Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory in northern India. It comprises two major regions: Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. A third region, Ladakh, along with Jammu and Kashmir, was a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir until 2019. After the abrogation of Article 370, the state was broken into two: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The region is known for breathtaking landscapes with a history going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, with evidence of various empires — Gandhara, Mauryan, Kushan, Gupta, Mughal, and Dogra — ruling the area.
The region has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since its 1947 accession to India. The two countries fought a war that resulted in the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC) and divided the region into Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Both Pakistan and China claim portions of Indian-administered Kashmir and Ladakh regions. It has been marred with violent incidents of militancy, which gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s. The situation, fuelled by various grievances including political alienation, human rights abuses, and economic disparities, has resulted in prolonged conflict and counterinsurgency operations by security forces.
It is important to reiterate the reason why 5 August was chosen by BJP to abrogate Article 370 so that people understand the philosophy of the party in power. It was in 1938 that the Muslim Conference (which later became the National Conference) headed by Sheikh Abdullah gave the call for observing 5th August 1938 as Responsible Government day. This was a revolutionary step for till then the National Conference was chiefly agitating for more jobs and other facilities for Muslims changed tack and started agitating for the change from feudal rule by a Hindu Maharajah to a responsible government in which all people of the State irrespective of caste,creed or religion would be stake holders. Some Hindus and Sikhs including Jia Lal Kilam, Kashyap Bandhu and Sardar Budh Singh supported this demand and took part in Drafting the National Demands Document.This led to a National Demands agitation which was supported by All India States People Conference led by Jawaharlal Nehru. The National Demands document was adopted first by the people of Rajkot and then by people of many other Princely States kick starting a struggle for responsible government in all Princely States. The movement against feudal rule and the anger against feudal rulers was according to Ian Copland used by Patel and Menon to persuade the rulers of Princely States ruled by Hindu Rulers to submit to the rule of a secular Congress. BJP considers the 5th August Responsible Government Day celebrated on 5th August 1938 in Kashmir as responsible for the ultimate replacement of Hindu Rule by a secular rule and hence its choice of 5th August for fragmenting and destroying the Jammu and Kashmir State. It may seem odd to many but there is a big group represented by the party in power which believes in Hindutva and would have preferred an India with Hindu Maharajahs i.e. a Hindu Rashtra. It considers the integration of States ruled by Hindu Maharajahs into a secular India by Nehru’s party as a great setback.The Malegaon episode shows that this viewpoint is very much alive.As it was the Responsible Government Day celebrated on 5th August 1938 which kick started the movement in Princely States against the Maharajahs hence it is considered a black day by Hindutva parties .This is why Article 370 was abrogated on August 5.