Always a restive territory, the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir
is expected to see a huge upsurge in disquiet following Monday’s move by
India’s Hindu nationalist government to permanently revoke Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted Kashmir broad autonomy.
Under Article 370, Kashmir was allowed almost total self-governance,
beyond military and foreign affairs. The revocation not only eliminates
this, but will allow Hindu settlers to buy land, permanently settle in
Kashmir, and hold local government positions.
This is seen by many as the major point, as India’s government has long
struggled with independence ambitions in Muslim-dominated Kashmir, and
may believe they can rapidly change the region’s demographics.
Constitutional experts are questioning the legality of this abrupt move, and a substantial legal challenge is expected to the government’s move, which comes amid an ongoing crackdown in the region.
On top of the internal unrest, protests have begun across neighboring Pakistan, where many Muslim groups have long supported Kashmiri independence bids.
India Revokes Kashmir’s Autonomy, Raising Fears of More Unrest
Critics see move as an attack on Muslim-majority region
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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