Article 370 was added to the Indian constitution soon after the parcel of British India to give independence to the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir until a decision was made about its rule. It limited the power of India's central government over the territory. A related arrangement gave state lawmakers the power to decide who could purchase land and be a permanent resident - an arrangement that irked numerous non-Kashmiris.

 

In spite of the fact that it was intended to be temporary, Article 370 says that it must be abrogated with the consent of the legislative body that drafted the state constitution. That body dissolved itself in 1957, and India's Supreme Court ruled a year ago that Article 370 is therefore a permanent aspect of the constitution.

 

The Modi government disagrees and says the president of India, who is beholden to the decision party, has the power to revoke the article.

 

The immediate cause was the Feb. 14 suicide bombing by a youthful Islamic militant, who blew up an escort of trucks conveying paramilitary forces in Pulwama in southern Kashmir.

 

Indian aircraft responded to that assault by flying into Pakistan and terminating airstrikes near the town of Balakot. The Indian government claimed it was assaulting an instructional course for Jaish-e-Mohammed, the terrorist bunch that claimed responsibility for the bombing.

 

The next day, Pakistani and Indian fighter jets engaged in a clash over Indian-controlled territory, and Pakistani forces downed an Indian aircraft — a maturing Soviet-era MiG-21 — and captured its pilot. It was the first aerial conflict between the adversaries in quite a while.

 

Pakistan quickly returned the pilot, easing the diplomatic tensions. Be that as it may, Mr. Modi exploited a wave of a patriot fervor over the Pulwama assault as a major aspect of his re-election crusade that helped his Bharatiya Janata Party win a sweeping triumph.

 

Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan, was elected a year ago with the support of his nation's powerful military, and he needs to show that he can confront India, even as his nation's economy is frail to the point that he looked for bailouts from Saudi Arabia and China.

 

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