NEW DELHI – India’s Muslim-majority region of Kashmir was formally dividedon Thursday, almost three months after losing its autonomy in a move thattriggered violence and stoked tensions with arch-rival Pakistan.
The move, announced in early August when India imposed a lockdown and sentin tens of thousands of extra troops, saw Jammu and Kashmir cease to be astate and split into two new administrative territories ruled directly fromNew Delhi.
Speaking next to a colossal statue of independence hero Sardar VallabhbhaiPatel in his home state of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi onThursday hailed a “bright future” for the blood-soaked Himalayan region.
Local authorities in Kahsmir, meanwhile, deployed tens of thousands ofgovernment forces and issued a high alert for rebel attacks and anti-Indiaprotests.
Police and paramilitary troops in bulletproof gear patrolled the streets inthe densely populated old quarters of the main city of Srinagar and othertowns across the volatile Kashmir Valley.
Kashmir was “the only place where terrorism killed around 40,000 people inthe last three decades. So many mothers lost their sons… For how longcould have just kept watching the innocents die?” Modi said.
– Split since 1947 –
“We are happy that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are moving towards a newfuture from today onwards. Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir today are takingsteps for their bright future,” Modi said.
Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since 1947 and hassparked two wars and numerous flare-ups between the two nuclear-armed foes,most recently in February when they conducted tit-for-tat air strikes.
In early August, Modi’s Hindu nationalist government strippedIndian-administered Kashmir of its special status in the constitution,detaining thousands of people — including almost all local politicalleaders — and cutting telecommunications.
It also announced that from October 31, the state would become twoso-called union territories: Ladakh to the east bordering China — whichalso claims part of it — and Jammu and Kashmir in the west.
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New Delhi has a much bigger say in the overall administrative affairs ofunion territories, considered the lowest governance unit in India. Thereare now nine union territories and 28 states.
Amid the tight security, low-key ceremonies on Thursday in Srinagar and Leh– the territories’ main cities — were due to see two new LieutenantGovernors sworn into office.
The move also removes Kashmiris’ exclusive land rights, allowing peoplefrom elsewhere to buy property. Locals suspect that this is part of Modi’saim to bring demographic change in the region.
– Torture allegations –
Almost three months after Modi’s surprise move, which came only weeks afterhe was re-elected in a landslide, hundreds of Kashmiri politicians andothers remain in detention, mostly without charge.
In total, several thousand people were locked up — including children asyoung as nine — with most subsequently released. There have also beenallegations of torture by Indian troops, something the government denies.
Access to around half of mobile phones was only restored on October 14 andthe internet remains cut for the Kashmir Valley’s more than seven millionpeople.
The UN High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva said Tuesday that it was”extremely concerned” at the situation.
“We urge the Indian authorities to unlock the situation and fully restorethe rights that are currently being denied,” it said. -APP/AFP