Abrogation of Article 370: Tracking change Jammu and Kashmir one year later

Government assures Kashmiris they will get to change political representatives as militancy continues

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections promised a "grand" Ram in Ayodhya and abrogation of Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir limited autonomy in the Indian union.

Home Minister Amit Shah spoke in Rajya Sabha on August 5 last year, explaining his government’s rational for doing away with Article 370. "Article 370 was the root of terror in Jammu and Kashmir. It is time for it to go... if it doesn't go today, we can't remove terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir," Shah said in the upper house.

Wednesday marks the first anniversary of that change in Jammu and Kashmir’s status and the beginning of a Ram temple’s construction. Here is a timeline of what has happened in Kashmir in a year.

August 5, 2019

Amit Shah says in Rajya Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir to be bifurcate into two union territories. It ceases to be a state and is split into two units: Jammu & Kashmir, and Leh.

Telecommunications restricted in Kashmir valley.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP and chief whip Bhubaneshwar Kalita resigns from the membership of the House opposing the party's stand on the matter.

Samajwadi Party member Sanjay Seth resigns from Upper House.

August 6

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa says his troops are prepared to "go to any extent" to help Kashmiris.

Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah placed under house arrest. Kashmiri politician Sajad Lone is detained at his home, too

National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah says, "They divided regions, will they divide hearts too? Will they divide Hindus and Muslims? I thought my India was for all, everyone who believes in secular, unity."

Opposition parties in Sikkim seek assurance from the Centre that the state's special status enshrined under the Article 371(F) will not be disturbed.

August 7

Pakistan expels Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, says it will not send its high commissioner-designate to New Delhi.

Pakistan downgrades its diplomatic ties with India, suspends bilateral trade.

August 8

Petition filed in the Supreme Court against the government's decision to allegedly impose restrictions and other regressive measures in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Supreme Court refuses to accord urgent hearing to a plea challenging the Presidential Order on Article 370.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterates his appeal to all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint amidst tensions over Kashmir.

Pakistan refuses to allow Afghanistan to import goods from India via the Wagah border, saying that the transit trade was a bilateral and not a trilateral issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi assures the people of Jammu and Kashmir that they will get opportunity to elect their representatives in a transparent way.

August 9

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi rushes to China to discuss the Indo-Pak tensions.

The United States says that there is no change in its policy on Kashmir and called on India and Pakistan to maintain calm and restraint.

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval meets Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and takes stock of the situation.

August 10

Pakistan suspends Delhi-Lahore friendship bus service, two cross-border trains. 

The National Conference moved the Supreme Court to the changes made in the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, contending that these have taken away rights of its citizens without their mandate.

August 11

India cancels Samjhauta Express train on its side after Pakistan's decision a day earlier.

August 14

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal sent back to Kashmir from the Delhi airport and detained in Srinagar under the Public Safety Act

Pakistan PM Imran Khan vows to raise Kashmir dispute at every global forum, including the United Nations; questions the silence of the international community.

August 16

Imran Khan discusses Kashmir issue with US President Donald Trump over phone.

UN Security Council holds a closed-door meeting to discuss India revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. India says Pakistan has to stop terrorism to initiate talks.

August 17

More than 50,000 landline phones made operational as services in 17 exchanges of the Kashmir Valley are restored after a period of 12 days. Restrictions on the movement of people also eased.

August 18

A group of former defence officers and bureaucrats move the Supreme Court challenging the presidential orders and the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370

August 21

The BJP plans to carry out a nationwide campaign on the Union government's decision with the help of 2,000 prominent personalities from the fields of film, sport, and academia.

August 23

Imran Khan says Pakistan won't seek dialogue with India as it repeatedly rebuffed peace overtures.

August 28

The Supreme Court agrees to hear a bunch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and says a five-judge Constitution Bench would start hearing the validity of the government’s move.

September 4

Imran Khan discusses the situation in Kashmir with visiting foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, amidst tensions with India.

September 16

The Supreme Court asks the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir authorities to see that normalcy is restored on a selective basis in the state while keeping in mind national interest.

September 27

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy informs Rajya Sabha that over 5,000 preventive arrests were made in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5 and 609 of them were still in custody

December 3

The Centre said terror incidents declined since August 5 but infiltration attempts from across the border increased. Union minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy also said in Lok Sabha that the security forces neutralised 157 terrorists in 2019 thus far.

December 12

The Supreme Court commences the hearing on the constitutional validity of abrogation Article 370. SC indicates it may consider the question of referring the issue to a larger 7-judge bench after hearing the preliminary submission of all the parties.

January 18, 2020

The Jammu and Kashmir administration orders the restoration of the prepaid mobile service in the Valley besides the 2G mobile data service on postpaid connections for accessing "whitelisted" sites across the Jammu division.

March 2

The Supreme Court declines to refer to a larger 7-judge bench a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of abrogation of Article 370.

March 4

Union Minister Piyush Goyal says Jammu and Kashmir received 44 expressions of interest for investment amounting to over Rs 13,000 crore in nearly four months after Article 370 was abrogated.

March 21-to date

Lockdown due to coronavirus. Various incidents of infiltration from terrorists.

August 4

Curfew in parts of Kashmir ahead of the first anniversary of Article 370