Srinagar, The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has issued a vehement condemnation of the Narendra Modi-led government’s actions, which it views as an assault on the identity and economic stability of the people in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). This criticism comes in the wake of increasing measures perceived to suppress the cultural and religious heritage of the region’s majority Muslim population.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a detailed statement from Srinagar, voiced deep concerns over the continuing political and human rights abuses in IIOJK. Minhas accused the Modi government of implementing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Hindutva agenda, aimed at transforming the demographic and cultural landscape of the territory.
The statement elaborated on the efforts to undermine the Muslim identity of IIOJK, citing the aggressive settlement of non-locals through the issuance of domicile certificates as a key strategy following the controversial abrogation of the state’s special status on August 5, 2019. This move seeks to dilute the indigenous character of the region in favor of a broader “akhand Bharat” (undivided India) vision, which nostalgically references a pre-Islamic Hindu civilization.
Minhas called for unity among Kashmiris to resist what he termed as an existential threat to their identity, invoking the legacy of revered spiritual figures like Mir Syed Ali Hamdani and Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani (RA) in rallying the populace against these encroachments.
Moreover, the APHC spokesman criticized the arbitrary detention of youth in the Baramulla district on unfounded accusations, viewing it as part of a broader campaign of intimidation and suppression.
In a plea for international intervention, the APHC appealed to the global community to exert pressure on India to halt its policies in Kashmir, to uphold the Kashmiri people’s rights to their identity and self-determination, and to adhere to United Nations resolutions on the matter, thereby paving the way for lasting peace in the region.