New Delhi : Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was formally bifurcated into two Union territories with the swearing in of lieutenant governors in Srinagar and Leh on Thursday, in a historic move that was celebrated in Ladakh, cautiously welcomed in Jammu, but drew a muted response in the Kashmir valley.
STEPPING INTO HISTORY First lieutenant governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Murmu (left) and his Ladakh counterpart Radha Krishan Mathur take oath of office in Srinagar and Leh, respectively, on Thursday. AFP
Girish Chandra Murmu took oath as the first LG of J&K in a low-key ceremony at Srinagar’s Raj Bhavan at around 12.30pm that was televised across India, bringing the curtain down on the formerly princely state that enjoyed special provisions and constitutional protections for 72 years. Earlier in the day, RK Mathur was sworn in as the first LG of Ladakh in Leh. Chief justice of the J&K high court, Gita Mittal, administered the oath of office to both LGs.
The event was hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, with the former saying the decision to nullify Article 370 and bifurcate the state will bring political stability and end corruption in the region. “The new system in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is not meant to draw a line on the land but to build a strong link of trust,” Modi said at a ceremony in Gujarat to mark the birth anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of India.
Modi said Patel inspired him to effectively revoke Article 370 and added that unity in diversity was India’s strength.
“The country took the decision to scrap Article 370, which had only given separatism and terrorism to that state,” he added.
Shah said that Article 370, which gave special status to J&K, and 35A, which gave special privileges to its residents, were gateways of terrorism that had now been closed.
The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, passed in Parliament in early August, says J&K will be a UT with an elected legislative assembly and a chief minister, while Ladakh will be governed by the LG and have two hill development councils.
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