Modi Marks Seven Years of Article 370 Abrogation, Hails Transformation

Seven years ago, on August 5, 2019, the government of India ended a special rule called Article 370.

This rule had given a part of India called Jammu and Kashmir the power to have its own constitution, flag, and some separate laws.

When the rule ended, the full Constitution of India started to apply there, and the old state was split into two areas: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the change was good, because roads, schools, hospitals, and sports have grown, and women and other groups now have more rights.

He says lots of people are visiting holy places like Vaishno Devi and Amarnath, and the city of Srinagar won international awards for its crafts.

Many people agree with him, but not everyone.

The leader of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, says the change took away the region's rights and threatens its identity, and he wants to undo it.

His party, the National Conference, held a protest in Srinagar to ask for the old special status back.

This year is also the 125th birthday of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, whose ideas were linked to the decision.