The Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continuously asserted that the region has now attained normalcy, after the abrogation of Article 370, which granted the special status to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the in-depth examination and analysis of the situation unveils an opposite scenario. The region in the post-2019 period has witnessed heightened militarization and attempts to change the demographic and cultural landscape, in addition to the curtailed civil liberties. The article examines these aspects while challenging the Indian narrative of normalcy promoted by BJP and Modi.
The State of Jammu and Kashmir has become one of the most highly militarized zones in the world, which directly contradicts Modi’s claims of normalcy. In the pre-2019 period, there were approx—7 lac Indian military personnel deployed in the Occupied region. Following the abrogation of special status in 2019, military deployment was increased and 50,000 personnel were deployed. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Defense Ministry of India, have even announced the deployment of 10,000 strong units along the western border. Moreover, on June 29, 2024, 500 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces were deployed to the Union Territory in response to a series of guerilla attacks in the Jammu region. How can an area be considered normal when it is under such intense military surveillance and control?
Post-2019, the number of detentions in Jammu and Kashmir has surged dramatically. Nearly 4,000 people were detained immediately after the abrogation of Article 370. In 2024 alone, 108 Kashmiris have been charged under the Public Safety Act, and over 657 have been arrested on various criminal charges. The conditions in detention are harsh, with 275 detainees in North India jails losing their lives to heatwaves. Furthermore, from 2020 to 2022, the highest number of cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were registered in Jammu and Kashmir, totaling 2,615 cases. Such detentions and the use of draconian laws are inconsistent with any notion of normalcy.
In a bid to showcase normalcy, India has conducted the elections in Jammu and Kashmir. However, these elections are far from free and fair. Political leaders are often detained or barred from contesting. A prominent example is Engineer Rashid, a pro-election activist who won against former Chief Minister Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah and former Hurriyat leader Sajad Lone, but has been unable to secure bail from Tihar Jail, preventing him from taking his oath. When political dissent is stifled and opponents are jailed, the legitimacy and normalcy of such elections are highly questionable.
Since 2019, the Indian government has issued domiciles to over 4 million non-Kashmiri Hindus and more than 3,000 to members of the Valmiki Nepali community. This move appears to be an attempt to change the demographic composition of Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, there is an ongoing cultural erosion project aimed at altering the region’s identity. Names of schools and sites are being changed, for instance the Government Degree College in Kulgam was renamed after Inspector Mohammad Altaf Dar, a police officer killed in counterinsurgency operations. History and political science textbooks have been revised to reflect a Hindu-centric narrative.
Furthermore, the new educational policy enacted after 2019 enforced the teaching of Hindu religious texts, Bhajans, and other Hindu practices in schools. The Indian government has directed the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to alter the curriculum, particularly in social sciences like history. These changes have been viewed by some experts as part of a broader pattern of “saffronisation,” where historical facts are adjusted to align with the ruling party’s ideology. For instance, the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947 is presented in a manner that downplays the region’s contested status and the complexities surrounding the Maharaja’s decision. In addition, the region has witnessed linguistic aggression as well. Though Jammu and Kashmir have been recognized for their multi-lingual nature, the Urdu language has still enjoyed a special status since 1956. However, the Indian government has abolished the special status of Urdu. These efforts aiming to alter the demographic and cultural identity of the region are in stark contrast to the claims of normalcy.
After the abrogation of Article 370, frequent internet shutdowns and curfews were seen in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Even the press in Jammu and Kashmir is under severe restrictions, with several journalists and media personalities being detained and prevented from expressing their views. The press club of Kashmir is under the control of Indian government-backed journalists, hence scraping the media freedom. All these suppressive moves and curtailing policies for media and social media are clear indicators of the instability and abnormality in the region. Then, how can a sane mind believe in Modi’s claims of normalcy?
Despite these claims of the Indian government, the global community remains wary of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Even, the U.S. Department of State has issued warnings for not traveling to Jammu and Kashmir, due to the increasing sense of insecurity amidst the threat of violence and terrorism. In other words, these advisories indicate the deteriorating security situation in the Jammu and Kashmir region, hence nullifying the claims of so-called normalcy. However, the global silence on these severe human rights atrocities raises significant questions about the effectiveness of human rights regimes and international laws. The question arises, “Whether the international community is unaware of the ground realities in Jammu and Kashmir, or its silence is a result of materialistic interests, driven by Indian economic potential?” Whatever the trends are, Kashmiris and Pakistan continue to make efforts to bring global attention to the plight of the Kashmiri people, demanding justice and self-determination.
The meticulous analysis of the ground realities in Jammu and Kashmir proves that the BJP’s claims of normalcy do not withstand scrutiny. The region witnessed heightened security and an increasing number of detentions under draconian laws. The electoral processes were highly manipulated and marred by the detention of political leadership. In addition, the settler colonial project of the BJP aimed at threatening the demographic, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Jammu and Kashmir region. Moreover, the restrictions on the internet and social media, and the warning of international travel advisories highlight the exacerbating security crisis in the region. These factors paint a picture of a highly disturbed area, far from normalcy, hence challenging the narrative of the Indian government.
Authors
Syed Inam Ali Naqvi is a master’s degree researcher at Silk Road School, Renmin University of China, specializing in Contemporary Chinese Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations with first distinction from the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, he is the founder and Managing Director of “The Global Politico,” a web platform.
Tayyaba Khurshid is Research Officer at Center for International Strategic Studies AJK
