Srinagar: A recent decision by the Narendra Modi-led Indian government to grant land ownership rights to 1947 refugees and other displaced persons in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir has sparked severe criticism. Experts claim this action contravenes United Nations resolutions that govern the disputed territory’s status.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the contentious policy was enacted by the Administrative Council chaired by IIOJK Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The policy aims to settle outsiders and refugees from Pakistan who migrated to India during the 1947 partition, a move experts argue undermines the special status previously held by Jammu and Kashmir under Indian control.
UN Resolution 47 (1948), which mandates that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir should be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite, explicitly forbids any demographic changes in the region. An analyst, speaking under the condition of anonymity, criticized the Indian government’s action as a clear attempt to alter the demographic makeup of Kashmir, branding it as both unacceptable and a violation of international law.
The decision has also faced backlash from local political groups, who contend that it erodes the region’s identity and disregards the rights of its native population. This development has intensified debates concerning the protection of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and the need for strict adherence to UN resolutions addressing the dispute over the territory.