Article 370’s Impact: J&K Flourishes While Pakistan’s PoJ&K Declines – OpEd

The year 2019 marked a definitive pivot in the history of India. The abrogation of Article 370 was not merely a legal amendment. It was, in effect, a demolition of a barrier that had long isolated the people of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)—from the pulse of Indian progress. Today, a walk through the bustling markets of Srinagar as well as the industrial hubs of Jammu reveals a narrative of rejuvenation. Meanwhile, across the Line of Control (LoC), in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJ&K), the scene is one of systematic exploitation, rising tempers, and a collapsing economy.

A Masterclass in Democratic Resilience

For decades, J&K was held hostage by a "special status" that served only a handful of political elites and disenfranchised the common citizen. Post-2019, the region has undergone a democratic overhaul. The establishment of a three-tier Panchayati Raj system, which includes District Development Councils (DDCs), shifted power from the corridors of Srinagar to the doorsteps of rural villages.

The 2024 Assembly elections served as the ultimate litmus test. With a voting of over 63%, the people of J&K delivered a resounding verdict: they chose the ballot over the bullet. This was not just an election; it was a public funeral for the Pakistan-sponsored narrative that "Kashmiris reject Indian democracy." Women, youth, and marginalised communities like the West Pakistani Refugees, who were denied voting rights for 70 years under Article 370, finally exercised their franchise as equal citizens.

The Infrastructure Boom vs. The Breadlines

The physical transformation of J&K is visible in the steel and concrete of the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest, and the Zojila Tunnel, which promises all-weather connectivity. Since 2019, infrastructure and public-service delivery in J&K have expanded through multiple central and UT programmes. Flagship connectivity projects like the Chenab Rail Bridge (359 m) and the Zoji-la Tunnel are positioned as major enablers of year-round movement once fully operational.

Contrast this with the grim reality of PoJ&K. While J&K’s GSDP is projected to grow robustly in the 2025-26 fiscal year with a budget of ₹1.12 Lakh Crore, PoJ&K is currently the epicentre of a "wheat and electricity" rebellion. In late 2025, massive protests led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee paralysed Muzaffarabad and Mirpur. The residents of PoJ&K are not just demanding flour, affordable power, and an end to the "elite privileges" of Pakistani bureaucrats; they are demanding freedom from Pakistan’s tyranny.

The Death of the Terror Factory

One of the most significant triumphs of the post-370 era is the precipitous decline in local militancy. Stone-pelting, once a weekly ritual fueled by across-the-border funding, has dropped to zero, reports say. While Pakistan-backed "hybrid militants" continue to attempt desperate strikes, like the tragic April 2025 Pahalgam incident, local recruitment into terror ranks has hit an all-time low.

The Kashmiri youth are no longer picking up guns; they are picking up laptops. Startup incubators in Srinagar and industrial estates in Jammu are the new battlegrounds where the future is being won. The rejection of Pakistan’s radicalisation agenda is so thorough that even the most remote hamlets now cooperate with security forces to identify foreign infiltrators, prioritising the peace that has seen tourist footfall cross 23 million in 2024.

The divergence between the two sides of the LoC is no longer a matter of opinion; it is a matter of visible reality. J&K is integrating into the global economy by hosting international events and building a world-class healthcare network. PoJ&K, conversely, remains a political black hole where questioning the forced accession to Pakistan is a punishable crime.

The legacy of Article 370’s removal is the liberation of J&K’s potential. As India builds world-class infrastructure and inclusive governance, the only things Pakistan has to offer to its occupied territories are inflation and repression. The thriving landscape of Jammu and Kashmir today is the ultimate rebuttal to seventy years of Pakistani propaganda.