BJP undermining democracy in IIOJK

Narendra Modi is trying to sideline minority communities. Hindus believe that everyone who had ever walked on this part of the earth was Hindu and was forced to convert to Islam by Muslim invaders or Christian missionaries. Christians constitute just over 2% of India’s 1.4 billion population, a demographic that has not significantly changed over the decades, and Muslims make up roughly 15%. Hindu mobs have vandalized Muslims’ mosques, homes, and Christian churches, and missionary schools, disrupted prayer meets, and assaulted pastors and practicing Christians, accusing them of forced conversions. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has called on the international community to act urgently to alleviate the suffering of the oppressed people in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). APHC spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas in a statement from Srinagar condemned the harsh measures imposed by the BJP-led Indian government to punish the Kashmiri people for demanding the right to self-determination. As part of a vicious campaign, aimed at marginalizing the majority community in IIOJK, the BJP regime is systematically removing Kashmiri Muslim employees from government positions under dubious pretenses. The APHC expressed concern over recent discriminatory actions, including the suspension of four more Kashmiri Muslim employees. The statement highlighted that New Delhi has already terminated scores of Kashmiri Muslim employees while opening floodgates of employment for non-local Hindus. The sackings of Kashmiri Muslim employees by the Modi government reveal a pattern of discrimination and political repression. These unjust firings are part of a broader scheme to remove local representation from government roles. He lamented that justice has been eluding the Kashmiris who have witnessed oppression and bloodshed for the last seven decades. The APHC reaffirmed that the sacrifices made by Hurriyat leaders, activists, and the common Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom of their motherland from Indian bondage will bear results. The United Christian Forum leaders have said that anti-conversion laws have been weaponized to persecute religious minorities in the country. In a recent meeting with Kiren Rijiju, Indian Minister of Minority Affairs, in Delhi, the UCF delegation urged the repeal of stringent anti-conversion laws enforced across 11 states, most of which are governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The UCF’s memorandum, presented to the minister, details a troubling rise in violence and discrimination against Christians. According to the document, there were 727 reported incidents of violence against Christians in 2023, described as part of a disturbing trend. The first half of 2024 has already seen 361 targeted attacks. Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, both under BJP rule and with active anti-conversion laws, reported the highest number of incidents: 96 and 92 respectively. The memorandum says that police often collaborate with Hindutva groups to target Christians, who constitute just 2.3% of India’s 1.4 billion population. Vikar Rasool Wani, President of the Congress chapter in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has said that the BJP-led Indian government is using the recent decision to grant additional powers to the Lieutenant Governor as a tactic to undermine the authority of the elected government. Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, Wani criticized the Modi government’s move, suggesting it indicates the BJP’s lack of intention to restore statehood to occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He called for the restoration of statehood before the upcoming assembly elections, warning that any elected government would be powerless without it. Wani reaffirmed Congress’s commitment to advocating for the return of statehood despite the BJP’s apparent reluctance. The BJP is aware of the possibility of losing the upcoming Assembly elections, so they have centralized power with the Lieutenant Governor, effectively undermining the democratic system. When will the human rights regimes become operative in the face of rough treatment used by India?