This week, the Delhi chief minister walked out of a farmers' conference arranged by his party after being asked what he thought of the reading down of Article 370 by Gurjant Singh Mansa, district vice-president of the Punjab Kisan Union.
"How come this is a farmers' issue?" an agitated Arvind Kejriwal questioned. He left, believing he was being deliberately maligned because of his support for Narendra Modi's efforts to demolish Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional status.
Farmers, on the other hand, are accustomed to the long haul, closely monitoring the weather and meticulously preparing. They understand that the reading down of Article 370, as well as the manner Jammu and Kashmir was handled, had far-reaching consequences that extended beyond the state's borders.
First, there's the absolute impunity with which this constitutional amendment was rammed through without any formal pre-legislative consultation, listing, warning, or involving a Standing Committee on such a critical topic, or discussing the matter in Parliament over a few days.
That gave a blueprint for the Modi government on how to look 'decisive' while undermining legislative scrutiny provisions. Last year, the three agricultural bills were passed in record time on a voice vote, with no committees or consultation, and the Rajya Sabha Chairman did not even wait for the House to be in order.
Second, Parliament made decisions for the state Assembly! That signalled how the Modi government would regard state voices. Farm Laws is mostly the responsibility of the states. However, the hasty dismissal of Article 370 gave a precedent for how to address this matter as well, trampling on state rights and bypassing state laws.
Finally, Article 371, which comes after Article 370 in the Constitution, guarantees particular measures for states that are backward. This captures the essence of the Constitution, which recognises regional differences in development. Special provisions are granted to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, and Karnataka under Articles 371(A) to 371(J). When Article 370 was repealed in order to fulfill a long-held shibboleth of the Sangh parivar, it sounded an alarm throughout the Northeast.
Amit Shah was forced to declare that Article 371 was not in jeopardy and that the NDA, led by Modi, was committed to preserving traditions and cultures. Despite the NDA's premature celebrations, the prospects for the Naga accord remain dismal.
