Srinagar, The Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s pledges of development and employment in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, made during the revocation of the region’s special status in August 2019, have come under scrutiny amidst rising unemployment and related suicides.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the Modi regime, while annulling Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which provided special status to Kashmir on August 5, 2019, had asserted that this move would lead to increased development and job opportunities in the region. However, recent admissions by the Indian government in Parliament paint a different picture. The Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, acknowledged in response to a parliamentary query that the region witnessed 78 suicides due to unemployment from 2020 to 2022.

Rai presented data showing that there were 46 reported suicides in 2020, 15 in 2021, and 17 in 2022 in the occupied territory. This information raises questions about the efficacy of the government’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in light of its previous commitments to enhancing development and reducing unemployment in the region.