NYT condemns India’s move to shred IoK of its special status

NEW YORK (Web Desk) – An American-based newspaper “New York Times” (NYT) has condemned the decision of Indian government to shred Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) of its special status. In an editorial, the newspaper also called for preventing India’s folly from escalating into unpredictable regional crisis. The NYT also called India’s step as dangerous and wrong. It said the US and China must not allow Kashmir to become a pawn in their ongoing disputes. By revoking the special status of the mountainous territory, India is courting conflict with Pakistan, the editorial read. It further said the US, China, the UN and other powers with influence over India and Pakistan must urgently do what they can. The Indian government knows how incendiary its actions are, which is why, before making the announcement on Monday, it ordered tens of thousands more troops into Kashmir, put major political figures under house arrest, ordered tourists to leave, closed schools and cut off internet services. On Monday, the Indian president had signed a bill to abrogate Article 370, about the special status of Kashmir, from the Indian constitution. According to the Constitution of India, Article 370 provides provisions regarding special autonomy to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. As per Article 35A, a person cannot acquire any immovable proper in Kashmir if he or she is not a permanent resident of the region. Article 370 guarantees special status to Kashmir region, restricting the Indian state’s legislative powers. On the other hand, In a written statement on Monday, the State Department said it was following developments closely and that it was concerned about reports of detention in Kashmir. It urged all parties to maintain peace along the dividing line between India- and Pakistan-controlled territory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SWhaPcvEoA