Six years after the abrogation of Article 370, members of the West Pakistani refugee community in Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, marked 5 August 2025 as their personal 'festival of independence', saying the constitutional changes of 2019 finally delivered the citizenship rights and recognition their community had sought for over seven decades.

What the Day Means to the Community

Lamba Ram Gandhi, president of the West Pakistani Refugee Action Committee, described 5 August 2019 as a watershed moment. 'August 5, 2019, was the icing on the cake for West Pakistani refugee families. For the past 75 years, the community had been waiting for citizenship and equal rights in Jammu and Kashmir, which became possible after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. August 5 holds the same significance as August 15 for the entire country. That is why our community celebrates this day as a festival every year and will continue this tradition in the future,' he said.

Another community member, Romesh Singh, echoed the sentiment, noting that the revocation opened up employment avenues that had previously been out of reach. 'After the revocation of Article 370, the community experienced renewed enthusiasm, and employment opportunities began to emerge. For them, August 5 is no less than a national festival, and they celebrate it with great enthusiasm every year,' Singh said.

Background: Article 370 and the West Pakistani Refugees

Article 370 became part of the Constitution of India when it came into force in 1950, granting special autonomous status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The provision also meant that West Pakistani refugees who had settled in the Jammu region following the 1947 Partition were not entitled to the same rights as other Indian citizens within the state — including property ownership, government employment, and voting rights in state elections.

On 5 August 2019, the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi rendered the provision inoperative through a Presidential Order, simultaneously reorganising Jammu and Kashmir into two separate Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This effectively extended the full rights of Indian citizenship to communities like the West Pakistani refugees who had long been in a legal grey zone.

The Political Fault Line

Not all parties view the anniversary with the same sentiment. Several opposition groups have observed 5 August as a 'Black Day', arguing that the abrogation was constitutionally flawed and that statehood for Jammu and Kashmir must be restored. Gandhi dismissed such characterisations, saying they did not reflect his community's lived experience. 'Some political parties, driven by vote bank politics, are misleading people by claiming that Articles 370 and 35A will be reinstated, even though they know this is impossible. These parties have no other issues left, so they are raising this issue to mislead people,' he said, adding that the remark represented his personal view.

Singh was equally dismissive. 'Whether someone calls it a Black Day or by any other name, August 5 is a day of honour and joy for them. The community members will celebrate the occasion with drums and festivities,' he said.

Celebrations and What Comes Next

Gandhi confirmed that all arrangements for this year's commemorations were in place, with the community planning to mark the occasion with the same 'enthusiasm, grandeur and festive spirit' as in previous years. Both Gandhi and Singh expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what they described as restoring the community's rights.

As the seventh anniversary passes, the West Pakistani refugee community's celebration underscores the deeply divergent ways in which different groups within Jammu and Kashmir continue to interpret one of independent India's most consequential constitutional decisions.