The Sixth Anniversary of Article 370 Abrogation: Udhampur Takes Center Stage
August 5, 2025, was no ordinary day in Udhampur. The usually calm streets turned into a battleground for ideas and demands as local members of the National Conference (NC) and Congress party marched, waved banners, and shouted slogans. Their message was crystal clear—they want Jammu and Kashmir’s full statehood back, and they want democracy restored to what it used to be before Article 370 was taken away.
NC leaders like Salman Sagar and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra stood right at the front, calling for dignity and self-governance, and arguing that real progress can't happen unless people get their voices and rights back. The urge for dignity and political rights felt especially raw. People aren’t just looking for symbolic gestures; they want their assembly back, their own elected leaders, and the kind of autonomy they used to have.
The protests weren’t just loud—they had their moments of chaos, too. In Krimchi village, a mini-bus heading to a protest site tipped over. Luckily, the incident was minor, but it did rattle nerves, hinting at how passionate and charged these rallies were.
Statewide Echoes and the BJP Celebration
This wasn’t just a Udhampur story, though. All across Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Srinagar and Jammu, political parties that once held sway—NC, Congress, and the PDP—gathered in public places, demanding a rollback of the sweeping changes brought in six years ago. The PDP and Congress painted the central government as increasingly authoritarian, accusing it of ignoring the wishes of ordinary people with a heavy-handed approach. Their rallies called out the need for real elections and meaningful representation. They say that the absence of an elected government leaves people feeling sidelined in their own home.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, wasn’t about to let the day pass quietly. Instead of protests, they held what they called Tiranga rallies, full of national flags and upbeat speeches. According to BJP leaders and supporters, the ending of Article 370 has brought in new roads, better infrastructure, more investment, and a greater sense of unity with the rest of India. They argue that the fears about the dilution of rights have been exaggerated, and claim most people just want better jobs and schools.
Watching both sides, you can feel the tension between two very different visions for Jammu and Kashmir. Protesters wearing traditional shawls and carrying placards marched past security checkpoints as BJP supporters waved the national flag and celebrated six years of what they see as historic progress. Everyday folks watched all this unfold from sidewalks, discussing in small groups which side really speaks for them now.
It’s hard to predict where things are headed next, but the anniversary this year wasn’t just about old political wounds. It turned the spotlight back to questions that still matter deeply—Will Jammu and Kashmir get its statehood back? Will voters get to pick their own leaders anytime soon? Has the region really seen the promised benefits, or are people still waiting? Moving forward, the pressure is on both the government and the opposition to show they can offer more than just slogans and rallies.
