In the shadow of bayonets and amidst the oppressive presence of over one million Indian troops, the first phase of the so-called elections in Occupied Kashmir (IIOJ&K) has taken place, representing not democracy but a tactical spectacle devised by the Modi government. With the collusion of the Indian Supreme Court, the intention behind these elections is unmistakable: to legitimize the illegal actions of 5 August 2019, when Article 370 and 35A were abrogated, stripping the region of its special status. The Modi regime aims to appoint a Hindu Chief Minister in the valley, erasing the Muslim identity of the region, an insidious maneuver that runs counter to the principles of democracy and human rights. The Assembly in IIOJ&K, which has 90 seats, with 47 seats from Kashmir and 43 seats from Jammu, is intended to favor the Hindu-majority regions, which further diminishes representation and undermines the voice of the Muslim majority. Despite these manipulations, the Chief Minister’s role post-election will be reduced to a mere puppet, as the Lieutenant Governor, vested with enhanced powers, will act as the actual overseer, subverting any democratic will expressed by the people. The upcoming second and third phases of voting on 25 September and 1 October are not steps toward self-governance, but rather it is a continuation of a deception designed to mislead the world into believing that Kashmiris have a voice in determining their own future.
Fake Elections in Occupied Kashmir
The brutal irony of these elections is that they are being conducted while the Kashmiri independence leadership remains silenced, imprisoned, or coerced into submission. This grotesque political theater flies in the face of UN resolutions that recognize Kashmir’s right to self-determination. Human rights organizations and the UN’s silence, specifically, speaks volumes. Their tacit approval of Indian aggression is a grim testament to the failure of global institutions in addressing the crisis in Kashmir. India’s political leadership, from Nehru’s promise in Lal Chowk to the abrogation of Article 370, has betrayed Kashmiris at every turn. Viceroy Lord Mountbatten’s assertion that Kashmir’s accession was temporary has long been forgotten, as Modi’s fascist government now ruthlessly enforces policies aimed at permanently integrating the region into India, ignoring the will of the Kashmiri people. The Modi government’s nefarious demographic engineering can be seen through the actions taken after 2019 like granting 4.4 million domiciles to non-Kashmiri Hindus and disproportionately increasing Jammu’s assembly seats. The acts are not mere rights violations but deliberate attempts to alter the Muslim-majority status in the region, aiming to marginalize Kashmiri Muslims.
Kashmiris feel a deeper sense of disenfranchisement due to the distorted delimitation of constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite Muslims making up 68.3% of the population, Jammu, a Hindu-majority region, was allocated 43 Assembly seats, while the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley received 47. This reflects the Modi government’s aim to increase Hindu representation and decrease Muslim political influence, as seen with the merger of Muslim-majority districts into the Anantnag constituency. The BJP, who is aggressively contested, benefits from the divisiveness of Muslim votes among various political factions, causing further deterioration of Kashmiris’ political identity and rights. Meanwhile, the ground realities in Kashmir tell a story of repression and state-sponsored terror. Under the Modi regime, the valley has become a virtual concentration camp, where fundamental rights and religious freedoms are systematically prohibited. Kashmiri media, once the voice of the voiceless, has been suppressed under the dictatorial dictatorship. Journalists face arrest, intimidation and censorship, while the international media remains largely absent or disinterested.
Properties of prominent freedom fighters, including Syed Ali Geelani and Shabbir Ahmad Shah, have been confiscated, further illustrating the lengths to which the Indian government will go to silence dissent. The ongoing crackdown on the Hurriyat leadership and Jamaat-e-Islami members is part of a larger strategy to eliminate any organized opposition to Indian rule. Modi’s long-term strategy for Kashmir echoes the atrocities of other genocidal regimes, as he appears to be in the midst of creating a Rohingya like situation for Kashmiri Muslims.
Modi Wants to Deflect Attention from the Violations of HR in Occupied Kashmir
Pakistan has consistently advocated for peace and dialogue with India, despite Indian provocations. However, Modi’s government has made use of incidents such as the Pulwama attack to increase hostilities in the Line of Control and justify its continuing crackdown on Kashmiris. The election campaign in IIOJ&K is dominated by anti-Pakistan rhetoric, with BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah exploiting nationalist sentiments to attract voters. Their inflammatory statements that blame Pakistan for the unrest in Kashmir are just an attempt to divert attention from the actual problem: the denial of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. The BJP’s election manifesto, which portrays Kashmir as an integral part of India and vilifies Pakistan, is a transparent effort to boost Hindu votes without sacrificing the lives and freedoms of Kashmiris. It’s obvious what Modi wants from this election: to further solidify Indian rule over Kashmir while using it as an opportunity to deflect attention from the violations of human rights taking place under his watch.
IIOJ&K’s elections are only a facade, a carefully crafted narrative that is aimed at legitimizing the illegal and oppressive rule of the Indian state. The international community, especially the UN and human rights organizations, must speak up and hold India accountable for its actions. The world cannot remain silent as the Modi government continues to undermine democracy, erase Kashmir’s Muslim identity and impose its fascist agenda on the valley. Kashmiris, who have long been denied their right to self-determination, deserve the opportunity to determine their future through a free and fair referendum, not a bogus election held at gunpoint. Any claim of democracy in the region will be a cruel joke if the voices of the Kashmiri people are not heard and respected.
