It's not so much that I am against 370 repeal, I am against the process that was used to repeal it. Unfortunately, someone had to do it. As much as I detest the Modi-Shah duo, I am glad they did it. Of course, it has had its drawbacks.
From certain perspective I agree with you.
i.e situation inherited (constant whittling away by each admin to Art 370 scope to begin with)....Modi admin did final coup de grace you can say....shekhar ji refers to it as "jhatka" from time to time.
But I am talking about the larger context regarding the earlier dates with SMA and Kashmir.... Nehru et al. did some crucial mistakes....when India was in position to be lot more gracious and trusting with SMA and the JnK assembly.
SMA never forgot the cold shoulder his delegates got from Jinnah-admin for example (when sent to karachi to negotiate about future arrangements). Then things got lot worse with both the war itself (after standstill agreement) and then objective resolution.
It was big missed opportunity to have robust + totally by the book + principled setup of Kashmir w.r.t India. It was all done by fits and starts with SMA first hand in glove, then a 180 deteoriation in quick time...with him arrested and detained (for a decade or so), then released (before trial for the charges)...reconciliation and then his strong support for Indian cause yet again (given 65 and 71).
This all rests in uncomfy way with lot of Muslim Kashmiris (given this was all
before the jihadi extremism introduced in late 80s by foreign party).
With all that in mind, this 2019 coup de grace when you factor everything in, has made situation worse in Kashmir valley in the minds of many that were defending India's cause...or at least keeping it in mind to balance whatever other sympathies.
Then Modi-admin made it into union territories on top....we know the merits of this argument from ladakhi and also lot of
our perspective.....but it has element of vindictive bullying to many of
their perspective that are already in precarious position. Now we are supposed to just take full on insular approach with them and shout them down or worse?
India cannot operate on this way by making example of few to satisfy majoritarian many....and it should have come clean on abuses/violations of its own declared principles in the past and as quickly as possible.
We either have principles or everything becomes exercise of perceived realism (might makes right). India's vast size might make this somewhat easy to do for powerful....given distance between different groups of people.....but it will inevtiably come reaching for you at some point too.....once given enough precedence and custom.