APHC urges UN, world HR bodies to stop India’s settler-colonialism plan in IIOJK
Srinagar : The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has urged the United Nations and international human rights organizations to prevent India from carrying out settler-colonialism plan in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), particularly in the context of the upcoming census 2027.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the 2027 census will be conducted in two phases across the occupied territory.
APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas in a statement issued in Srinagar said that since August 2019, the Indian BJP government has imposed numerous stringent laws in IIOJK. These include new domicile and land laws, demolition of civilian properties, eviction of Kashmiris from their lands, and termination of local employees from their jobs, which are key elements of an ongoing settler-colonialism campaign.
He further stated that the “apartheid regime” has opened the floodgates for the sale of Kashmiri land and job opportunities to non-locals under a deliberate plan to alter the demographic composition of the territory.
The statement added that the termination of Kashmiri government employees from their rightful positions is part of a broader strategy to marginalize the local population in civil administration. Terming it a deep-rooted conspiracy against the indigenous population, he said, “The settler-colonialism drive has been initiated under the guise of newly introduced domicile laws to replace the indigenous population with a new settler society.”
The statement said legal changes have enabled outsiders to permanently settle in the region and compete for existing jobs in IIOJK.
It described the current situation in IIOJK as resembling a “virtual prison,” adding dissenting voices are being silenced through brute force and draconian laws.
APHC said in 2023, the Indian government directed paramilitary forces to expedite the collection of data on residents living in various parts of the region, including the Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh. The task was reportedly assigned to the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), with the use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, for intelligence gathering.
Referring to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the spokesman said the move was carried out “militarily and illegally” by the Indian BJP government with the aim of altering the demographic and political identity of the disputed region. He reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was an internationally recognized disputed territory and India is violating international laws through the use of force.
The statement said, amid an atmosphere of fear and harassment, the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir are not allowed to freely express demands for the restoration of their identity and rights. It warned that lasting peace would remain elusive unless India takes immediate steps to restore democratic and political rights to the people of the territory.
