Thread by @Cold_Peace_

Important read from EAM Jaishankar on Kashmir/Art. 370:

"The anachronistic provision that governed Kashmir—Article 370—was explicitly acknowledged by the Indian constitution as 'temporary.' By any standards, 70 years is a long definition of that term."
ft.com/content/4f0e29…

"created a cosy arrangement of local ownerships that served the state’s political elite well. But it denied economic opportunities & social gains...The resulting separatist sentiments in some quarters were then exploited by neighboring Pakistan to conduct cross-border terrorism."

"370 prevented the application of most national legislation to the province without the consent of local politicians...Although the central government spent 10x more on the average[Kashmir resident]than in the rest of the country, that investment did not show up on the ground."

"State laws did not give women equal rights on property and prevented child protection programs. They rejected affirmative action that was practiced in the rest of India. Domestic violence laws,female representation in local bodies and the right to education were all kept at bay"

"The legislative changes have not altered India’s external boundaries or the 'line of control'...The changes are entirely domestic. As they make a positive impact on the lives of the people, the justification for cross-border terrorism will become even more untenable."

"The boundaries of Indian states have been reorganized 14 times since independence. What has now happened in respect to Jammu and Kashmir is the norm, not an aberration...India is a democratic society with robust parliamentary practices."

"This is a well-intended change designed to improve daily lives...If it requires precautionary measures, other nations who have faced their own challenges of social justice and national unity will surely understand. Such precautions are always temporary in a democratic polity."