Dr Muhammad Khan
SINCE 01 April 2020 over 400,000 Kashmiri domiciles have been issued to non-Kashmiri Hindus in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). This is worst form of exploitation and human rights violation of Kashmiris by India. All Indian Government doing in IIOJ&K aims illegal settlement of millions of non-Kashmiri Hindus in the occupied state for changing the demographic character of the state. In the garb of continuous siege and curfew for the last fourteen months in IIOJ&K, Indian authorities have started diluting Kashmir culture and civilization through various means. Besides, Kashmiri identity is being put into question. In the wordings of Professor Dr SaibaVarma, “Given the history of Indian state intervention in occupied Kashmir, there are efforts to destroy the local, distinctive cultural identity of Kashmiris and forcibly assimilate Kashmiri Muslims into a Hindu, Indian polity.” Professor Dr Saiba Varma is professor of cultural and medical anthropology at the University of California, San Diego.
It is to be noted that India imposed “Adaptation of State Laws Order-2020”in Indian occupied Kashmir on April 1, 2020. Introduction of these laws after illegally undoing the statehood of IIOJ&K on August 5, 2019 was another major illegal step of India. It was a great violation of UN resolution and its own constitution besides the constitution of IIOJ&K. This law was introduced to make demographic changes in IIOJ&K. Indeed, the local’s residency rights were introduced in Jammu and Kashmir in 1927 by Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of Kashmir. The local Kashmiri population had in fact fought for these rights. These laws were aimed to stop the influx of outsiders in the former princely state. Maharaja brought land ownership rights on the insistence of Kashmiris and later Sheikh Abdullah ensured their incorporation in Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution. These two Articles ensured Kashmiris their special status until August 5, 2020.
The new domicile laws introduced by India in April 2020 are meant to change the demography of the State. Apart from the recently announced amendment in the domicile laws, India has already devised four methods to make demographic changes in the Valley are of the state. One: establishment of Sanik colonies in various parts of the Valley where retired officers and soldiers of Indian Army and its paramilitary forces will be settled. These officers and soldiers from various parts of India will get legality under the new laws of the domicile under which anyone who has served in IOK for a period of over 15 years will get Kashmiri nationality. Two: 17000 kanals of land has been allotted for making fortified colonies for the Kashmiri Pandits who were forced by Indian Army and Governor Jagmohan in the 1990s to migrate to India so that Muslim Kashmiris can be punished with clarity.
According to Mr Mohammad Yusuf Taing, an 80-year-old political commentator, in the IoK, Governor Jagmohan was appointed on the night of January 19, 1990. Immediately after that there was a mass evacuation of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley to Jammu and various Indian States. Once Pandits left the Valley in huge numbers, the Indian army undertook the shameful Gawkadal massacre of the Kashmiri Muslims. The Gawkadal massacre was named after the Gawkadal Bridge in Srinagar, where on January 21, 1990, the Indian Army and paramilitary troops massacred over 54 peaceful Kashmiri protesters and injured over 300. This killing by Indian Army has been described as “the worst massacre in Kashmiri history”, through the use of brutal force.
Three; the Hindu migrants from West Pakistan will be settled in various parts of the Valley. These Hindus have been residing in Jammu since they migrated in 1947. As per new amended laws of the domicile, these Hindus fulfil the criteria to have Kashmiri domicile. Four: Over 800 kanals of Kashmiri land on the north of Srinagar has already been allotted for Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. This forest land is meant to settle the Hindu population from various parts of India. In the garb of Hindu shrine, this all is meant for the demographic changes in the valley, which have over 95% Muslim population. The indirect strategy of occupation through demographic changes in IIOJ&K has always been on the agenda of Indian State which was gradually executed by successive governments starting from Nehru. It is just a matter of time that the BJP holds rule in India with 2/3 majority to amend laws, which otherwise could not have been possible. The world has not reacted to what India has done to Kashmiris in last the three decades, starting from 1990. There have massive human rights violations in IIOJ&K at the hands of Indian Army and its paramilitary forces. Unfortunately, there was no tangible global response from international community against Indian atrocities in IIOJ&K.
Kashmiris expected from international community that Indian illegal act of relegating their state to union territory will be resented by UN, EU, OIC and major powers. But nothing really happened after India introduced Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act-2019. As said by Mr Swamy, a senior Indian BJP leader in April 2020, India will make sure that no state in India should have over 30% Muslims population, the demographic changes in IIOJ&K are part of the same strategy. Time has come that Government of Pakistan must make a reference to ICJ against the illegal Indian act of making demographic changes in IIOJ&K. This is indeed a grave violation of Fourth Geneva Convention-1949 and also part of human rights violation.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
