India announced the abrogation of certain provisions of Article 370 from its constitution last week, ending the special status enjoyed by Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. India also decided to split the erstwhile state into two union territories: Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir (although it’s set to be a temporary measure for Jammu and Kashmir, which will become a state once the situation is deemed to be ‘stable’). New Delhi’s heavy-handedness in orchestrating this move has damaged India’s democratic credentials and credibility.

Why did the Indian government embark on this path, and why now?

The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India in 1947 after Pakistani guerrilla fighters moved in and occupied a part of the kingdom. Indian forces thwarted the advance but were unable to drive Pakistani forces out completely. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru then opted to take the matter to the United Nations. The UN resolved to hold a plebiscite to allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide whether they wanted to join India or Pakistan or become independent, but it was conditional on Pakistani forces withdrawing from the region, and never took place.

Please click here to read the full “India’s actions in Kashmir (part 1): How did we get here?” article published at The Strategist, written by Griffith Asia Institute Research Assistant, Aakriti Bachhawat.