By  / Eur Asia Review

India’s decision of allowing anyone who is living ordinarily in Jammy and Kashmir to get registered as a voter in the region, which will be in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, has revived fears among the Muslims of yet another attempt of reinforcing Hindutva agenda in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). As announced by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Hirdesh Kumar, it is expected that the decision will add almost 2.5 million new voters to the existing 7.6 million voters in Kashmir. According to CEO, it is not mandatory for someone to hold a residence certificate from Jammu and Kashmir in order to register to vote. Hence, non-local voters will have voting rights in IIOJK now. It will alter the disputed territory’s political and demographic landscape. The move to allow non-Kashmiris to vote – has once again unveiled India’s hegemonic aspirations of consolidating a Hindu Rashtra by enforcing Hindutva agenda.

The apprehensions of a demographic change in the Muslim majority territory have been triggered under the Hindu nationalist BJP’s government. In the wake of this decision, the political and social landscape of the IIOJK is under threat from the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It was until August 2019, when the voting rights in IIOJK were limited only to its permanent residents, promised under Article 370 and 35(A) of the Indian constitution. However, the August 5 move by India, officially marked the beginning of a new wave of suppression of Muslims in IIOJK. New domicile laws – introduced after revocation of its special status – also aimed to allow the outsiders for settling in and alter the demography of the disputed territory. In this regard, the systematic increase in the ratio of the Hindu population has been the key objective. In May 2022, the Delimitation Commission’s decision of redefining the electoral boundaries in IIOJK, by increasing the representation in the Hindu-majority Jammu region and decreasing in the Muslim-majority Kashmir, was another step towards alienating the Muslims. The local Muslims fear that rising Islamophobia in India and anti-Muslim hatred behind Modi’s Kashmir policy will rob them of their separate identity.

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