BJP govt pursuing planned strategy to alter IIOJK’s demographic composition: Civil society

Srinagar: Civil society members in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have said that the BJP-led Indian government is executing a deliberate strategy to alter the territory’s demographic composition, aiming to turn its Muslim majority into a minority.

Civil society members Dr. Zubair Ahmad Raja, Mohammad Furqan, Mohammad Iqbal Shaheen, and Syed Haider Hussain, during a meeting in Srinagar, said that the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A was primarily intended to change the demographic landscape of IIOJK. They pointed out that following the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the Modi government modified domicile laws, and it was recently acknowledged in the regional assembly that 83,000 non-Kashmiris have been granted domiciles in the occupied territory.

Furthermore, they highlighted that India has deployed over a million forces’ personnel in IIOJK, creating an atmosphere of fear and repression that has left the local population feeling threatened and marginalized. These occupying forces, they maintained, are operating with unchecked authority under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), while those who speak out against India’s abuses are often detained under repressive laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The civil society members also drew disturbing parallels between India’s actions in Kashmir and Israel’s policies in Palestine, noting that the establishment of separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits and non-Kashmiris mirrors Israeli-style tactics of settlement and segregation.

They underscored that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory, and stressed that it is the responsibility of the international community to take notice of India’s ongoing illegal actions and pressurize its leadership to resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute.