India is making a mistake in Kashmir: Bloomberg

The editorial board of prominent American news service Bloomberg has termed India’s move of the annexation of occupied Kashmir a ‘shock decision’.

“India’s shock decision this week to revoke the autonomy of its restive state of Jammu and Kashmir is a crucial test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Without a change, of course, he’s likely to fail,” the editorial published on Friday read.

The editorial said that the Indian government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution with no warning which granted Kashmir a degree of autonomy.

Pointing out Kashmiri people’s grievances under the Indian rule, it said that Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “intent on eliminating rather than celebrating a Muslim-majority state.”

It said, “most of the special privileges afforded to the state on paper had long been whittled away in practice.”

While highlighting the increase in unemployment and the low volume of investments in occupied Kashmir, Bloomberg said forcibly imposing the central government’s will over the people of held territory will only intensify the grievances of Kashmiris.

The article further shed light on how ‘desperately’ India needs to devise a strategy to engage with Pakistan, commercially and diplomatically as changing Kashmir’s status would not do anything to ease tensions with Pakistan.

“Modi’s government is heading in the opposite direction in Kashmir. Until India finds some way to make Kashmiris feel like full citizens, in control of their lives and their destinies, their land will remain what it has been for far too long: a troubled place, and a threat to peace and prosperity,” the editorial concluded.