Staff Reporter
Tactics to change demographics of the occupied valley which have been a linchpin of the BJP’s Hindu-supremacist agenda in post-August 5 Indian Occupied Kashmir were denounced by speakers at the 15th meeting of Institute of Policy Studies-Working Group on Kashmir.
It was observed during the discussion that under the new laws imposed by the Modi government, domicile certificates are being awarded to a number of individuals from outside the valley as any person who has studied or lived in the region for 15 years is now eligible for domicile.
Even the children of Indian government employees who have served in IOK for ten years are eligible to purchase land and properties.
The agenda of the meeting organized by IPS was to discuss Indian attempts to change the demography of Kashmir during the last two years.
It was observed during the discussion that under the new laws imposed by the Modi government, domicile certificates are being awarded to a number of individuals from outside the valley as any person who has studied or lived in the region for 15 years is now eligible for domicile.
Even the children of Indian government employees who have served in IOK for ten years are eligible to purchase land and properties.
The speakers rued the fact that Indian army and paramilitary forces, which have already illegally occupied tens of thousands of acres of private and public land, have been given legal impunity against usurping and occupying any land which they deem ‘strategic’ under new laws.
Nasir Qadri chastised the Indian government’s action of setting up the Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Development Corporation that can acquire any land in the disputed valley.
Abrar Hussain was of the view that abrogation of Article 370 and 35A was indicative of Indian designs to change the demography of IOK as 1.8 million bogus or fake domiciles have already been issued till February 2021.
Concluding the session, Khalid Rahman underscored that the resistance sentiment among Kashmiris still prevails despite coercive actions and a narrative war is going on to create discouragement among the people of Kashmir across the LoC.
