How India has rejected Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Article 370 stance

On December 13, 2023, India furiously rebuffed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) arguments, which expressed concern about the Indian Supreme Court’s verdict maintaining the 2019 revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded Jammu and Kashmir special status. In the ruling, the Supreme Court supported the repeal of Article 370, pronouncing it a transitory measure. The court stated that the move to terminate the special status of Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 was lawful. It highlighted that Occupied Kashmir is an integral part of India because it could not achieve internal sovereignty after joining the Union. This decision marked a significant advancement in a long-standing and tough geopolitical situation. A Constitution Bench composed of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant unanimously approved the government’s decision to invalidate Article 370 of the Constitution on the grounds because it was merely an interim measure. The Court stated, “We hold that Article 370 is a temporary provision. It was introduced to serve transitional purposes, to provide for an interim arrangement until the Constituent Assembly of the State was formed and could take a decision on the legislative competence of the Union on matters other than the ones stipulated in the instrument of accession and to ratify the Constitution. Second, it was for a temporary purpose, an interim arrangement, in view of the special circumstances because of the war conditions in the State.” Furthermore, the Supreme Court mentioned that the State of Jammu and Kashmir no longer had any aspect of sovereignty following the execution of the IoA (Instrument of Accession) and the declaration issued on November 25, 1949, by which the Indian Constitution was adopted. In response, the OIC’s General Secretariat articulated profundity about the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of India on December 11, 2023. This decision endorsed the nullification of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) special status. Regarding the Jammu and Kashmir problem, the General Secretariat referred to earlier decisions and resolutions from the Islamic Summit and the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. It reaffirmed a call to rescind any illegal and unilateral decisions initiated in August 2019 that altered the worldwide recognised contested status of the territory. And urged the international community to reprise its efforts to reach a resolution in conformity with UN Security Council resolutions. Later, by rejecting the statement of OIC’s General Secretariat the Ministry of External Affairs of India slammed the international organisation of Muslim nations, for opposing the Supreme Court’s recent order upholding the Central government’s decision to abolish Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. In an implicit reference to Pakistan, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated that it is ill-informed and ill-intended and the organisation issued the statement at the request of a “unrepentant promoter of cross-border terrorism,” damaging its own legitimacy. Over time, India’s relationship with the OIC has deteriorated. The OIC generally backs Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, which is a sensitive subject for India. Except for Pakistan, India’s relations with several OIC members have improved tremendously in recent years. But the contradictory stance on Article 370 by the OIC may have an impact on bilateral relations between India and member countries of the Islamic organisation and also have consequences for the broader international world order. Conflicting positions may strain diplomatic relations, hurting collaboration on a variety of fronts, including trade, security, and regional stability. Likewise, depending on how these differences are handled, they may set norms for dealing with similar issues globally, thereby affecting the standards and values that underlie international relations. Addressing distinct perspective through conversation and diplomacy will be critical to sustaining international peace and cooperation in this context. The author is a former ICWA research intern. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.