the Kashmir issue”. The US media pointed out that several other governments had also issued travel advisories, urging its citizens to leave India-held Kashmir.

It may be noted that, Pakistan on Sunday sought Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) intervention on the Kashmir issue. Its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi held a telephonic contact with Secretary General OIC Dr Yousef Bin Ahmed Al Othaimeen and discussed the situation. 

Other countries or its media have no rights interfere in India’s internal matter. India has been maintaining that Kashmir is its integral part and it needs no support from other nations to settle its internal issue. By taking a historic decision on Kashmir, India shows the world it on Monday.