SRINAGAR, INDIAN-OCCUPIED KASHMIR: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public event in Indian-occupied Kashmir on his first major trip since stripping the region’s limited autonomy two years ago
In his address at Palli village in Samba district in the southern city of Jammu, Modi addressed his supporters to mark Panchayati Raj – a day that commemorates local governments of rural areas in India.
Modi said: “It’s a proud moment that democracy has reached the grassroots level in Jammu and Kashmir,” adding that more than 30,000 representatives are now running the village system on their own.
The disputed region is without an elected government since 2018 before the region’s special status was revoked by the Hindu nationalist government. Elections for district and village councils were held in 2020 local bodies have no power to legislate or amend laws in the region now directly run from New Delhi.
Security has been tightened across the region with hundreds of additional troops deployed on the roads and highways. The trip comes as the region has been rattled with multiple gun battles over the last three days killing nine suspected rebels and a police official.
The government led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has maintained a tight grip on the situation and introduced controversial laws and policies that locals fear are aimed at bringing demographic change in the Muslim-majority region.
In the last two years, hundreds of people including journalists and rights activists have been jailed under laws that allow detention without charge for up to two years. This month alone 29 people including 22 suspected rebels, five security personnel, and two civilians were killed across the region.
The BJP has been running an anti-Muslim agenda, with many provincial governments passing laws that infringe on the basic rights and freedoms of minorities. Rights groups have accused the government of running policies and actions that target minorities.
Complete shutdown
A complete shutdown was observed in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a mark of protest against India’s illegal hold on the territory.
Call for the strike has been given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to convey a strong message to the Indian prime minister that the Kashmiris reject India’s illegal occupation of their homeland and will continue their struggle till they achieve their inalienable right to self-determination.
Indian occupation authorities deployed troops and police personnel across the occupied territory, particularly in Jammu region, ahead of Narendra Modi’s visit.
The forces’ personnel conducted random checking of vehicles and frisking of passengers on the check-points which have mushroomed on the roads of all major cities and towns as well as the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
The police and troops are used CCTV cameras to keep a watch on the movement of people. Sharpshooters were deployed at high rise buildings while drone cameras and sniffer dogs were pressed into service. Indian police seized scores of bikes from different areas of Srinagar.
