Safia Ramzan
Six years after India unilaterally abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the disputed region of Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories, it appears New Delhi is once again attempting to reshape ground realities. The latest reported plan involves granting statehood to Jammu, further dividing the region in a way that only deepens the decades-old conflict. India’s continual redrawing of borders and powers is not a path to peace—it is an extension of occupation through bureaucratic means.
According to Indian media, high-level meetings have been held to discuss this new statehood initiative. While official confirmation remains pending, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, speaking at a rally in Islamabad, alluded to this development. His remarks reflect a growing concern in Pakistan that India’s plans are not merely administrative changes but strategic moves to alter the identity and demographics of the region. These are not isolated actions—they are a part of a larger effort to erode the legitimacy of the Kashmir dispute on the international stage.
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It must be emphasized that India’s internal reshuffling of Kashmir’s status—whether by bifurcating it, stripping it of autonomy, or granting selective statehood—does not change the fundamental truth: Kashmir is a disputed territory under international law. United Nations Security Council resolutions recognize the right of Kashmiris to self-determination. India’s unilateral actions not only defy these resolutions, but also violate its own commitments made before the global community.
Since August 5, 2019, India has been accused of carrying out a quiet demographic shift in occupied Kashmir. Through changes in residency laws, land ownership rights, and electoral boundaries, New Delhi has attempted to marginalize the indigenous Muslim population while empowering pro-India voices. Alongside this, the region has endured severe human rights violations—from mass detentions and media blackouts to extrajudicial killings and the suppression of dissent. These tactics reveal the core of India’s strategy: domination through control and fear.
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Despite these oppressive measures, the political sentiment in occupied Kashmir has not aligned with New Delhi’s expectations. The 2023 legislative elections were a clear indicator. While the contesting parties largely remained loyal to the Indian union, their campaign demands focused on restoring the region’s pre-2019 status, including full statehood for all of Jammu and Kashmir. This shows that even those within the Indian political system reject the erosion of Kashmir’s autonomy and identity. India’s reconfiguration of the region has failed to earn political legitimacy from either the local population or the mainstream parties.
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New Delhi may argue that granting statehood to Jammu is a move toward normalcy or development. However, selectively offering statehood while leaving Kashmir and Ladakh as union territories raises pressing questions about intent. Why is the Hindu-majority Jammu region being prioritized for political empowerment while the Muslim-majority Kashmir continues to be ruled directly from the centre? The answer lies in communal politics and an effort to fragment the Kashmiri identity by dividing the region on religious and ethnic lines.
Even within Indian civil society and the judiciary, skepticism persists. The Indian Supreme Court is set to hear petitions demanding the restoration of Jammu & Kashmir’s statehood. However, past precedent suggests that expecting justice from the same state machinery that facilitated the 2019 constitutional coup may be wishful thinking. The judiciary’s silence on major constitutional violations has eroded its credibility among Kashmiris and human rights observers alike.
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Kashmir’s future cannot be resolved through legal gymnastics or administrative tweaks. It is a political issue rooted in a people’s right to determine their destiny. The only sustainable path forward is through inclusive dialogue involving all stakeholders—India, Pakistan, and most importantly, the Kashmiri people. Attempts to redraw boundaries, disenfranchise populations, or dilute the region’s identity only serve to entrench the conflict and deepen mistrust across South Asia.
The world’s silence on Kashmir, much like the ongoing genocide in Gaza, is deafening. While major powers may choose strategic partnerships with India over human rights concerns, the global consensus remains that Kashmir is a disputed territory. India’s closest allies may refrain from criticizing its internal actions, but none will deny that Kashmir’s status is unresolved. This tacit acknowledgment alone keeps the flame of the Kashmiri resistance alive and internationally relevant.
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In the end, peace in Kashmir is not achievable through coercion, fragmentation, or manipulation. It can only emerge from a commitment to justice, human dignity, and respect for international law. The longer New Delhi avoids this truth, the longer the region will remain in turmoil—and the greater the risk that the Kashmir issue will explode into wider instability in South Asia. The question now is not whether the world recognizes Kashmir as a dispute—it is whether anyone will act on that recognition before it is too late.
