BJP’s Property Seizures in IIOJK: A Systematic Assault on Identity and Rights of Kashmiris

The BJP-led Indian government intensifies its campaign to dispossess Kashmiris in IIOJK, seizing properties of 13 individuals in Kishtwar as part of its oppressive agenda.

The BJP-led Indian government’s relentless campaign to dispossess Kashmiris of their land and silence dissent has escalated in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Authorities have seized properties belonging to 13 individuals in Kishtwar district, marking yet another chapter in India’s oppressive agenda in the region.

The crackdown targeted land and other assets owned by Shahnawaz Kant, Nayeem Ahmed, Mohammad Iqbal, and others. Indian police, under the guise of enforcing draconian laws, attached these properties in multiple areas of Kishtwar, leaving families disenfranchised and homeless.

This latest action is not an isolated event but part of a broader and intensifying campaign that began with the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The BJP regime has systematically used property seizures as a weapon to erode the cultural and demographic identity of Kashmir. Critics argue these confiscations aim to dispossess locals, paving the way for settling non-locals and altering the region’s population composition.

The authorities justify these actions under the pretext of law enforcement or accusations of affiliations with pro-freedom activities. However, these justifications mask a deliberate attempt to marginalize Kashmiris economically and politically. The deliberate targeting of properties is a form of collective punishment, designed to break the spirit of resistance in the region.

In a related development, 36 youths from Kishtwar were labeled absconders by an Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, leading to the attachment of their properties. These individuals, already subjected to baseless accusations, are now further victimized by losing their homes and livelihoods.

The situation worsens with the ongoing misuse of draconian laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA). Recently, during a cordon-and-search operation in Udhampur district, Indian police arrested a youth under this oppressive legislation. Such arrests have become a tool for silencing dissent and instilling fear in a region already under siege.

These actions are not merely administrative but part of a Hindutva-driven agenda that seeks to erase Kashmir’s unique identity. By weaponizing property laws and blacklisting individuals, the BJP regime intensifies its settler-colonial project, leaving the local population in a state of perpetual insecurity.

The international community must confront this blatant violation of human rights and take action against India’s state-sponsored terrorism. The dispossession and marginalization of Kashmiris under the guise of law enforcement are a disgraceful chapter in modern history.