The National Committee against Fascism and Imperialism has urged the government and all progressive political forces to protest the Hindu nationalist Indian government move to revoke Kashmir's special status.
The committee issued their press release to this effect on Saturday, signed by its President Badruddin Omar, and General Secretary Akmal Hossain
"If the Indian government considers these acts to be their internal affairs, the logical movement for [self-determination] of the Kashmiri people will be curtailed. And the BJP government's policy of coercion will be upheld," it said.
Kashmir, a majority-Muslim region in both India and Pakistan’s north, has been partitioned between the two countries since 1947.
On August 5, the Indian government exacerbated the situation by revoking Article 370 of the country's constitution, which had for decades afforded the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) — India’s side of Kashmir — substantial autonomy in its affairs.
Importantly, another article — 35a — also barred people from outside the state in buying property there to prevent India’s majority-Hindu population from moving into Jammu and Kashmir and displacing Muslims who live there. That too was revoked.
By revoking the articles, the Indian government will now have far more control over Jammu and Kashmir, and outsiders will be allowed to buy property there. That has sparked fears of “ethnic cleansing” and that Hindus will flock to the region to push out the Muslims once and for all.