Observer Report New Delhi
The Indian media on Saturday reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had convened a multi-party moot of Kashmiri leaders on June 24 to discuss the possible restoration of the statehood of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) region.
On August 5, 2019, Modi’s government revoked articles in the Indian constitution that guaranteed IIOJK’s partial autonomy and other rights including its own flag and constitution.
IIOJK was demoted to a union territory governed directly from New Delhi, while the Ladakh region was carved out into a separate administrative area.
Creating such new “facts on the ground” in IIOJK has long been advocated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the hard-line Hindu parent organisation to Modi’s BJP party.
The move sent a further shudder through India’s 200-million Muslim minority and defenders of its secular traditions, who fear Modi wants to create a Hindu nation.
However, according to latest Indian media reports, informal invitations have been sent to as many as 14 political parties of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. But it was not clear about the real objective of the conference, they added.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reached out to these leaders to invite them to the meeting at the prime minister’s residence to discuss the future course of action, Indian Express quoted officials as saying.
The report added that among those invited are four former chief ministers of IIOJK— Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
Pakistan this week wrote a letter to the UN Security Council President, expressing concerns over reports that India may be contemplating further divisions, bifurcation and demographic changes in the disputed territory.
Given Islamabad’s reaction, it appeared that the Modi government may be bringing more changes to the disputed territory, something that would certainly ignite fresh tensions between Pakistan and India.
The meeting is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. “An intimation has been sent to us. We don’t know exactly what it is about yet but will wait for a formal invitation and then take a call”, said occupied Kashmir leadership.
Mehbooba Mufti said that she did “receive an informal invite and they were discussing it”.
