A lot of people are questioning the morality of today’s decision, calling it murder of democracy and other crass, also saying people of J&K have been betrayed etc etc.
Just to answer on the morality bit :
When India became independent there were 555 princely states who were given the option to join India, Pakistan or stay independent. With the instrument of accession they joined India and got what was called ‘Privy Purse’. Under the provision of Privy Purse, they were given a fixed tax free sum, Under the Article 291 of Indian Constitution.
As Deewan Jarmani Das writes ‘Thus the rulers surrendered their sovereignty and as a quid pro quo they were granted handsome privy purses and other privileges.’
Later in the year 1970, a bill was passed to abolish privy purse but it failed by one vote in Rajya Sabha. However, in September 1970, a president order was passed and it abolished the privy purse.
There were cases filed in supreme court which were clubbed together under the name of ‘Madhavrao Scindia vs Union of India’, in which an 11 judge bench declared the order invalid.
Later in 1971, again a bill in parliament was moved and this time it succeeded. Indira Gandhi knocked privy purse out of the Indian Constituition with 26th ammendment, to uphold equality among citizens and to control economic issues. People obviously protested, former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan even contested election to defeat Indira Gandhi and bring the privy purse back.
So did Indira Gandhi breach the trust of 555 princely states !? Maybe YES as her own father and his fellow politicians had bought in 555 areas in India on the ground of giving away free money to them every year and she simply knocked it out.
YOU can term this whatever you may want to.
Do we benefit from it today !? ALSO YES! We no longer have to pay 555 states compulsorily even in economic crises, every citizen is equal in the eyes of law. Had it not been abolished, Article 291 would also have been an issue until today for the Indian Economy and people would have been bragging about how they have a special status.
Fact is, no matter how many times you call Indira Gandhi a dictator, we have bank nationalisation, there is no existence of east Pakistan nor do we have to pay 555 states money compulsorily, because YES she took some difficult steps which were considered war mongering back in the day, and she did earn a lot of backlash.
Todays judgement has been the most peaceful resolution to the J&K issue. 40 years later if children wont read ‘20 soldiers martyred in J&K’ every other day then yes it will be because someone took a solid step!
P.S : If you had no clue what Article 291 was, what privy purse was, chances are maybe your children wont ever know what Article 370 was, what special status to people in J&K meant and why soldiers were martyred in the valley every second day!
Some call Indira Gandhi, a dictator, some Iron Lady, similarly some people will cry today about fascism and some will forever remember Shri Narendra Modi as the Iron Claw and Amit Shah as the modern Chanakya.
Whether it was moral or immoral, we will learn in a few years, though ❤️🙏
Jai hind 🇮🇳
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