Supreme Court Threw Down A Straw But It Was Hailed As A Lifeline scroll.in

Five months after the government revoked the limited autonomy granted to the state of Jammu and Kashmir by the Constitution and imposed a lockdown in Kashmir, the Supreme Court on January 10 gave its judgment on the communication blockade in the Valley. The court held that using the internet to exercise freedom of speech and to practice any profession or business is a fundamental right. It also laid down restrictions on the state’s power to issue prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The decision is being hailed by some as a victory and a judgment for the future.

However, in order to fully assess the impact of the judgement, it is imperative to read it in the larger context of Kashmir and the Supreme Court’s reactions to petitions filed about several other issues arising out of the effective revocation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution which gave Jammu and Kashmir its autonomy.