New lawmakers in India-Occupied Kashmir seek restoration of partial autonomy

Newly-elected lawmakers in India Occupied Jammu and Kashmir territory passed a resolution demanding New Delhi restore the partial autonomy of the Himalayan region.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government revoked Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s partial autonomy in 2019, splitting the state into the two federally administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The decision was opposed by opposition parties, and many people were detained in 2019 to forestall a backlash against the shock move.

Modi’s government also imposed months of curbs on communications in the highly sensitive Kashmir Valley, where tens of thousands have been killed in a decades-long freedom fight against Indian rule.

On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir’s newly-elected ruling alliance passed the resolution seeking the restoration of Article 370, despite protests by BJP lawmakers.

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“This legislative assembly re-affirms the importance of the special status and constitutional guarantees which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expresses concern over their unilateral removal,” it said.

Only the federal government can restore Kashmir’s special status. Modi’s government is expected to definitely reject the demand as the scrapping of special status was a key BJP plank for decades.

There was no immediate reaction from Modi government on the resolution.

Freedom fighters in Kashmir have fought Indian security forces since 1989.