Extra Indian security forces patrolled the nearly empty streets. This week New Delhi announced the abolition of laws that meant only the 12 million permanent Indian Kashmir residents could own land there. Even Kashmir groups normally supportive of Indian rule have opposed the changes, which also allow the Indian armed forces to designate strategic zones for building military infrastructure. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah said Kashmir had been "put up for sale and left bereft of any basic protections." More than 500,000 Indian troops are based in Kashmir, where an insurgency has been waged against security forces for more than three decades.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 31, 2020 09:45 UTC