From Bulldozers to Bans: The Islamophobic Core of India’s Kashmir Policy.
Resident Editor Peak Point:Sidra Sadozai
Kashmir has endured a stifling policy of repression that goes well beyond constitutional amendments since the Modi-led BJP government repealed Article 370 on August 5, 2019. A concerted effort to destroy the region’s political, religious, and cultural identity is taking place, with its roots in ingrained Islamophobia. India’s Kashmir policy has developed into an overtly discriminatory agenda, ranging from the destruction of properties owned by Muslims to specific prohibitions on religious activities.
Using bulldozers as a weapon in politics
The bulldozer has become a terrifying representation of state power in India in recent years, especially in areas with a majority of Muslims. Demolition drives are conducted in Kashmir under the pretense of “anti-encroachment” operations, but they disproportionately target places of worship, businesses, and Muslim families.Communities are feeling vulnerable and afraid as entire livelihoods are being destroyed without following the proper procedures. The bulldozer has evolved from a simple machine into a means of intimidation and collective punishment.
Prohibitions of Tradition and Religion
There is a concerted effort to stifle religious expression in addition to physical destruction. Under security pretexts, Friday prayers at historic mosques, Eid gatherings, and traditional Ashura processions have all been restricted or outright prohibited. In some places, even the call to prayer has been suppressed. The goal of these actions is to undermine centuries-old customs and silence the religious life of Kashmir’s Muslim majority, not to keep the peace.
Curriculum, Language, and Cultural Purification
Another front in this cultural conflict is education. The removal of Kashmiri literature from curricula, the imposition of Hindi in schools, and the revision of history textbooks to exalt Hindu nationalist narratives all suggest a concerted attempt to eradicate the area’s Islamic past. Once celebrated, Kashmiri art forms and cultural festivals are now marginalized or reframed to conform to a sanitized, state-approved identity.
Narrative control and media blackouts
Information control is another tactic used to promote Islamophobia in Kashmir. Stories of repression are kept from the public by internet shutdowns, journalist harassment, and the closure of local media outlets. The state suppresses dissenting voices, particularly those of Muslims, while constructing a narrative of “normalcy.” While widening rifts at home, this narrative manipulation enables the government to defend its actions abroad.
Land Grabs and Targeted Laws
The demographics of the valley have changed as a result of the changes to domicile laws, which have allowed a large number of non-Kashmiris to settle there. Policies that deprive residents of their land rights under ambiguous development plans supplement these laws. Reducing the Muslim majority’s political power and their control over their ancestral lands is the obvious goal.
The Motivation of Ideology
The Hindutva ideology, which sees India as a Hindu state where minorities only exist on the conditions set by the majority, is at the core of this policy. This goal is thought to be hampered by Kashmir, a Muslim-majority state with a history of resistance. Bulldozers, police, and legislative changes are examples of state machinery that is used relentlessly to further an ideological goal rather than a security necessity.
The Price in Human Life
Every destroyed house, outlawed parade, or modified textbook has a human backstory of displacement and loss. The everyday reality in Kashmir is characterized by communities living under continual surveillance, families pushed into poverty, and youth deprived of their cultural identity. For millions of people, these policies are actual tragedies rather than merely theoretical political maneuvers.
The World’s Silence
The international community’s reaction has been subdued in spite of growing evidence of systematic targeting. Human rights concerns have been subordinated to strategic and economic interests. Knowing that international indignation will only be symbolic at best, this silence gives the Indian government the confidence to carry on with its campaign unchallenged.
Conclusion: An Erasure Policy
The Modi government’s Kashmir policy, which includes bans that erase religious life and bulldozers that level homes, is about dominance rather than integration or progress. It is an Islamophobic project that aims to destroy a people’s soul, alter their past, and change their course for the future. Kashmir is getting closer to irreversible cultural and demographic change the longer the world remains silent.
