MUMBAI: IndianPrime Minister Narendra Modi delivered an Independence Day speech yesterdaythat spotlighted a decision to remove the special rights of the disputedHimalayan region of Kashmir among the bold moves of the first 10 weeks of hissecond term. Modi talked about his aim to turn India into a $5-trillion economywithin five years, by spurring wealth creation, boosting exports and tourism,and spending 100 trillion rupees ($1.4 trillion) on infrastructure.
But he did nottouch on sagging demand that has hit parts of the economy in recent months,especially the auto sector. Modi said special constitutional status for thestate of Jammu and Kashmir had encouraged corruption and nepotism, whilecreating injustice for women, children and minority communities in India's onlymajority-Muslim region. "Today every Indian can proudly say 'One Nation,One Constitution'," Modi, speaking from the ramparts of the historic RedFort in New Delhi, said of the decision.
Critics of thepolicy say it will bring a backlash from Kashmiri Muslims, who had valued theprevious ban on non-residents buying property in the state, part of which isclaimed by Pakistan, and benefited from the reservation of state governmentjobs for residents. In a clampdown in the region since the Aug 5 decision,authorities have cut internet and phone links, restricted movement with policeroadblocks, and detained more than 500 leaders and activists.
Key new militarypost
Wearing a flowingbright saffron-colored turban, Modi, who won a landslide election victory inMay, also highlighted his government's ban on some Muslim communities' practiceof allowing a husband to instantly divorce his wife. Perhaps his mostcontroversial announcement was the creation of a new post of chief of defensestaff to ensure better coordination of India's army, navy and air force, alongthe lines of Western military forces.
Defense expertshave long called for such a post, recommended by a government panel in 1999,after India came close to war with Pakistan over Kashmir. "To furthersharpen coordination between the forces, I want to announce a major decision... India will have a chief of defense staff," Modi said.
However, he didnot address the weakening economy and calls from industry for swift governmentmeasures to spur demand. India's growth rate has fallen to 5.8% for the threemonths ended March 2019, its lowest in 17 quarters, while research group CMIEestimates the jobless rate rose to 7.51 percent in July from 5.66 percent ayear earlier. Modi said he would invest 3.6 trillion rupees to improve waterinfrastructure and pipe clean water to every home.
Standing below afluttering Indian flag, Modi urged a halt to use of single-use plastics,suggesting a phase-out date of Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,regarded as the father of the nation. During the last five years, Modi'sgovernment has made it much easier to do business in India, he added, vowing tofurther streamline government procedure. More small vendors should acceptdigital payments, Modi said, returning to a theme first spotlighted in 2016,when his government ordered an overnight ban of high-value banknotes.
'Black Day' overKashmir
Meanwhile, Pakistanobserved a 'Black Day' yesterday to coincide with India's Independence Daycelebrations, as one of the main militant groups fighting Indian rule inKashmir led a protest through Pakistan's part of the disputed region. India'sdecision this month to revoke special status for its portion of Kashmir, alongwith a communications blackout and curbs on movement, caused fury in Pakistan,which cut trade and transport links and expelled India's envoy in retaliation.
Supporters of theHizbul Mujahideen militant group were among more than 1,000 people who marchedthrough Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan's region of Azad Kashmir, holdingblack flags and shouting anti-India slogans. "As long as India continuesits occupation of Kashmir, we will fight within the occupied territory, withfull force," Hizbul Mujahideen's deputy commander, Saifullah Khalid, toldthe crowd. "Until the eviction of the last Indian soldier, our armedstruggle will go on."
India has bannedHizbul Mujahideen as a terrorist outfit, which it has long said Pakistan funds,along with similar groups. Islamabad denies this, though it does not ban thegroup. Newspaper issues carried black borders and politicians, including PrimeMinister Imran Khan, replaced their social media pictures with black squares.Flags on government buildings flew at half-mast. Pakistan's largely symbolic'Black Day' comes amid growing frustration in Islamabad at the lack ofinternational response over the Kashmir dispute.
Pakistan wasisolated diplomatically and faced "a world in denial" over thesituation in Kashmir, Dawn, the country's most influential English-languagenewspaper, said in an editorial. The 15-member United Nations Security Councilcould discuss the dispute as soon as today, but Pakistan says it only hasguaranteed support from China, which also claims part of India's Jammu andKashmir state.
Permanentsecurity council member Russia said on Wednesday it supported India's stancethat the dispute should be resolved through bilateral means, while the UnitedStates has called India's decision an internal matter for New Delhi. In hisIndependence Day speech in the Indian capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modihighlighted the decision to strip the Muslim-majority region of its specialrights among the bold moves of his second term, following an election victoryin May. - Agencies