Lawmakers seek restoration of IIOJK special autonomy
An Indian security personnel searches bags of passers-by along a street in Srinagar on the eve of the second anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. PHOTO: AFP
Newly-elected lawmakers in the Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) passed a resolution on Wednesday demanding New Delhi restore the special autonomy the disputed territory had for seven decades.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government revoked IIOJK's partial autonomy in 2019, splitting the state into the two federally-administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
By repealing Article 370 of the constitution, people from the rest of India were given the right to acquire property in IIOJK and settle there permanently. Kashmiris as well as critics of India's Hindu nationalist-led government see the move as an attempt to dilute the demographics of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers.
Article 370 had also limited the power of the Indian parliament to impose laws in the state, apart from matters of defence, foreign affairs and communications.
The decision was opposed by opposition parties, and many people were detained in 2019 to forestall a backlash against the shock move. Modi's government also imposed months of curbs on communications in the highly sensitive Kashmir Valley, where tens of thousands have been killed in a decades-long freedom struggle from Delhi's rule.
On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir's newly-elected ruling alliance passed the resolution seeking the restoration, despite protests by BJP lawmakers. "This legislative assembly re-affirms the importance of the special status and constitutional guarantees which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expresses concern over their unilateral removal," it said.
Only the federal government can restore Kashmir's special status. Modi's government is expected to definitely reject the demand as the scrapping of special status was a key BJP plank for decades. There was no immediate reaction from the federal government on the resolution.
Jammu Martyrs Day
Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and around the world observed Jammu Martyrs' Day on Wednesday in memory of the tens of thousands of Muslims who were brutally massacred in Jammu on November 6,1947.
The day observed every year served as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the martyrs and reinforced the Kashmiri people's commitment to their struggle for self-determination.
In early November 1947, hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed by Dogra forces, the Indian Army, and Hindu extremists while attempting to migrate to Pakistan. This massacre, considered one of the first major cases of ethnic cleansing after World War II, aimed to alter the demographics of Jammu and Kashmir by eliminating the Muslim population in the Jammu region.
In Pakistan as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a series of events including anti-India demonstrations, seminars, and special prayer meetings have been organized to pay homage to the Jammu martyrs. The day began with prayers in mosques across AJK, seeking the early liberation of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and for the prosperity of Pakistan and AJK. Quran Khawani sessions and gatherings are being held by social, political, and religious organizations to honor the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people.
In early November 1947, hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed by Dogra forces, the Indian Army, and Hindu extremists while attempting to migrate to Pakistan. This massacre, considered one of the first major cases of ethnic cleansing after World War II, was aimed to alter the demographics of Jammu and Kashmir by eliminating the Muslim population in the Jammu region.
In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Pakistan, a series of events including anti-India demonstrations, seminars, and special prayer meetings have been organized to pay homage to the Jammu martyrs. The day began with prayers in mosques across AJK, seeking the early liberation of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and for the prosperity of Pakistan and AJK. Quran Khawani sessions and gatherings are being held by social, political, and religious organizations to honor the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people.
Kashmiri activists and leaders describe the Jammu massacre as a dark chapter in human history and a glaring example of Hindutva-inspired violence aimed at Kashmiris. They argue that the tragic events of 1947 continue to resonate, as atrocities in IIOJK persist under the current BJP-led government in India. Activists contend that Hindutva forces seek to replicate the demographic changes attempted in Jammu by suppressing the Kashmiri Muslim population through systematic genocide and policies designed to dilute their political and cultural identity.
Civil society organizations have been urging the international community to intervene and hold the Indian government accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Many believe that the ongoing violence and denial of self-determination are rooted in the unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir's status.
As Kashmiris across the world remember the martyrs of the 1947 Jammu massacre, they pledge to continue their resistance against what they view as an oppressive occupation. They call for international attention to the Kashmir issue, underscoring that the scars of the 1947 massacre remain deeply embedded in the collective memory of the Kashmiri people.