Qaisar Mansoor
After illegal re-occupation of Jammu and Kashmir territory on 5 August, 2019, India introduced new domicile laws for the citizenship of the state.
India has long been making attempts to project a false sense of normalcy in IIOJK and change its demographics. Since April 2021, new domicile rules have been adopted and more than 3.2 million Indian citizens were issued domicile certificates in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which was also confirmed by Indian Minister for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy.
India violates Article 2 of the Genocide Convention and Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits occupying forces to “transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies”.
It also violates 85(4) (a) Additional Protocol I, ICC Statutes Article 8(2) (b) (viii) and 22 (3) (b) of the International Law Commission’s Draft Code of Crimes against the Peace and Security of Mankind. Above all, Indian actions in Kashmir violate the UNSC Resolution No 446, 452, 465, 476 and 677. The demographic changes prepare the ground for settlements on the pattern of the Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
Two human rights experts, Fernand de Verennes and Ahmed Shaheed of UNHRC have also expressed grave concerns over the demographic changes being made by BJP-RSS regime in occupied Kashmir. The increase of 5 electoral seats of Jammu whereas only one in Kashmir valley is an attempt to change demography. Massive investment is being diverted to entrepreneurs to make them a part of this settlement process.
Special colonies have been established in IIOJK for army personnel, Pundits and former Indian civil servants. Recently, ‘Delimitation Commission’ headed by Justice (Rtd) Ranjna Parkash visited Occupied Jammu and Kashmir from 2-5 April 2022. They hold consultations with locals, civil society members and political parties before making its final draft public by 6 May.
The aim of Delimitation Commission is nothing to pitch the people against each other ignoring the population/ census. J&K’s main regional parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party have rejected the recommendations of the panel terming them ‘biased’ and ‘unacceptable’.
Mehbooba Mufti has accused the Commission of “serving the interests of BJP.” Congress leader G A Mir has termed the Commission’s report as “highly objectionable”. The whole exercise is to hold and win elections to show the world normalcy in IIOJK.
