India plundering natural resources of IIOJK for economic marginalization of Kashmiris

Srinagar,: Srinagar-based political and legal experts have said that India is plundering the natural resources of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as part of its systematic economic marginalization of Kashmiris.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the political and legal experts in their interviews and statements said that India started exploiting the natural resources of Jammu and Kashmir immediately after it militarily occupied the territory in 1947. They said India has been exploiting water, mineral, forest and other resources of occupied Kashmir as part of its larger conspiracy to make the Kashmiris dependent and subject them to collective punishment.

The political and legal experts pointed out that following the repeal of the special status of IIOJK, the Narendra Modi-led Indian government has intensified its drive to exploit the natural resources of the territory to benefit BJP’s crony capitalists. They said the occupation authorities recently leased out electricity from Kishtwar’s Ratle Power Project to the Indian state of Rajasthan for 40 years. They said the Modi regime is supplying electricity generated from IIOJK’s waters to Indian states while Kashmiris are living in darkness.

The political and legal experts deplored that the Modi regime is depriving the IIOJK people of their fair share in the wealth generated from its natural resources. They said India has kept IIOJK underdeveloped intentionally despite being rich in natural resources. India is using capitalist exploitation and resource control as key instruments of its project to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, they added.

People Democratic Party President, Mehbooba Mufti, criticized the occupation authorities’ decision to supply electricity from the Ratle Power Project to Rajasthan. She argued that this move would add to the sufferings of the people of the territory amid the ongoing severe power crisis.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary, Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, said the Modi government has put the water, coal mining, mineral resources and lithium reserves of occupied Kashmir on sale. He said the Modi government does not care about the feelings, sentiments and aspirations of the people of the occupied territory.