Since the abrogation of the Article 370 in 2019, India has ruled the disputed territory of Kashmir though the use of force and violence. The people have been depressed, tortured and humiliated by the Indian forces residing in the territory. The already suffocated environment is further tensed by the recent decision of allowing temporarily residing people in Kashmir to vote. It is an attempt by the fascist and Hindu nationalist government of Modi to bring demographic changes in the territory. The move has ignited anger and fear among the natives as it further deteriorates their living conditions and endangers political and social agency.
Since taking charge of India’s government, the administration of Modi has taken multiple steps to change the status of Kashmir in India’s favor. The years of Modi’s rule have magnified the fascist and nationalist agenda of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Starting with the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 that unilaterally stripped the region’s special status, the BJP regime has brutally suffocated the living conditions for Muslims of the region. The recent attempt of the Hindu nationalist government in the form of allowing Indian citizens living temporarily in the Muslim-majority region to be enlisted as voters have outraged the Kashmiris. The effort to change the demographic conditions of the Muslim majority regions is a cause of fear and anger among the oppressed Kashmiris.
The federally controlled electoral officer in Indian-administrated Kashmir announced to add 2.5 million more voters to the 7.6 native voters, which is counted as a sweeping 30 percent increase. The new voters encompass Indians temporarily residing in the region such as the Indian military personnel, private and government sector employees, and migrant workers. The well-planned abrogation of Article 370 formed a base to initiate such a bold move as individuals who were not eligible to vote before are privileged now. The law enables anyone ordinarily living in the valley to cast vote without even having a domicile certificate of the region. It fuels hopelessness and fear among the Muslims of the region as they are curtailed through the systematic use of force and oppression. The goal of such laws is to suppress the popular movement for either an independent state or a merger with Pakistan. The evil designs align with the expansionist agenda of the RSS, which is the ideological wing of the BJP.
The recent move has been condemned by Kashmiri politicians as well as Indian leaders. The former chief minister of Indian-occupied Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti termed the move as the “last nail in the coffin of electoral democracy” in the region. She related the decision to the hawkish policies of Hitler and Israel. The handpicked administration in the region has implemented the will of the federal government but it would not erase the struggle of the Kashmiris as evident in the case of the Nazis and Israel. Despite having such a negative response from the leaders of the territory, the BJP leaders have admired the new policies. Disempowering the Muslim population of the valley is a core goal of Modi’s regime. With each passing day, India is moving a step closer to attaining the agenda. The newly formed policies are a true example of settler colonialism to shake the Muslims and turn them into a political minority. The dispossession of Kashmiris is indeed another tool used by BJP to force demographic changes in the region.
The current injustice against Kashmir is unprecedented in history. While foreign powers have ruled the region, they have not taken such rigid steps to replace the natives with a new population. Violence is a routine, violation of human rights is a norm, and Islamophobia is a fuel used by Modi to sustain its grip over the territory of Kashmir. Allowing non-natives to vote is an endorsement of the decision taken on 5 August 2019 to revoke autonomy and split the historical state of Jammu and Kashmir.
