India postpones census in Kashmir to change population ratio of Muslim-majority region

According to details, the census scheduled to be held this year have been postponed till 2026.

As per data collected in 2011 census, around 68% of occupied Kashmir’s population was Muslim with 28% Hindus and 4% Sikhs and Buddhists.

In a move to change demographics, India under its new Domicile Law issued Kashmir’s domicile to over 1.8 million people including more than six thousand retired army officers of Gorkha community, ten thousand Bihari laborers and five hundred thousand Kashmiri Pandits.

Moreover, Modi led regime has amended two of its laws including ‘The Control of Building and Operation Act, 1988’ and ‘Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, 1970’ to allow construction to army and cantonment boards.

Several thousand kanals of land has been given to Hindu investors after removing the condition of special certificate. A new division is being constituted comprising districts of Kishtwar, Ramban, Doda, Shopian, Anantnag and Kulgam.

India on August 05, 2019 in a unilateral move abrogated Articles 370 and 35A granting special status to occupied Kashmir. The move was followed by imposition of curfew and communication blackout in the valley still intact after four months.

On October 31, 2019 India formally divided the state of Jammu and Kashmir in to two new federally-administered territories as per the constitutional changes approved by the Indian parliament on August 5.

According to the new arrangement, the occupied Kashmir is divided into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which borders China. The two new union territories are now ruled directly from the capital Delhi. As per Indian constitution, union territories have far less autonomy from the federal government than states do.

Pakistan has, ever since, been raising its voice against Indian atrocities and gross human rights violations in Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan also, in his historic speech at UNGA session last year, also highlighted how India has illegally imposed curfew and lockdown in the valley. He also warned the world that the worst humanitarian crisis could unfold in Kashmir followed by a possibility of war between the two nuclear states.

Even the international media, on several occasions, has highlighted the deteriorating situation in Kashmir resulting from the persistent curfew and lockdown.