India Plans Israel-Style Segregated Settlements To Stoke Religious Conflict In Kashmir
By YFK
April. 19,2018
The rightwing government of Indian Prime Minister Modi announced in early 2015 a plan to establish separate ‘townships’ for Kashmiri Hindus, who are also known as Pandits. The Pandits are basically a sub-caste of the Hindu social hierarchy. They are estimated to be 200,000 to 300,000 in numbers have been living in exile in India for the last quarter-century.
The ruling BJP of PM Modi is currently in power in the occupied state of Jammu & Kashmir along with a regional partner PDP.
The Indian Interior Minister Rajnath Singh agreed to the plan with India’s current ruler in Kashmir, ‘chief minister’ Mufti Saeed. The chief minister is elected in elections organized by the Indian military and not recognized anywhere in the world. Saeed promised to make available Kashmiri land for the Hindu settlements. Later, Kashmiri residents of the lands where the settlements were to be built protested and delayed the Indian plan.
People in Kashmir have serious reservations regarding this step by the Indian occupation regime. Kashmir has historically been a place where religious minorities have lived peacefully with Muslim-majority Kashmiris, and continue to do so. The religious harmony has always been a source of pride for Kashmiri people. The major concern being raised is that these Hindu-specific ‘townships’ will lead to isolation and segregation of Hindus and Muslims. The initial plan rolled out by the BJP government in India envisages the Hindus living in separate ‘satellite townships’ guarded by Indian military personnel.
This step is akin to the separate Jewish settlements initiated by Israel in Palestinian territories. The Modi government in India wants to implement Israeli ideas in the Kashmiri occupied territories.
Kashmir, which has been a Muslim majority area, now fears that the Indian plan aims at gradually converting the Muslim majority into a minority.
The paradise valley of Kashmir has always been a symbol of harmony. Hindus and Muslims have lived together side by side for centuries and shared each other’s gloom and joy. A case in point is the recent devastating floods in which Hindus and Muslims worked side by side rescuing and aiding one another.
At a time when the Indian-installed administration in Kashmir appeared nonexistent, the Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir set new examples of mutual cooperation. There were instances where Kashmiri Muslims saved many Hindu temples. Many Hindu and Sikh families took refuge in local mosques where they were looked after and properly fed.
Unlike India, whose history is replete with religious pogroms and genocides, Kashmir is proud it never witnessed any religious riots or hate crimes.
But this could change if the extremists in the rightwing government of Modi succeed in constructing Israel-style Hindu-only settlements in Kashmir.
Modi wants to gel Kashmiri Hindus into a voter bloc to counter majority Kashmiri Muslims on religious lines. This will help him and help India’s religious extremist parties in elections.
But this short term interest spells disaster for Kashmir. In this new environment of Hindu-only residential settlements, even a minor misunderstanding between a Kashmiri Muslim and a Hindu would ignite deadly riots, and destroy centuries of religious peace in Kashmir. This might suit Modi’s religious extremist allies in New Delhi, but it would create future humanitarian tragedies in Kashmir, and could further worsen relations between Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India.
India Plans Israel-Style Segregated Settlements To Stoke Religious Conflict In Kashmir
By YFK
April. 19,2018
The rightwing government of Indian Prime Minister Modi announced in early 2015 a plan to establish separate ‘townships’ for Kashmiri Hindus, who are also known as Pandits. The Pandits are basically a sub-caste of the Hindu social hierarchy. They are estimated to be 200,000 to 300,000 in numbers have been living in exile in India for the last quarter-century.
The ruling BJP of PM Modi is currently in power in the occupied state of Jammu & Kashmir along with a regional partner PDP.
The Indian Interior Minister Rajnath Singh agreed to the plan with India’s current ruler in Kashmir, ‘chief minister’ Mufti Saeed. The chief minister is elected in elections organized by the Indian military and not recognized anywhere in the world. Saeed promised to make available Kashmiri land for the Hindu settlements. Later, Kashmiri residents of the lands where the settlements were to be built protested and delayed the Indian plan.
People in Kashmir have serious reservations regarding this step by the Indian occupation regime. Kashmir has historically been a place where religious minorities have lived peacefully with Muslim-majority Kashmiris, and continue to do so. The religious harmony has always been a source of pride for Kashmiri people. The major concern being raised is that these Hindu-specific ‘townships’ will lead to isolation and segregation of Hindus and Muslims. The initial plan rolled out by the BJP government in India envisages the Hindus living in separate ‘satellite townships’ guarded by Indian military personnel.
This step is akin to the separate Jewish settlements initiated by Israel in Palestinian territories. The Modi government in India wants to implement Israeli ideas in the Kashmiri occupied territories.
Kashmir, which has been a Muslim majority area, now fears that the Indian plan aims at gradually converting the Muslim majority into a minority.
The paradise valley of Kashmir has always been a symbol of harmony. Hindus and Muslims have lived together side by side for centuries and shared each other’s gloom and joy. A case in point is the recent devastating floods in which Hindus and Muslims worked side by side rescuing and aiding one another.
At a time when the Indian-installed administration in Kashmir appeared nonexistent, the Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir set new examples of mutual cooperation. There were instances where Kashmiri Muslims saved many Hindu temples. Many Hindu and Sikh families took refuge in local mosques where they were looked after and properly fed.
Unlike India, whose history is replete with religious pogroms and genocides, Kashmir is proud it never witnessed any religious riots or hate crimes.
But this could change if the extremists in the rightwing government of Modi succeed in constructing Israel-style Hindu-only settlements in Kashmir.
Modi wants to gel Kashmiri Hindus into a voter bloc to counter majority Kashmiri Muslims on religious lines. This will help him and help India’s religious extremist parties in elections.
But this short term interest spells disaster for Kashmir. In this new environment of Hindu-only residential settlements, even a minor misunderstanding between a Kashmiri Muslim and a Hindu would ignite deadly riots, and destroy centuries of religious peace in Kashmir. This might suit Modi’s religious extremist allies in New Delhi, but it would create future humanitarian tragedies in Kashmir, and could further worsen relations between Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India.
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