India repeals Kashmir’s statehood, places it under direct rule

On Monday, the Indian government announced the repeal of Article 370 of its constitution, effectively removing the statehood of the region of Jammu and Kashmir after thousands of troops were rushed into the region last week.

This action changes the status of the Jammu and Kashmir region to “union territory” placing it under direct control of the central government in Delhi.

A further proposal would divide the singular Jammu-and-Kashmir region into two, creating the union territory of Ladakh.

The regional constitution is abolished, and local party leaders have been placed under house arrest, while communications and internet in the region have been cut off.

Kashmir is one of the most hotly contested regions in the world, divided between India and Pakistan and the source of the long-running feud between the two nuclear powers.

India’s decision to act with such harshness is likely an attempt to permanently fortify their contested border against Pakistan’s claims and influence.

The Kashmir region has long been a hotbed of unrest, owing to its Muslim majority population divergent from most of India’s Hindu majority. Under the terms of Article 370, dating to India’s unification in the 1950s, Jammu and Kashmir had its own set of laws restricting citizenship and property ownership to those within the state.

Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs have in the past been driven from the region in ethnic cleansings, the inverse of those against Muslims elsewhere in India, while religious and cultural ties to Pakistan have made the region subject to infiltration.

India’s crackdown may be tied to fears of Pakistan’s increasing influence abroad, such as with the United States as the US seeks mediation with the Taliban in plans to withdraw from Afghanistan.