Arun Joshi
In the fifth year of abolition of Article 370 that granted special status to erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, resonated in the cinema theatres on Friday, with a view to tell the audiences across the country that why this move was needed and how it has played out in bringing alive the dream of living a normal life.
Till date, after the removal of this Article that conferred several privileges to Jammu and Kashmir, but at the same time was a political debating point whether it allowed terrorism in Kashmir to take birth and grow, now will be present before the public in a movie format. It is expected to generate a debate on films like “Kashmir Files” and “Kerala Files” These films had generated contentious debate across the country
That this movie would be making people aware of the changes that abrogation of Article 370 has brought J&K and its integration with the rest of the country, was one of the highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February 20 rally in Jammu. “I have heard that a movie titled Article 370 is being screened this week, it should be seen for it will help make people aware of the reality.” Since the beginning of his rally, Prime Minister and others had themed their speeches around Article 370, its merits and demerits.
The contrasts were drawn in plenty. It was projected that all the ills of Jammu and Kashmir were made to disappear from the landscape with the abrogation of Article 370. This project was condemned as a wall that came as a big and high barrier between development and J&K. And its abrogation was hailed as a flood of development, opening of infrastructural and human development.
When Prime Minister announced on Tuesday that the Article 370movie would be released this week, crowds at the rally cheered lustily, as if the film was a translation of their dreams into reality and, the result was that on the opening day of the film in Jammu, all shows were sold out.
The movie has built a case that why abrogation of Article 370 was a necessity to bring Kashmir out of the dark shadows of terrorism. It has made this argument by showing the killing of Burhan Wani. His killing in an encounter in 2016 had led to massive street protests and loss of dozens of lives. There were street protests that Kashmir had not witnessed ever before. The killing and chilling effect of 2016 is still entrenched in the minds of Kashmiris. But they were jolted to the brutal realities with the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF men were killed in one go- the deadliest attack in the terrorism-history of Jammu and Kashmir. This attack on February 14, 2019, added to urgency of taking a sty step that could take care of the threat of terrorism once and for all, and at the same time start an irreversible process of integration of J&K with the rest of the country. For that the casualty of Article 370 was must. This is ow the movie has dramatized everything.
It will supplement the BJP agenda of incorporating doing away with the Article 370 as something unique for the national interest. This theme will travel to audiences across the country which would help the saffron party about mission accomplished – one nation, one constitution as the movie draw sentiments and connect, the Article 370 movie is all set to trigger new debate on the political horizon of India ahead of 2024 parliamentary elections.
Arun Joshi is author of “Eyewitness Kashmir; Teetering on Nuclear War and senior journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir, writes on South Asian affairs)
Disclaimer: This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write-up have nothing to do with www.prameyanews.com.
