Finally, the saffron party has fulfilled its promise though in the process it has nullified the spirit of a nation's vow that followed the accession of a Muslim majority state ruled by a Hindu price into India. Kashmir is the only Muslim majority state in India.
At the time accession many Kashmiris suspect Hindus to migrate to the state. This didn't fit well with local Muslim population of the Jammu & Kashmir and they sought to protect their distinct identity in Hindu maority India. As such. the article 370 ad 35 A came into existence in the same was Maharaja of Kashmir passed such a law in 1927.
Let us not forget that it was the fear of Hindus during the rule of The Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, that he first passed the law in 1927 to stop the influx of people from the northern state of Punjab into the state.He did this on the urging of powerful Kashmiri Hindus. The law still exists in parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The law on in its current form was introduced in 1954. It's part of Article 370, the constitutional provision that grants Kashmir special status within India.
When the Jammu and Kashmir constitution was adopted in 1956, it ratified the then two-year-old permanent resident law.
Article 35A of the constitution allows the legislature of Jammu & Kashmir to define the state's "permanent residents" and what distinguishes them. It applies to all of J&K including Jammu and Ladakh.
All identified residents are issued a permanent resident certificate, which entitles them to special benefits related to employment, scholarships and other privileges. But the biggest advantage for permanent residents is that only they have the right to own and, therefore, buy, property in the state.
All those who were living in the state as of 14 May 1954, when the law came into effect; and those who have lived in the state for 10 years anytime since, are counted as permanent residents.
Saffron party was never comfortable with this law and opposed it from the very first day India become independent.
The founder of Jan Sangh- erstwhile incarnation of the BJP- Syama Prasad Mukherjee was strongly opposed to Article 370 seeing it as a threat to the unity of the country and fought against it inside and outside the parliament.The abrogation of the article was one of the prime goals of Bharatiya Jan Sangh. Syama Prasad Mukherjee died in Jammu while leading a movement in J&K for the abrogation of the article 370. Jan Sangh and BJP both have since his 'martyrdom' vowed to scrap the article 370 and 35 A.
Interestingly. Modi govt kept silent in its previous tenure and assured its ally PDP not to abrogate the article 370. However, after winning a second term, it went lock, stock and barrel to prepare a pitch for its abrogation. BJP chief and how home minister was on the forefront to demand the abrogation of article 370 and 35A. BJP has just fulfilled its promise to the nation and one must appreciate it but nation has betrayed the Kashmiris.