Revived Focus On Kashmir telegraphindia.com

One of the consequences of the de-operationalization of Article 370 in August 2019 and its related actions was the resurfacing of the Jammu and Kashmir issue on the United Nations Security Council’s radar on August 16, 2019, after nearly 49 years. On December 21, 1971, the Security Council Resolution 307, which was adopted by 13 votes in favour with abstentions by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Poland, was the last time that Jammu and Kashmir were mentioned in any of the Council resolutions. Even this cursory mention was in the light of the India-Pakistan war that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.

On January 15, 2020, the People’s Republic of China requested another briefing in the Council. The mention of any debate in the Security Council rekindles a sense of anxiety within the subcontinent. In this connection, a more nuanced understanding of the granularities that underpin these discussions is required in the light of institutional as well as particular realities related to Jammu and Kashmir that provide an overall context to these discussions. The discussion on Jammu and Kashmir on August 16 and January 15 was under the format, “any other business”, which comes under informal consultations of the Council. Informal consultations are not official meetings of the Council.