SRINAGAR: The Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, has openly admitted that more than 800 Indian laws have been extended to Indian-illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of the territory’s special status in August 2019.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sinha made the revelation during an event in Srinagar, claiming that the enforcement of Indian laws had ensured “justice and equality” for all citizens.
His remarks, however, have drawn criticism from rights activists and political analysts who see them as part of India’s larger agenda to forcibly integrate the UN-recognized disputed territory and erase its distinct political and legal identity.
Observers argue that the imposition of these laws, under the guise of legal reform, is aimed at facilitating demographic changes and silencing the Kashmiri people’s legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination.
Sinha invoked the ideals of B.R. Ambedkar and emphasized access to justice as a constitutional guarantee, while highlighting government initiatives targeting marginalized communities. However, human rights defenders dismiss such assertions as superficial in a territory where basic freedoms remain suspended under a climate of military occupation, mass surveillance, and repressive laws.
Kashmiris and international observers continue to regard the unilateral changes imposed by New Delhi as illegal under international law and UN Security Council resolutions. They warn that the continued erosion of Kashmir’s special status further alienates the local population and exacerbates the ongoing political crisis in the occupied territory.
