Srinagar, The Narendra Modi-led Indian government, in its ongoing efforts to Indianize Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), has renamed a stadium in Baramulla after an Indian Army General, marking another step in its agenda.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the occupation authorities have officially sanctioned the renaming of Jhelum Stadium Janbazpora to “General Bipin Rawat Stadium.” This decision reflects the Indian government’s broader strategy to imprint its identity on the region.

General Bipin Rawat, known for his adherence to the Hindutva ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), played a significant role in escalating violence against Kashmiri civilians during his tenure as Indian Army Chief and later as Chief of Defence Staff. His actions were part of a larger effort to quell the Kashmiri freedom movement. General Rawat, along with his wife and 11 others, tragically lost their lives in a military helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on December 8, 2021.

This renaming is part of a series of similar actions by the Modi regime, which includes rebranding buildings, roads, and places in IIOJK with names of prominent Indian personalities and fallen troops and police personnel. Critics view these actions as a deliberate attempt to diminish the region’s Muslim heritage and impose Indian hegemony.

The move has sparked concerns among observers and locals who see it as an attempt to erase the distinctive cultural and historical identity of Kashmir.