BHUBANESWAR: Common Kashmiris never sought independence from India, and the abrogation of Article 370 represents a restoration of the region’s past and a reassertion of its history, said author and ICHR chairperson Prof Raghuvendra Tanwar at the Odisha Literary Festival (OLF) 2026 on Saturday.
Speaking at a session titled ‘Writing on Kashmir: Contested Past, Conflicted Present’, moderated by senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai, Tanwar said Kashmir’s past has never been contested, but several false narratives have been built around the region.
“Show me one line where the common Kashmiri is talking about independence. On the contrary, you have countless reports of people saying Pakistan is a sinking state and there is no question of Kashmir going that side,” Tanwar said.
Tanwar blamed Sheikh Abdullah for what he described as a contradictory position, alleging that he was “one man in the Valley and another man outside the Valley.”
“There is no contemporary evidence of anyone asking for special status. If you look at the debates in the Constituent Assembly following the introduction of Article 370, it is amazing. How did this come into being? One man was responsible. And, of course, the rest is history,” Tanwar said.
He said the revocation of Article 370 is, in fact, a restoration of Kashmir’s past and a reassertion of its history. “It may be contentious and people can have a different view. But I look at it like this.”
Tanwar said many people referred to Kashmir as though its history began only in the 1940s or the 19th century. However, Kashmir is among the few regions in India with a written history stretching back nearly 3,000 years, he said. “You’d also be surprised to know that Sanskrit was the language spoken and written up to the 16th century in Kashmir.”
Discussing his book ‘Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Through the Ages’, Tanwar argued that Kashmir’s history extends far beyond the events of the 19th and 20th centuries. He said the Kashmir issue was never simply a question of demography, but one of spiritual and cultural connections that could not be ignored. The discussion also explored Kashmir’s unique multi-faith cultural identity, in which Tanwar said that even after the arrival of Islam, there was strong continuity in patterns of life and traditions.
Despite incidents of targeted killings of Hindus, Tanwar said the Valley was moving towards normalcy. The professor said several of his Kashmiri friends, including Kashmiri Pandits, have started returning to Kashmir, hiring houses and renting homes.