Changes in the land laws of Jammu and Kashmir have resulted in speculation about possible demographic changes in the newly formed union territory. Separatists and so-called mainstream politicians of Kashmir are trying to make a cause célèbre out of it at a time when they are not in a position to decide the political course of J&K. Amendments have been made to two Acts, the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, 1970 and Jammu and Kashmir Land Revenue Act 1996, as a result of which people who are not “permanent residents” of J&K can now buy land in the union territory. That is the way it is in the rest of the country, and that is the way it should be. Even though some reasonable exceptions have been granted to certain “scheduled” areas, exceptions have not been granted to any state or union territory to preserve the religious identity of their people. It may sound politically incorrect, but the fact is that religious identity is at the heart of the debate of demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir—rather Kashmir in particular. Jammu is as mainstream as mainstream can be, and whatever little bit of chatter is taking place about these amendments endangering the “ethnic identity” of the people of Jammu, is politically motivated and confined to the fringe. The problem is in Kashmir, but then there is no place for such an exclusivist worldview in a country as inclusive as India. To nurture such a view is to give currency to Jinnah’s Two Nation theory, by which Hindus and Muslims cannot co-exist. India is living proof that the Two Nation theory is a sham. The right to buy property anywhere in the country is a right enjoyed by every Indian citizen and Kashmir being a part of India cannot claim exclusivity in the name of religion. Also, for people from rest of India to go and settle in the valley in sufficient numbers to effect a demographic change, there has to be promise for a better life. Economic migration is about moving from a region of low economic activity to areas with better prospects. Kashmir, the way it is right now, offers near zero opportunities to migrants for them to want to settle there. In fact, to talk of demographic change and the majority becoming a minority in a region where over 95% people belong to a particular faith is preposterous. It will not be wrong to say that the push for the biggest demographic change in the valley came from within Kashmir itself, resulting in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits. Let’s also not forget that over the decades there have been complaints galore from Jammu that successive state governments have been trying to effect a demographic change in their region for the sake of political power. The just-scrapped “Roshni” Act, where encroached upon land could be bought by the encroacher, was seen by residents as a means to alter the demographic character of Jammu.
Hence, Kashmir’s mainstream political parties and separatist leaders need to stop making political capital out of the bogey of “demographic change”. If they want to see what demographic change looks like they should check out the systematic manner in which such a change is being carried out in Gilgit Baltistan in PoJK, where the majority population comprising Shias and Ismailis have gone from over 80% to less than 50%, because of the Punjabi Sunnis who have been settled there by Islamabad. Or how Beijing has flooded Tibet with the Han Chinese population. But then Pakistan and China are authoritarian powers. India is a democracy with enough checks and balances in place for any government to systematically effect a change of demography anywhere in the country. Terms such as “demographic change” are best not used loosely. The valley needs to emerge from decades of misinformation, disinformation and sheer propaganda to see for itself what mainstream India looks like. These land amendments will help in that process.