Taking J&K people in confidence was essential for execution of Article 370 decision: PM Modi

"There was complete clarity in my mind that taking the public in Jammu and Kashmir into confidence was absolutely essential for the execution of the decision," Prime Minister Narendra Modi says about his government's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The PM’s remarks come in the foreword of a new book titled "370: Undoing the Unjust, A New Future for J&K".

"We wanted the decision, whenever it would be taken, to happen with the concurrence of the people rather than imposition," he writes in the book, researched and written by the non-profit organization BlueKraft Digital Foundation and published under the Penguin Enterprise imprint.

The book mentions in detail how Modi managed to achieve the goal that he set out for himself.

The publishers said the book, which is scheduled to release this month, "chronicles, what is inarguably the greatest constitutional feat in India's history and tells the inside story of how Prime Minister Modi managed the seemingly impossible".

The book "delves into multiple blunders at the time of independence that culminated into the unjust regimen of Article 370. It discusses the social, political, and economic ramifications of Article 370 since its inception in 1949", a statement by Penguin said on Aug 5, which marks five years of the revocation of Article 370.

"It sheds light on the historical reluctance to challenge this provision and the eventual paradigm shift brought about by its abrogation in 2019. Through careful examination, it discusses how the government resolved legal complexities and safeguarded against security threats to successfully execute the historic decision," the statement said.

Replete with anecdotes, the book recounts the events leading to the abrogation and also chronicles the region's history -- from the ancient to contemporary times.

The publishers claimed this is the "first book of its kind on the Modi government where the actual decision-making process has been documented through interactions with top decision makers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

In advance praise for the book, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "An eminently readable account of a crucial decision that has promoted national integration while transforming the development and security landscape of Jammu & Kashmir. It brings out how the political calculations and personal proclivities of an earlier era were finally countered by national sentiment."

(PTI)