Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter have expressed grave concerns over the actions of the RSS-backed Indian government, particularly its systematic campaign to erase the identity of Kashmiri Muslims and impose Hindutva ideology in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In a joint statement issued from Islamabad, APHC-AJK leaders Syed Faiz Naqashbandi, Muhammad Sultan Butt, Zahid Safi, and Zahid Ashraf highlighted the urgent need for resistance against the destructive agenda of Hindutva forces. They argued that the RSS’s manifesto aims to undermine the unique cultural identity of Kashmiris and convert the territory’s Muslim majority into a minority. The leaders condemned declarations by Hindutva leaders to obliterate Kashmir's distinct identity and integrate it into a Hindu Rashtra. They viewed the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A as the initial steps towards a broader agenda of cultural erasure and settler colonialism in IIOJK.

“The Modi regime is systematically laying the groundwork for settler colonialism in IIOJK,” they asserted. They pointed to actions such as granting domiciles to non-locals, allotting land to outsiders, providing job opportunities to Indians, and extending voting rights to non-locals as tactics designed to disenfranchise Kashmiris and deprive them of their cultural and economic resources. The APHC-AJK leaders called for unity among all segments of society in the face of this existential threat, emphasizing that Kashmiris are determined to protect their identity at any cost. They expressed confidence that, despite 77 years of military oppression, the spirit of the Kashmiri people remains unbroken. “Kashmiris would rather face death than submit to the forces of Hindu extremism,” they declared. They vowed to continue resisting Indian cultural invasion and hegemony until the last drop of blood and urged the international community to intervene in order to safeguard the land and identity of the Kashmiri people.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan