Terrorists fear of these 3Ds is behind killings of Kashmirs non-Muslims – Firstpost

Saving Kashmir from separatists is our civilisational goal and we are winning. But India is up against a dark and violent adversary who will stop at nothing. Knee-jerk responses, loud jingoism, and lapses in patience resolve can break that winning streak

Pakistan-backed separatists lost the war in Kashmir on 5 August 2019, when Article 370 which gave it special status was revoked. Nearly three years later, they are fighting a bloody but defensive battle to salvage domination and demographics.

The terrorism ecosystem has its back against the wall, but mistakes at this point will cost India dearly and undo much of its work in the last three years.

A spate of killings of Hindus in the last few weeks has already shaken up the sense of security the state has been trying to create for the states historically savaged and persecuted minorities. The killing of Kashmiri Pandit (KP) teacher Rajni Bala in Kulgam or of government employee Rahul Bhat in Chadoora have made hundreds of KP families start fleeing again. For the community, such violence instantly brings back memories of the 90s genocide and ethnic cleansing.

File image of Rahul Bhat.ANI

That makes them easy targets and high-profile advertisements for jihadis who want all non-Muslims to keep out of the Valley, which they view as an Islamic state.

In a statement dated 2 June, terror group Kashmir Freedom Fighters (KFF), which claimed responsibility for bank manager Vijay Kumar in Kulgam, said: Anyone involved in the demographic change of Kashmir will meet the same fate. So, its an eye-opener for all those non-locals who are living in fools paradise that the Modi-led government will settle them here. Its nothing but just an illusion for them and they should not understand the reality that will cost them their lives. Think. Its not too late, otherwise the next turn will be yours.

This threat reeks of fear among the killers themselves of impending doom.

So, what have been the chief driving factors for the latest wave of Islamist violence? These are the three Ds domicile, delimitation, and disempowerment.

Domicile

Just before the second anniversary last year of scrapping Article 370, the Jammu and Kashmir government listed its successes in a 76-page booklet titled Jammu and Kashmir Marching To A New Era.

The report had a startling figure. It said 41.05 lakh domicile certificates had been issued in J&K including 55,931 certificates to West Pakistani refugees, 2,754 certificates to Valmikis and 789 to Gorkhas. In the last one year, that figure may have doubled.

A domicile certificate makes one eligible for recruitment in J&K. All former permanent residents are automatically eligible.

This set off panic among the Pakistan-backed Islamist ecosystem in Kashmir.

Is the demography protected so far by guns and a special status which robbed migrants, women, Dalits, and LGBT+ citizens of their rights being rapidly and systemically changed?

If Kashmirs demographic sanitised of non-Muslims through violent ethnic cleansing gets balanced or inverted, what will happen to Pakistans design of making it an Islamic state separated from India?

Interestingly, KFFs missive begins by mentioning that slain banker Vijay Kumar had a domicile.

Acres of oped space in local and national newspapers have been taken up by columnists who do not speak a word about forced demographic change happening in Bengal or Assam, or the missionary conversion sprees in Punjab, Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh.

Delimitation

Adding to demographic fears, came delimitation. The number of Assembly constituencies in Jammu, the BJPs stronghold, increased from 37 to 43. But seats in Kashmir only went up from 46 to 47. Nine seats have been earmarked for the Scheduled Tribes six in Jammu, three in Kashmir so no Muslim candidate can contest from these constituencies.

Kashmirs separatists and parties that relied mainly on the Muslim vote reacted with alarm. The reorganisation may end the anti-minority politics of the state and give the BJP an edge.

Besides, the Central government has started settling non-Muslim populations in safe enclaves. Instead of shifting Kashmiri Hindu employees to Jammu, the government has decided to create eight safe zones in Kashmir where they will be relocated. To begin with, 177 teachers posted in Srinagar downtown and other vulnerable areas have been shifted to secure zones.

Coupled with domicile given to migrant labour, delimitation may change the electoral fortunes of the Valley itself. A 2019 study by the International Scientific Research Organisation for Science, Engineering and Technology shows that of the 7 lakh-odd migrant labourers, most were concentrated in Anantnag, Srinagar and Pulwama. With the opening of Kashmir and massive issuance of domicile, the electoral fate of some pockets in the Valley may have changed.

Disempowerment

The biggest disempowerment of the jihad ecosystem came with the scraping of Article 370. The main tool of separatism was removed.

With it, all 890 central laws were made applicable to Jammu and Kashmir, 205 J&K state laws were repealed and 130 state laws were modified. The Centre repealed the Big Landed Estates Abolition Act and has started treating all property sold by Kashmiri Pandits after 1989-90 as distress sale, overturning such transactions and making local Muslims who took over those lands now liable to surrender these.

In places like Ganderbal, people from outside the state now own large tracts of land. Only fair, since Kashmiris own a fair bit of property in the rest of India.

Taking away of statehood has shrunk the political space and delimitation has ensured that brute Muslim majoritarianism cannot return when the political processes are restored.

While that may be good, the over-dependence of the people on an unelected and often indifferent bureaucracy instead of elected leaders to solve their problems can be frustrating. Also, the daily inquisition of Kashmiri Muslims on national media and not enough acknowledgement that thousands of local Muslims who stood by the Indian state and Pandits during the bloodiest years also paid with blood gives rise to hurt and anger.

The Indian state, agencies and media will have to tread very sensitively. Changes have to be done in a nuanced way instead of hype. The might of the Pakistani establishment is at work to destabilise efforts and tap into local resentment.

Saving Kashmir from separatists is our civilisational goal and we are winning. But India is up against a dark and violent adversary who will stop at nothing. Knee-jerk responses, loud jingoism, and lapses in patience resolve can break that winning streak.

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Terrorists fear of these 3Ds is behind killings of Kashmirs non-Muslims - Firstpost