Today, August 5, marks the second anniversary of revoking Article 370 of the Indian Constitution providing special status, or autonomy, to the disputed Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP-led government started changing its demography at gun point by allowing and luring Hindus to buy properties in Kashmir. Since then, the imposition of curfew has turned the valley into a mass prison, resulting in human tragedies.
There has been an insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir since 1989. But experts say the resistance is now becoming increasingly homegrown - a worrying trend for the geopolitically sensitive region, the BBC reported Thursday.
On 5 August, 2019, India revoked nearly all of Article 370 in the constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of the autonomy it had been guaranteed. At that time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP-led government argued the move was necessary to restore stability and bring economic prosperity to the region.
But two years on, the valley continues to remain tense, with officials saying more local young people are being drawn toward militancy.
For years, India has accused Pakistan of pushing thousands of militants across the border to foment instability in Indian-administered parts of Kashmir. Islamabad denies the charge.
Relations between the two countries have always been tense but reached a nadir when Delhi unilaterally revoked the region's special status in 2019.
Since 2019, the government has altered property rights of locals, triggering widespread suspicion among people. Locals fear the new laws will change the demography of India's only Muslim-majority region.
Kashmir has a history of a insurgency against Indian rule, and experts say these recent political changes have exacerbated this anger.
A senior security officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC that of 200 currently active militants, 80 are believed to be from Pakistan and more than 120 are locals.
"Between January and July this year, 76 Kashmiris have picked up arms and the number is anticipated to increase," the official said.
He said that no new foreign militant had been added to the list of active militants in Kashmir this year.
"But the names of locals are being added every day."
Not all of the militants who pick up arms belong to known militant groups. Some are poorly armed and untrained, and often end up dying in gun fights with Indian forces.
Since January this year, 90 alleged militants have been killed in gun fights in Kashmir, government data shows. Nearly all of them are locals, with some reportedly as young as 14, according to the BBC report.
Ajai Sahni, the executive director of Delhi-based defense think tank, the Institute for Conflict Management, was quoted by the BBC as saying that while the government's policies have fuelled resentment, local participation has been increasing.
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