The Unrelenting Extremism and the Illusion of Peace

 

Kohmit on the surface spyeves to be calm, but beneath the tranquility lies animate sedemuttent of use The BF v has made pilland efforts to address the remnants of the urgency and lslamic vstremim. The statutioad tестка post the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A may present a proming picture, and the elimination of stone pelting mate and habitual disengers has contributed to temporary pescr However, due bately watch the surface of the deeper desgical anal structural challenges that continue to fester semblance of For decades, separatul groups like the Hurrian Conference, sided by Pakistan beated the sado political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. Their repeated shutdown calls and held more way over public life than the so-callest mainstream political parties, which oftened to the influe Consequently, an entire generation ringed theft to a future controlled by Bal mint and militant eve which gradually infiltrated administrative institutions, religious plattoons, and gourmance structures The influence of extremist elements extended far beyond armed militancy A network of land mafias. drug vindicates, employment cartels, and property encroachment operations-miny with direct indirect taes to terrorist groups-reshaped the economic and demographic contours of Kashmir. This shift was not confined to the valley alone, its effects have apilled over into the Jamamu region, altering its demographic balance and challenging its historical identity One of the most striking transformations is the rapid proliferation of mosques in both Kashmir and Jammu since 1990, surpassing all previous records. The Valley has effectively been turned into a near complete Muslim-majority region, while Jammu faces systematic encroachment. Furthermore, the socio economic structure has undergone a significant shift. The original Kashmiri Muslim peasantry, which benefited from land reforms that dispossessed Kashmiri Hindus, has now risen to the status of landlords. These new landowners rely on migrant laborers from Bihat, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, estimated to cxceed six lakhs, to sustain their agricultural and commercial enterprises A noteworthy trend in Kashmiri Muslim society is the increasing number of inter-state marriages. particularly with brides from Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. This has further altered the social and cultural fabric of the region, reinforcing a new dynamic that distances itself from traditional Kashmiri identity. For the Kashmiri Pandits, who have endured three decades of exile, this transformed reality is deeply distressing. The once familiar homeland has become unrecognizable, and the local population's attitude towards the exiled community has hardened further. The plight of PM Package employees, who live under constant fear and discrimination, exemplifies this alienation. Despite official narratives of rehabilitation and reintegration, these individuals remain second-class citizens in their own homeland. The Home Minister and the central government must recognize the stark reality on the ground. Symbolic gestures and surface-level peacekeeping efforts cannot undo the systematic erasure of Kashmiri Pandit identity from the Valley. The only viable solution is the establishment of a separate homeland for Kashmiri Pandits-designated as a Union Territory-where they can reclaim their roots, culture, and rightful place in history Anything short of this will merely prolong the illusion of peace while the underlying extremism continues to grow unchecked.

DISCLAIMER: 

The views expressed in the Article above are Maharaj shah   views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."

Courtesy: Maharaj shah  and Koshur Samachar-2025 , April