On 5th august 2019, the Indian government revoked the special status given to Kashmir under article 370 of the Indian constitution. Upon introduction, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 caused pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. Despite political opposition in both houses of parliament, the Ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) was able to get the Bill passed with ease.
The Reorganization Bill contains provisions to reconstitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories, one to be eponymously called Jammu and Kashmir, and the other Ladakh. The bill, which comes into effect on 31st October, will grant the New Delhi more autonomy of this previously self-administered region. Despite retaining a legislative assembly, the newly formed ‘Union Territories’ will not able to pass legislation on pressing local issues such as “public order” and “police”, which will remain as the law-making powers of the union government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his case for the revocation of article 370. In a 40-minute long televised address to the nation, he said it would fight corruption and boast the economic conditions in the region. He also stated that the special constitutional provisions under article 370 had “given nothing but secessionism, terrorism, nepotism and widespread corruption on a large scale” to Jammu and Kashmir. Modi’s address painted Kashmir as a backwaters violent place ruled by the corrupt. The only way forward, he argued, was with increased integration with the rest of India, even if this came at the cost of an ethnic cleansing of this Muslim minority. There are currently reports of 300 girls kidnapped and sent to army installations, over 3000 youth aged 15-35 years who have been captured and moved throughout India, 182 youth that have been killed in Indian jails due to the Indian crackdown on Jammu and Kashmir. The area has been subjected to over 24 days of media blackout and curfew.
This move played well with Modi and the BJP’s voter base, majority of which identify as Hindu Nationalists. The Prime Minister was seen as selling a sunny promise of the future to a region which had seen decades of violence. Much of the Indian main stream media, which has aligned itself with the BJP, celebrated Modi’s “Bold move”. Over the past few years these channels have used Kashmir as a convenient tool to stir up nationalist sentiments. Modi and the BJP’s popularity means, domestically they’ll face little backlash.
In Europe and North America, India’s actions have attracted almost universally negative coverage. Reports of human rights violations coming out of the valley have alarmed the international community. The military lockdown and communications blackout imposed by the Indian government since last month has crippled life in the Muslim-majority Kashmir region. The use of pellet guns on protestors has also been prevalent.
The rise of a muscular brand of Hindu nationalism has raised concerns of fascist elements within India’s leading political party, the BJP. Some claim that this sudden takeover of Kashmir is a fulfillment of an ideological yearning, to subjugate a predominantly Muslim population to Modi’s vision, of a homogeneous Hindu Nation. In the past Modi has been accused of inciting violence against the Muslim populations of Gujrat in 2002. His inaction as the chief minister of the state earned him condemnation from the west. His far-right Hindu nationalist views can be traced back to his days in the training camps of RSS, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the right wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organization that is widely regarded as the parent organization of the BJP, Modi’s political party.
Despite pressure from the foreign press, Indian diplomats have stuck to Modi’s narrative. To be seen as the savior of violence ridden Kashmir rather than conqueror. The U.S has stated that, this is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, and taken a neutral position. President Trump said, “The Prime Minister (Modi) really feels he has it under control”. Arab countries have also refused to take notice in fear of losing business opportunities in India. Pakistan’s backing of terrorist groups in the valley has leached the issue of international backing.
Five members of the U.S congress have publicly called on India to lift its communications blockade. New Delhi will continue to have a hard time selling its narrative to the foreign press. Modi’s India is increasingly being seen as rigid, anti-Muslim and a Hindu Nationalist state. During partition of India in 1947, an estimated 20000-100000 Muslims were massacred in Jammu at the hands of RSS to make a homogenous and politically unified India. The same political agenda is respected by the current Indian government and the Kashmiri population is at risk, again. International condemnation and action is necessary to prevent the next genocide of Indian Minorities.
ACTIONS NEEDED TO STOP THE KASHMIRI MASSACRE:
Necessary actions intended to prevent such an atrocity include:
- Declaration of RSS as a terrorist and extremist organization,
- BJP as a sympathizer of extremism, and
- Modi as a Hindu extremist,
- Followed by declared sanctions against India and
- Immediate withdrawal of Indian forces from Kashmir.
Dr. Mukarram Zaidi
Canadian Muslim Research Think Tank
Think for Actions
Indian forces clash with Kashmiri Protestors after Eid Prayers (June 5th, 2019). (Photo by Kashmir Life)
Photo by https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk
Muslim man being beaten up by a Hindu Mob. (Still from a viral video on social Media)