Nadine Osman
The regional legislature of Indian-controlled Kashmir urged the federal government to restore the region’s semi-autonomous status, revoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration in 2019.
The assembly approved the nonbinding resolution by a majority vote on November 6. “This assembly calls upon the Government of India to initiate dialogue with the elected representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the restoration of special status,” the resolution read.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which holds 29 seats in the 90-member assembly, opposed the resolution. The measure now awaits approval from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the central government’s top administrator in Kashmir.
KASHMIR & JAMMU – OCTOBER 08: JKNC supporters celebrate in Srinagar after their alliance with Congress won the October 1 election, restoring elected governance in Jammu and Kashmir after six years. The alliance secured 48 of 90 seats.(Credit: Faisal Khan/AA)
The National Conference Party, which introduced the resolution, recently took power after the region’s first election in over a decade. This was also the first election since the Modi government rescinded Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status. In 2019, the federal government downgraded the former state into two centrally governed union territories: Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir.
While Modi’s supporters across India welcomed the 2019 move, it faced widespread opposition in Kashmir. Many residents, including the National Conference, viewed it as a threat to the region’s identity and autonomy. Concerns also emerged about potential demographic changes in the Muslim-majority region. Since then, Kashmir has experienced tighter restrictions on civil liberties and press freedom.
Kashmir remains a union territory under India’s parliamentary control. Both India and Pakistan claim the region in full and have fought two wars over it since independence in 1947.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, militants have fought Indian rule since 1989, supported by many locals seeking independence or union with Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of backing militant groups, a claim Pakistan denies. Pakistan describes the unrest as a legitimate freedom struggle. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, including civilians, militants, and security forces.
Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have promised to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood eventually but have not set a timeline. They insist, however, that the 2019 changes will remain permanent.
