The Indo-European Kashmir Forum (IEKF) UK along with the Hindu Council, UK, recently hosted an event to mark the fourth anniversary of the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir in London on Saturday.

Bashad Assad was one of the guests at the event who is on a visit to London from Kashmir. Assad is a journalist, writer and political activist, reported ANI.

Activist Vijay Sazawal attended the event via Zoom call.

The guests spoke about the improved situation in the valley since the revocation of Article 370. They also mentioned the increase in tourism over there, as well as the improvement in trade and jobs in the region, reported ANI.

On Aug  5, 2019, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in India scrapped Article 370 and 35A that accorded a special status to the state.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir was acceded to India through the instrument of accession in 1947, under which special status was granted by New Delhi to Jammu and Kashmir, under Article 370.

Article 370 had allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have its own constitution, flag and right to handle its own laws except on matters that impact national security, but it also became an obstacle to development in the region wracked by terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and the rule of political oligarchy.

Islamic terrorism also saw the exodus of the Hindu Kashmiri Pandit community from the Valley in 1989-90.

The Modi government also bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir state into two union territories- Jammu and Kashmir with an assembly and Ladakh without an assembly.

The Modi government also scrapped Article 35A, which had allowed the Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and also provided special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.