By scraping the law, they are turning Kashmir into Afghanistan as it has destroyed their identity, left them jobless, confiscated their land, and looted their resources. Being in the majority in the parliament, the BJP has weaponized institutions, altered the constitution, and crushed all forms of dissent, including the media.
Since the Indian parliament revoked Article 370 in 2019 (which granted the state of Jammu and Kashmir extensive autonomy from the rest of the nation), the Muslim majority population in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir has continued to harbor great resentment.
Thousands of troops were rushed to the area in the time leading up to the announcement, and most channels of contact were blocked off. Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, two of the state’s former chief ministers, were also placed under house arrest.
In a recent interview (6th February 2023), Mufti denounced the draconian decision to revoke article 270 and appealed to the opposition parties to rise against this atrocious move. Furthermore, she stated that by scraping the law, they are turning Kashmir into Afghanistan as it has destroyed their identity, left them jobless, confiscated their land, and looted their resources. “Today, Kashmir will look like Afghanistan to you because of the bulldozers“, she added.
Locals are now being evicted as 45,000 hectares of land are given to outsiders, a move that has been compared to what Israel is currently doing to the Palestinians. She has pleaded with the leaders of the Indian opposition, including Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, not to remain silent and speak out.
The reality on the ground is much more frightening since locals with three Marla houses are even seeing their homes bulldozed by Indian troops as part of an anti-encroachment move, catering only to the wealthy. The ex-CM has warned that residents of the Ladakh region are furious with outsiders taking their jobs and land, but it appears that this politics of hatred created by the BJP suits them.
Moreover, she stated that although Kashmir is of no importance to the government, it is crucial for their hate politics, politics of one nation, religion, and language. By being in the majority in the parliament, the BJP has weaponized institutions, altered the constitution, and crushed all forms of dissent, including the media.
Article 370 was the central justification for many Kashmiris living under Indian rule. The BJP government has fundamentally altered Delhi’s relationship with the area by cancelling it, and the majority of Kashmiris think that the administration’s ultimate goal is to change the demography of the Muslim-majority region.
