Kashmir – Another ‘Palestine’ in making

Demographically, Kashmir has remained unchanged since thousands of years, but this time the occupiers have some ominous designs up their sleeves.

As the Indian parliamentary elections draw nearer, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has started tightening its noose on Kashmir. Every now and then, LK Advani is championing that Kashmir will be fully integrated with India, and Article 370 will be revoked.

Article 370 forms a base for so called accession of Kashmir with India, and guarantees internal independence to Kashmiris. According to this article, the Indian Supreme Court can’t pass any law in Kashmir except for the laws pertaining to defense, communication and foreign affairs. Moreover, no foreigner can settle in Kashmir. Due to this law, Kashmir has its own flag, constitution and the local natives are given citizenship.

With the passage of time, the implementation of this law got eroded slowly and steadily. Indian politicians did this to appease some very few voices bellowing for Kashmir’s integration with India. Gradually the center started restricting the little autonomy conferred upon Kashmiris, and started a process of clamping down on all the power resources, which could have generated billions for Kashmir. Today, even for small developmental work, the Govt of Kashmir has to beg before center till they approve the aid.

The ruling party of Kashmir claims of acting as a saviour of Article 370 is a mere lie! In the past, Sheikh Abdullah, the party founder traded Kashmir’s autonomy for a mere Chief Minister seat. On the other hand, the fabricated falsehood of the Indian government lays bare, as Kashmir has been occupied with 700,000 troops that are holding on vast swathes of land. In Srinagar – the capital city of IHK (Indian Held Kashmir), out of 88 square miles of habitable land, 22 square miles is occupied by Indian army.

So isn’t the demographic threat being perpetuated by the Indian Government?

Land has been given to many Indian business tycoons on a 99 years lease. Centaur, a famous five star hotel in Srinagar along Dal river bank is owned by Air India. Few months back, the government enacted a law which was called (SARAFEASI). This law has conferred authority upon the Indian central bank to seize properties of the locals. The Amarnath temple yatra can also be perceived as a demographic threat. Each year, lakhs of Hindu yatris visit Kashmir. The affairs of these religious visitations are handled by non locals, instead of pundits who used to control it before.

The right wing Hindu political parties Bajrang Dal, RSS, Janata Dal hold views that Kashmir is a holy land for them, and the Muslims should be kicked out totally or exterminated. Some call Kashmir as the land of “Sheeshnaag”(Shiva), while others finds linkages to Hindu kings who ruled Kashmir in past. The Government of India is desperately trying to change the demographics of the land, by creating an influx of Hindus.

The ongoing genocide in Jammu & Kashmir by the Indian troops can be considered as an attempt to push back the Muslim demographically.

Since 90s, when India developed diplomatic relations with Israel, they are following the same tactics to retain their illegal hold on Kashmir, as Israel used against Palestinians.

Kashmir is still an unresolved dispute. If the international community doesn’t reign in Indian ambitions, Kashmir would soon emerge as Palestine in South Asia.