Land Grabbing and Forced Eviction’ of Muslims transforming the demographics and identity of IIOJK

Since Article 370 was taken away in 2019, the area of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has gone through political and social changes that have never been seen before. The region’s special status was taken away by this constitutional amendment, which caused widespread concerns about violations of human rights and systematic attempts to change the region’s population structure. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has put in place a number of policies that aim to change the religious and cultural landscape of Muslim-majority areas. These policies have made things even more tense in a region that was already unstable.

India’s government independently got rid of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019. This article had given IIOJK some independence by letting it have its own constitution and property rights. This action made it easier for a number of changes to be made to the law that let people who don’t live in the area buy land and settle there. The main goal of these rules seems to be to change the population so that Hindu settlers are more likely to live there than the native Muslim population. People are strongly against these actions, saying they go against international law and decisions of the UN Security Council (UNSC), which say that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory.

With the new land rules, people are afraid of a “demographic invasion.” New rules make it possible for people who don’t live in the area to buy farmland. Previously, only permanent residents could do so. People with a Hindu majority who came from other parts of India have been able to settle there, pushing out the local Muslim groups. Because of this, some people say the Indian government is trying to change the region’s position as a Muslim majority, which has long been an important part of IIOJK’s identity. Reports that thousands of non-residents, such as government workers and military people, have been given domicile certificates, which let them buy homes and vote in local elections, make these worries even stronger.

The evil plan of BJP to change the demographics of IIOJK has been varied. It includes rules that make it easier for businesses and investors from outside of IIOJK to set up factories and build infrastructure. These projects are officially justified as ways to boost economic growth, but they have also forced local communities to move and changed the way people interact in the area. For example, big areas of farmland and forest have been taken over for industrial projects, with little thought given to how the local people will make a living. Some people say that these policies are not meant to help the people of Kashmir but to strengthen the Indian government’s power over the area.

Concerns about manipulating demographics have grown even more since new voting rules were put in place. Reports say that the number of voters in IIOJK has grown to include thousands of new people from outside the area. A lot of these people are thought to be connected with the BJP, which makes people think that these changes are meant to tip the political scales in favor of the current party. By letting non-residents vote, the Indian government risks weakening the region’s native political representation, which would silence the voices of the region’s mostly Muslim people.

These policies have had a huge effect on the culture and social identity of the area. Jammu and Kashmir’s unique history, which is based in the traditions of its Muslim majority, is becoming more and more in danger. The BJP’s Hindutva ideology pushes a Hindu nationalist story, and you can see this in the cultural and educational changes that have been made in the area. For example, school curricula have been changed to focus on Hindu ideas, which makes the accomplishments and experiences of Kashmiri Muslims less important. People have also said that building temples and Hindu villages in areas that are mostly Muslim is an attempt to change the religious landscape of the area.

The situation in IIOJK has also caused a lot of worry around the world. Pakistan has spoken out against India’s activities many times, saying they are clear violations of international law and UNSC resolutions. The United Nations and Amnesty foreign are two foreign groups that have spoken out against the abuse of human rights in the region. Some of these are arrests for no reason, limits on free speech, and the use of too much force by security forces. Despite this, not much has been done to hold India responsible, so these policies have continued unabated.

Some people say that what India is doing in IIOJK is the same as settlement colonialism, which is the process of replacing the native people with a new group of people who are politically and culturally similar to the ruling state. People have said that this method is like settler colonialism in other situations, like Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. By building communities and changing the population of IIOJK, the Indian government wants to strengthen its control over the area, which goes against the Kashmiri people’s desire for independence.

These measures have also had a big effect on the economy. Taking away farmland and forcing local communities to move has made it harder for people to make a living, especially farmers and small-scale traders. Communities that depend on forests for t      heir survival have been hit the hardest because they need to be able to get to natural supplies. These problems have made poverty and injustice worse in the area, which has made people angry at the Indian government. Some people are against growth projects because they say that the economic benefits go mostly to non-residents and big businesses, while the local people are left out.

Even with all of these problems, the people of IIOJK have shown amazing strength. Even though security forces have cracked down hard, protests and rallies against India’s policies have continued. It is both moral and right for the rest of the world to back the people of Kashmir in their fight for justice and independence. India needs to be held responsible for its actions, and the region’s culture and demographic integrity needs to be protected.

The changes that Indian government made in IIOJK were an intentional attempt to change the political and demographic environment of the area. Because they are based on the BJP’s Hindutva ideology, these policies have pushed the region’s Muslim people to the edges and hurt their unique cultural identity. Critics say that the Indian government’s actions go against international law and the basic rights of the people of Kashmir. The government says that its actions are needed for growth and integration. As things keep getting worse in IIOJK, the international community needs to take strong action to protect the native people who live there and support their right to self-determination.